Task & Purpose. News, culture, and analysis by and for the military community.

Soldier, sailor and now airman: This NCO has served in three branches in 12 years
Staff Sgt. Robert Meyers has served in three different military branches, with stints in the Army and the Navy reserves before the Air Force.
Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and merchant vessel collide near Egypt
There are no reports of flooding or injuries aboard the Navy’s USS Harry S. Truman after a collision with merchant vessel near Egypt.
Alaska rescue units had a hell of week: 3 planes, 2 countries and 1 stuck helicopter
Units from the Alaska Air National Guard, Army Guard and active duty all pitched in to respond to three plane crashes, an avalanche victim and a long-distance recovery of one of their own helicopters.
Air Force says delay in test cycle for 35,000 airmen shouldn’t impact promotions
Originally scheduled to take place from Feb. 15 to April 15, the staff sergeant promotion testing cycle will now run from March 3 to May 1.
Navy SEAL candidates often swim in water with high levels of fecal matter, watchdog finds
Naval Special Warfare Command rarely moves water training events for Navy SEAL candidates despite high levels of fecal indicator bacteria in the ocean, according to the Defense Department Inspector General’s Office.
This Army first sergeant set up a Super Bowl party for his soldiers in the field
“It hits different when your leadership thinks about you like that,” said Sgt. Matthew Brennan, a soldier in the unit.
$571 million in VA spending on suicide prevention isn’t working, vets groups say
Veteran advocates are asking for accountability on how the Department of Veterans Affairs uses its $571 million suicide prevention budget, and whether those efforts are working.
Task & Purpose was founded in 2014 as a voice for the military community, and continues to serve that community 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.