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Top row: Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Capt. Cody A. Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens. Bottom row: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor and Sgt. Declan J. Coady.

Pentagon names soldiers killed in Iranian drone strike

The names of two soldiers initially listed as ‘unaccounted for’ in the attack were released on March 4. Four other soldiers killed in the strike were first identified on March 3 by military officials.

Army Materiel Command, Command Sergeant Major J. Garza, sits with Soldiers inside 42 Bistro, the Army's first Campus-Style Dining Venue. The CSDV pilot transforms the way the Army fuels its soldiers by leveraging industry experts’ experience to operate restaurants on installations that offer more food options, better service, ambiance and hours.

Army expands its new dining halls to 6 bases, but pauses its pilot test for food delivery

The Army promised online ordering at its first new dining hall which opened last month, but officials said the demand “exceeded” their expectations, so they’ve paused orders.

251217-N-QR679-1019 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) steams forward off the coast of Guam during a photo exercise, Dec. 17, 2025. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines serve as the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva)

Why Iran’s warship ‘didn’t have a chance’ against a Los Angeles-class submarine

A Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine used a torpedo to sink an Iranian warship on Tuesday, marking the first such sinking by an American submarine since 1945.

Deputy Undersecretary of the Army Mario Diaz hosts a direct-commissioning ceremony for U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Robert Cancio at Southeast Academy High School in Los Angeles, Ca., June 1, 2024. Dr. Robert Cancio is a Board Member of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and was recently promoted to the rank of Captain in the United States Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs officer. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Deonte Rowell)

The Army hopes to lure civilian tech workers by letting some join as captains

“In this case, the direct commissioning program, we’re really focused on folks coming in at the lieutenant and the captain level to help us in the technical areas in our operational units.”

Japes Capers

Senate authorizes Trump to award Recon Marine the Medal of Honor

The Senate has passed a bill to clear the way for retired Marine Maj. James Capers Jr. to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism during a 1967 ambush in Vietnam.

The operations were announced by U.S. Southern Command over social media on March. 3, 2026.

US Southern Command says it launched military operations in Ecuador aimed at ‘narco-terrorists’

“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” U.S. Southern Command said in a statement.

U.S. Sailors prepare to stage ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)

Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln scrawl their names on bombs headed to Iran

Marking weapons with messages and names is a tradition that dates at least to the ancient Greeks, and now includes U.S. sailors involved in the Iran war.

Karachi consulate

Marines opened fire after group attempted to storm US consulate in Pakistan

“It’s just seven to 20 guys; that’s all you have facing an angry mob. Being in that headspace is important. Your back is really against the wall.”

U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, makes an announcement aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sonny Escalante)

Top officer in Middle East tells US troops ‘you will change the course of human history’

Adm. Brad Cooper told troops taking part in Operation Epic Fury that the U.S. was moving from “deterrence into active combat.”

NELLIS AFB, NV - APRIL 25: A United States Air Force pilot (L) and weapons system officer look out the cockpit of their F-15E Strike Eagle as the jet is prepared for takeoff at Nellis Air Force Base while participating in the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 (JEFX 06) April 25, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. JEFX is a biannual test of new systems and technologies by every branch of the military in an attempt to speed their introduction into the modern battlefield. This year's tests involve about 1,400 personnel from the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia studying new technologies during mock combat over the Nevada desert and center on finding better ways to communicate critical information between armed forces. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Former fighter pilots explain what it’s like to eject, following Kuwait shoot downs

Six Air Force flyers successfully ejected from F-15E strike fighters last weekend in friendly fire incidents over Kuwait. Three pilots who’ve ejected described what they likely experienced.

An EA-18G Growler, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 1, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)

6 US troops killed, others wounded in operations against Iran

Six U.S. service members have been confirmed killed from Iran’s attack over the weekend, according to U.S. Central Command.

U.S. Sailors transfer ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 27, 2026.

Veterans ‘split’ over Iran strikes. Some see payback, others see another ‘forever war’

President Donald Trump has said military operations against Iran could last four to five weeks — or longer. Veterans have heard this before.

A Vulcan rocket carrying the USSF-87 mission successfully launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Feb. 12, 2026. The USSF-87 payload includes the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) system that will improve our ability to rapidly detect, warn, characterize and attribute disturbances to space systems in the geosynchronous environment. (U.S. Space Force photo by Gwendolyn Kurzen)

Space Force to refine ‘orbital warfare’ maneuvers with new prototype

The new prototype is akin to going from flying a commercial plane to a military aircraft, the head of Combat Forces Command said.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft takes off from a base in the Middle East, Jan. 18, 2026. The F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions at low altitude, day or night and in all weather. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jared Brewer)

3 F-15s crash in Kuwait in possible ‘friendly fire’ incident

All six of the aircrew safely ejected, have been recovered, and are in stable condition, the news release says.

Image: U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 23, 2025) Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) operating area, Nov. 23. The LUCAS platforms are part of a one-way attack drone squadron CENTCOM recently deployed to the Middle East to strengthen regional security and deterrence. (Courtesy Photo) 

Iran strike marks first time US used new one-way attack drones in combat

The LUCAS drone, fired at Tehran on Saturday as part of U.S. strikes on Iran, is itself based on Iran’s Shahed-136 drone.

Missiles launch from a U.S. Navy warship as part of Operation Epic fury, the attack on Iran.

US launches ‘major combat operations’ against Iran

American and Israeli warplanes bombed Tehran Saturday, killing Iran’s leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Trump said.

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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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