Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  US quietly carries out counter-ISIS operations U.S. forces in the Middle East have killed 163 Islamic State group militants and captured another 33 in dozens of operations in Iraq and Syria since late August, U.S. Central Command said in a Monday statement.© AP Photo/Susan Walsh Since Aug. 29, more than 95 Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS) operations, some of which included strikes in Syria, “resulted in 163 terrorists killed and 33 captured, including over 30 senior and mid-level ISIS leaders,” according to the command, which oversees American forces in the region.  “These successful operations resulted in the seizure of significant enemy materiel that could aid in future disruptions,” the statement notes, adding that the sustained pressure on ISIS leaders has hindered their ability to operate and to plan attacks.   The U.S. military along with security forces in Iraq and Syria have been involved in near constant strikes and raids in the two countries as of late in a bid to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist group following its defeat in 2019.   One of the more notable attacks came in late October when U.S. troops targeted camps in the Syrian desert and several of the group’s senior leaders, killing as many as 35 militants, Centcom said at the time.   Joint American-Iraqi strikes and raids on ISIS locations in central Iraq on Oct. 22 killed at least seven of the group’s operatives.  Two U.S. service members were wounded during that operation by an explosion and had to be transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, while a third person was assessed for traumatic brain injury.   There are about 900 U.S. forces operating in Syria while roughly another 2,500 are in Iraq participating in a counter-ISIS mission.  Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Trump says he’ll put ex-NFL player in charge of US missile shieldFormer President Trump told supporters Sunday that he wants to put former NFL player and failed GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in charge of a new missile defense shield if elected. Walker, a staunch ally of Trump, appeared at a rally in Macon, Ga., where he flubbed the GOP presidential candidate’s name twice. “It is time for it to stop, and it stops on Tuesday when we vote for my friend, and your friend, Donald Trump …  Full Story  Taiwan braces for US election as China tensions rise  TAIPEI — Taiwan is bracing for the results of the U.S. election, with some officials worried about what a new Trump administration could mean given the former president’s isolationist views. On the presidential trail, Taiwan has not been a major campaign question, though a key foreign policy topic has centered on how to take on China.  The concerns about former President Trump center on his calls for Taiwan to pay for …  Full Story  Pentagon sending more bomber aircraft, warships to Middle East Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered more warplanes and Navy ships to the Middle East to maintain U.S. presence in the region as an aircraft carrier strike group is preparing to leave, the Pentagon announced Friday. Austin ordered additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, a fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers to the region, press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  The U.S. presidential election is tomorrow.The Harris-Walz Campaign will hold an election night event at Howard University, Vice President Kamala Harris’s alma mater, beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The Trump-Vance campaign is set to host an election night watch party tomorrow at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:Intel agencies pinpoint Russia as behind false Haitian Georgia voting claims Intelligence agencies on Friday condemned Russian interference in the U.S. election, identifying the U.S. adversary as being behind a recent video amplifying false claims of Haitians attempting to vote in Georgia. “The [intelligence community] assesses that Russian influence actors manufactured a … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a virtual discussion on “From Military Service to Leading Veterans Affairs,” with Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Tanya Bradsher, at 10 a.m.    What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Many military ballots won’t be counted until after Election Day (Military Times) National Guard on standby in many states as America faces tense Election Day (Military.com)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Will Kamala Harris lose the popular vote? Harris could not simply lose in 2024; she could potentially lose the popular vote as well — and take many Democrats down with her.  Read more Harris camp thinks she’s regained edge on Trump Vice President Harris and her supporters believe they have the edge in the final hours of the presidential campaign, after several weeks when the campaign … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Harris and Trump are ignoring the US defense crisisIsrael’s strike has Iran facing a stark nuclear option Is this our last chance to stop Iran from going nuclear?  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Defense page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view all our topical emails here 📩 Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe