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Thunderbird’s 360-camera captured pilot’s safe ejection during crash
The demonstration team flies with 360-degree cameras to review daily training and airshows. When one of the jets crashed in December, its camera kept recording.
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Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine delivered from a rank-and-file perspective.
More from Task & Purpose
How the Pentagon counts — and leaves out — troops killed in war
“There are lots of repercussions to the fact that those deaths and injuries are reported accurately,” one expert said.
Space Force wants ‘several hundred’ troops from other branches to transfer into its ranks
The branch brought back its Interservice Transfer Program after three years as it tries to rapidly grow the number of guardians.
Air Force Thunderbird crashed after failure in engine ‘blind spot,’ investigation finds
The December crash of one of the famed demonstration team’s jets was the second time in less than two years that an F-16 pilot was forced to eject after a failure in an engine’s mechanical “blind spot.”
Rescue team parachutes to remote Alaska river, rafts across to reach hunters
A technical river rescue was even more difficult for an Alaska Air National Guard team well above the Arctic Circle.
Fishing charter catches Air Force attack drone off Florida coast
The Air Force confirmed the LUCAS drone went down during testing two days before a charter crew found it floating off Florida.
Veterans have higher levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in their blood than civilians, new study finds
The research found that veterans between 20 and 39 had the highest concentration of PFAS chemicals compared to their non-veteran counterparts.
Tracking America’s latest conflict: The Iran war timeline
To date, at least 19 American service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded.
Marine veteran wins in a quick upset at UFC 331
Sean Sharaf, who served six years in the Marine Corps, won his fight against Gable Steveson with a fast knockout.
Pentagon invites Paul Brothers, YouTube influencers, to speak to troops
The Department of Defense released footage showing the influencers meeting with members of the armed forces and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
US shifts Reaper drones from Africa to Latin America
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How the military imagined combat around the Moon
The U.S. recently put a weapon in orbit, but the military has imagined lunar combat for decades.
Pentagon reboots testosterone screening plan for men 30 and over
Screenings will be mandatory for men in the ranks who are 30 or older, although getting hormone replacement therapy is voluntary, the Defense Department said.
More than 16,000 troops could face stricter rules with medical shaving waivers
Under a new Pentagon policy, service members could be forced out if they have medical shaving accommodations for more than a year.
Army drill sergeants will now automatically be promoted to staff sergeant
Earn a campaign hat, get a stripe.
Why moral injury could be a signature wound of the AI battlefield
Early theories of autonomous warfare thought remote battlefields might insulate troops from moral damage. Veterans and experts say the dangers are just as close.
The Air Force wants a cannon to shoot down drones
The Air Force wants a ground-based air defense cannon to hold back a growing tide of drones and cruise missiles.
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.
