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Air Force updates uniform standards including new rules for boots
Shorter, sneaker-style boots are out, as are eyelash extensions. All officers will now have to maintain a set of OCPs, even if they rarely wear them on the job, like pilots.
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More from Task & Purpose
The Navy wants more ships, but can it get them built?
The Navy wants to order more ships than it has in decades. But with aging shipyards and program delays, is that realistic?
Army lays out policy to search deceased soldiers’ phones for classified info
The policy was issued to “keep up with the pace” of evolving technology and the “understanding that these devices have capability to transfer sensitive information.”
Army will look for false accusations, consider ‘credibility’ in misconduct cases
New rules will send misconduct complaints to a “credibility assessment” before a full investigation is launched, and removes negative flags from personnel records during investigations.
A Marine veteran recreated a hell house from the Battle of Fallujah on canvas
Kristopher Battles interviewed veterans of Operation Phantom Fury to capture their experiences in his painting of house-to-house combat in Fallujah.
The Army has realized that horses are no longer good for ‘warfighting’
Most of the Army’s horses, donkeys and mules are being donated “to align more resources with warfighting capability and readiness.”
Veterans disaster relief group rushes to Texas after floods
Team Rubicon, a veterans-led disaster response organization, has volunteers in Texas assessing the damage from flooding as it plans its response.
Here is every rifle Marines have used in the last 250 years
The Marine Corps posted a new website that reviews every standard rifle issued to Marines in the service’s 250 year history, from muskets to M4s.
The Army Air Forces tried to use remote-controlled bombers as attack drones in World War II
The 8th Air Force converted B-17 bombers into early drones, packed with explosives and intended to use to take out fortified targets.
Pentagon sets up interservice counter-drone task force
The Army will lead the new group, which will try to coordinate the different service branches’ efforts to develop ways to take out enemy uncrewed vehicles.
Army authorizes combat patches for soldiers in parts of Africa, the Middle East
Soldiers who deployed in 14 countries between October 2023 and June 2025 are eligible to wear the patches on their uniform sleeves.
Navy sailor pleads guilty to paying bribe for fraudulent military IDs
Raymond Zumba attempted to pay $3,500 for a former Navy shipmate in exchange for “real but unauthorized” identification cards.
Nearly 200 Marines deploy to Florida to support ICE operations
The Department of Defense authorized the mobilization of up to 700 troops in support of the Department of Homeland Security in Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
Gambling addiction in the military may be going unnoticed, advocates warn
A person most likely to develop gambling addiction is a risk-seeking, competitive young man — the same person most likely to join the military. But little research exists on military gambling.
Navy identifies special warfare sailor killed while parachuting
Navy Special Warfare Boat Operator 2nd class Noah Tobin died on Tuesday during a training parachute jump in Porterville, California.
Afghanistan review could lead to change in promotions for NCOs, officers
The Pentagon’s review into the withdrawal from Afghanistan could lead to an overhaul of how young enlisted leaders and officers are evaluated and promoted.
Pentagon now says Iran strikes set nuke program back 1-2 years
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters that U.S. air and missile strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities had “degraded their program by one to two years.”
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.
