Task & Purpose. News, culture, and analysis by and for the military community.
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New VA dental patients face waits of 2 months for appointments
As the VA inks a $30 billion contract to shift dental care across its system under a single private company, new figures show how long veterans can wait for a first appointment.
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Hundreds of soldiers transfer to newly created jobs in robotics and space
10 warrant officers were the first in the Army to graduate as the new 390A Robotics Technicians MOS, while hundreds joined the 40D space operations field.
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Army publishes guidebook to help NCOs manage the barracks
The new guidebook isn’t policy, Army officials said, but is meant to help noncommissioned officers better understand their duties in the barracks.
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Top Army drill sergeant says basic training isn’t just about being tough: ‘We have to operate with empathy’
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Harrington says it helps as a drill sergeant if you’re “naturally born loud,” but mentoring is at the heart of the job.
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More from Task & Purpose
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USS Lincoln strike group awarded Presidential Unit Citation for Iran deployment
The Presidential Unit Citation is the military’s unit award for valor. Previous units to earn the award include D-Day paratroopers, special ops teams in Afghanistan, and Coast Guard hurricane responders.
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81 US military fighters, helicopters, and drones have been lost or damaged in the Iran war
Reports from Congress and the Pentagon have assessed equipment losses from the war at more than $3 billion.
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Suicide rate among military veterans sees little change, VA data shows
The new report, released last week, looks at data from 2001-2024.
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Army sets execution date for Nidal Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood
The Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle announced that Nidal Hasan would be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026 at Fort Hood, Texas.
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Corps bans alcohol, sets curfew for Marines on Okinawa after alleged killing
A lance corporal was arrested Sunday in connection with the death of a Japanese woman in Okinawa.
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Marines at Camp Pendleton get a new dining hall drive-thru for quick meals
A main chow hall on Camp Pendleton now has a drive-thru window, where Marines can get full meals or snacks on the go.
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Army Apache helicopter batters Alabama car show with rotor wash
The Apache arrived later than expected to a street festival, after several owners of classic cars had opened the doors and hoods for display.
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A Navy F/A-18F came home from Iran with ‘Sub Buster’ markings
The Navy fighter/bomber is not designed to take on submarines, but it may have been involved with strikes on Iranian subs docked in ports.
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Trump approves firing squad for the execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution method to President Donald Trump, who approved the use of it on Nidal Hasan.
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Army grounds fleet of AH-64Es for second time in three months
An Army official said the service is grounding about 400 helicopters, more than half of its AH-64 fleet.
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Soldier awarded Purple Heart from drone attack in first days of war
Army Reserve Lt. Col. Robert J. Connolly dedicated the award to six fellow soldiers killed in the same drone attack in the first hours of Operation Epic Fury.
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Air Force pulls bombers from RAF Fairford after security incident
The decision to pull U.S. bombers from the British base comes a week after several people were arrested on suspicion of plotting terrorist action.
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Marine arrested on suspicion of killing a Japanese woman in Okinawa
The Marine Corps said it is “actively cooperating” with authorities after a lance corporal was arrested Saturday night.
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USS George HW Bush stops in Thailand after leaving the Middle East
The aircraft carrier quietly left the Central Command area of operations in recent days, leaving the USS George Washington as the only carrier currently in the Middle East.
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Pentagon increases combat pay as war with Iran continues
Troops can now earn $450 per month in hostile fire pay and as much as $275 per month in imminent danger pay, the first increase since 2002.
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Air Force authorizes new berets for explosive ordnance techs
The new rust-colored headgear for explosive ordnance disposal techs will be the Air Force’s seventh authorized beret.
Task & Purpose was founded in 2014 to cover the military and veteran community from a rank-and-file perspective, and continues to do so with accurate reporting and great storytelling to this day. Our journalists have reported on the front lines of the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota and the war in Afghanistan. We’ve uncovered American veterans being abused in Kuwaiti prisons, deported veterans being forced to work for Mexican cartels, and drawn national attention to a longstanding legal rule barring service members from suing the government — even in the face of gross negligence.
