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Chief Master Sgt. Tiffany Zaloudek, Deputy SERE Career Field Program Manager, poses on Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex, Texas, on Oct. 5, 2024. Zaloudek is the first female SERE Specialist to earn the rank of Chief Master Sgt. and has spent her career proving that women can be both strong and feminine. (U.S. Air Force photo by Miriam Thurber) News

Meet the first woman to make Chief Master Sgt in the Air Force’s rugged SERE world

A recruiter tried to dissuade her from SERE because “barely any women make it.” Now Tiffany Zaloudek is the job’s first female chief.

News

Military academies saw drop in reports of sexual assault and harassment but rates remain high

In 2024, 783 service academy cadets and midshipmen experienced sexual assault and harassment, 31% less than two years ago. The 2024 number is the second highest on record since 2006.

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She joined the Army at 45. Now she’s vying to be an Army Golden Knight

Spc. Maribeth Kossman joined the Army at 45 to become a Golden Knight after serving in the Navy, teaching elementary school and finding a love of skydiving in her off time.

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Space Force wants its own boot camp

Space Force recruits currently attend Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where they have their own curriculum.

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.

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