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Air Force HH-60
Air Force

Air Force rescue units awarded rare Presidential Unit Citation

“This will go down in Air Force history as one of the greatest accomplishments of the Air Force rescue community.”

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) West patrol waterways in the San Francisco Bay, Oct. 9, 2025. MSRT’s primary mission is to provide specialized maritime law enforcement and counterterrorism capabilities in support of Homeland Security and Defense Readiness operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joel LaVallee)
Coast Guard

Coast Guard wants more fast boats and boarding parties as demand soars

Their use has risen dramatically under President Donald Trump’s policy of pursuing drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, lands on a runway within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 12, 2025. The F-16 is a multi-role fighter aircraft spearheading the coalition’s defense and deterrence mission through continuous, rapid developments while maintaining combat air superiority within the CENTCOM AOR. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Erin Dunkleberger)  
Iran

Six F-16 pilots awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses for Operation Midnight Hammer

The fighter jets from the 55th Fighter Squadron engaged in “high-risk flights into heavily defended airspace” during last year’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites.

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U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, strap down a test dummy to a drone during an Autonomous Triage and Treatment Challenge taking place near Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, May 10, 2026. From April 27 to May 31, 2026, U.S. and Allied forces will exercise the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, demonstrating NATO’s ability to fight and win on the modern battlefield. Nearly 15,000 troops from eleven nations will train across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland. They will execute rapid maneuvers, air defense, counter-drone operations, and cyber defense to validate NATO’s regional defense plans in real time. This series of linked exercises includes Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. The exercises turn investment into capability. Soldiers integrate unmanned systems such as AI-enabled command and control and live data networks to move, decide, and fight more effectively across all domains. Sword 26 demonstrates how U.S. Army Europe and Africa drives transformation at scale while strengthening deterrence. Together with our allies, we are building a unified, lethal force ready to defend NATO territory and respond to any threat. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Thomas Madrzak)
Army

The Army is testing medevac drones that lift injured soldiers from battlefields

The drone can carry a 300 pound load for hours, opening the possibility of battlefield evacuations. The test will be during a NATO exercise in Poland.

Southern Border
Army

101st Airborne, 1st Armored division units latest heading to southern border

Soldiers from 101st Airborne and 1st Armored division units will deploy to the U.S-Mexico border this summer.

Jumpmaster teams complete the final phase of the 2026 Best Jumpmaster Competition, April 10, 2026, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The day's events tested advanced technical proficiency, including aircraft inspections, jumpmaster-to-aircrew briefings, and practical application exercises inside the aircraft. The competition culminated in a final jump onto Fryar Drop Zone, verifying the candidates' readiness to lead safe and effective airborne missions. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Stephanie Snyder)
Army

Paratroopers competed for first-ever ‘Best Jumpmaster’ title

Jumpmasters from across the Army rucked, rigged parachutes and jumped into a dropzone as part of the inaugural competition.

Air Force gas 2026
Air Force

Air Force charity ends gas money grants on first day after huge demand

‘Demand quickly exceeded expectations,’ said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, CEO of the Air & Space Forces Aid Society.

The Army said searchers found had the body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, of Richmond, Virginia. Key was a platoon leader in the 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.
Army

One of two US soldiers missing in Morocco recovered

Army 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a native of Virginia, went missing May 2 during the African Lion 26 exercise.

Image:  U.S. Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment prepare a stinger missile for launch from an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense System during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 1, 2026. The training advanced the unit’s ability to provide low-altitude air defense, disseminate early warning, and engage aerial threats with Stinger missiles, while integrating experimental tactics for unmanned aerial system defense alongside U.S. and multinational partners to advance collective air defense readiness and regional security. AL26 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Hazel Torres)
Africa

Search for missing soldiers in Morocco enters second week

A contingent of American troops will remain in the area around the Cap Draa Training Area to look for two Army soldiers who fell into the water on May 2.

Header Image: U.S. Marine Raiders assigned to Marine Forces Special Operations Command conduct live-fire training during Arctic Edge 2026 (AE26) on Fort Greely, Alaska, Feb. 21, 2026. AE26 is a NORAD and U.S. Northern Command-led homeland defense exercise designed to improve readiness, demonstrate capabilities, and enhance Joint and Allied Force interoperability in the Arctic. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Trey Hutcheson)  
Marine Corps

Marines set up new rotational force in Alaska

The Marine Corps is expanding its Arctic footprint, with a new training presence and a permanent detachment into what Gen. Eric Smith called “a region of growing strategic importance.”

The LOCUST directed-energy system was deployed to the southern border earlier this year, and tested at White Sands Missile Range. AeroVironment Inc. photo.
United States

Pentagon names five bases that will get anti-drone energy weapons

Two Army bases, two Air Force bases and one Navy installation are getting high powered microwave and laser air defense systems.

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt poses on the Lunar surface next to an American flag during Apollo 17. (moon surface seen on bottom of image). (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
News

New Pentagon UFO files include reports from moon landings

The site includes about 160 documents, with sightings from Apollo moon landings to combat flights in the Middle East.

Air Force One, carrying departs from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland with President Donald J. Trump on board, June 20, 2020. When the president is aboard any Air Force aircraft, the radio call sign is "Air Force One." (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kentavist P. Brackin)
News

Joint Base Andrews leaked jet fuel for weeks before officials noticed

The base, which hosts Air Force One, leaked 32,000 gallons of fuel between January and March. Maryland’s top environmental official called the spill “unacceptable.”

A crowd gathers after federal agents shot a protestor in a scuffle, January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the Trump administration had sent thousands of federal agents to arrest undocumented immigrants.
News

Use of JAG officers to prosecute civilians flouts Pentagon’s own rules, judge says

The Department of Justice’s reliance on JAG officers to prosecute cases without a military connection is unprecedented, experts say.

Maverick Act
Navy

Last of the F-14 Tomcats could fly again under Maverick Act

The Maverick Act would send three retired F-14D Tomcats to a museum in Alabama and possibly restore one to flight.

Military applicants who processed through Chicago MEPS take the Oath of Enlistment during a ceremony at U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command headquarters in North Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 2026. USMEPCOM is responsible for processing applicants into the Armed Forces, ensuring each meets enlistment standards.
News

Military will now prescreen recruits for 28 medical conditions

Applicants for military service will be cut earlier in the recruiting process if they have any of 28 medical conditions that are unlikely to receive a waiver.

Air Force Weapons
Air Force

Air Force cargo hub stored weapons in unguarded building, IG finds

Officials at Travis Air Force Base said they were moving to fix the ‘increased risk for unauthorized access and theft’ at the storage facility.

Super Hornet
Navy

Navy F/A-18 disables ship in Gulf of Oman with 20mm cannon

The Navy fighter from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln disabled a ship that U.S. military officials say failed to comply with warnings.

Captain John Miller, 716th Military Police Battalion Chaplain, calls a 9-line medevac as part of the Best Unit Ministry Team Competition, July 27, 2022, on Fort Campbell, KY. The Best Unit Ministry Competition is a multi day challenge including an Army Combat Fitness Test, land navigation, 8-mile foot march, obstacle course, and tactical religious support knowledge board designed to test the mental and physical capabilities of chaplains and religious affairs specialists. (U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Matthew Wantroba)
Army

A field competition for Army chaplains tests spiritual mettle

Between obstacle courses and medical events, chaplains in Korea performed last rites for soldiers and broke up fights between angry commanders.

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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.

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