Task & Purpose. News, culture, and analysis by and for the military community.
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Navy tests camera system to alert crew when sailors go overboard
The Man Overboard Detection System uses thermal cameras that detect if a sailor falls or intentionally jumps from the ship.
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Air defense soldiers who shoot down 5 incoming threats could get a new skill badge
A “pre-decisional” Army slide indicated that soldiers with at least five “successful hostile engagements” in a combat environment would be eligible for the new badge.
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Soldiers are using the Army’s new dining halls ‘exponentially’ more, official says
“They can get their meals, and they can enjoy their weekends better than having to report to an old legacy facility,” one Army food program official said.
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Why the Army only has one Security Force Assistance Brigade left
And what its commander says allies are asking of it in the Pacific.
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More from Task & Purpose
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Air Force tests ‘rocket cargo’ to resupply troops anywhere
The idea of using orbital rockets to quickly send needed equipment to forward-deployed troops got its first major test this month.
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Air National Guard to stand up a new special tactics squadron
The Pentagon directed the Air Force to stand up a new unit based in Florida, where there’s a host of Air Force special operations resources.
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Tracking America’s latest conflict: The Iran war timeline
To date, at least 21 American service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded.
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‘Now is the time’ for Cubans to ‘act’ says top US military commander in South America
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Francis Donovan, called on Cubans to work with U.S. intelligence agencies.
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Space Force wants to embed more guardians into the joint force
The new Chief of Space Operations says the wider military “must have enough guardians in key positions to achieve space superiority and drive combat success.”
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US expands alcohol restrictions for troops in Japan
Kadena Air Base enacted a ban on drinking for lower enlisted personnel, while troops participating in the large Keen Sword exercise are also barred from drinking.
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Army activates new air defense unit in Guam
The new battalion will operate Patriot missiles, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense or THAAD system and drones.
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Pentagon bans troops from betting using insider information
The new prohibition bars Defense Department personnel from using classified and unclassified info to gamble on prediction markets.
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How a Special Forces veteran with cancer finally got this photo with Chris Pratt
Chris Cathers launched Brothers Keeper Veterans Foundation to fight suicide among veterans after his own struggles.
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Air Force suspends rappelling events for special warfare training unit after fatal fall
The 6th Combat Training Squadron, which trains TACP airmen, has paused all rappel and ropes training and demonstrations following the death of Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson.
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White House military spouse council floats toll cuts for troops commuting to base
The council said recent toll cuts at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, should be used as a “template” for other bases across the U.S.
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USS Abraham Lincoln crew prepares for base move weeks after extended deployment
The Navy says the long-planned move from their home port in California to Washington state will proceed by year’s end.
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Air Force special ops trainees are graduating months faster in revised pipeline
An Air Force official said the course changes “reduced the average time to beret by nearly 70 days.”
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The Navy SEALs behind ‘The Terminal List’ break down the new season’s sniper battle
A sniper battle that highlights the new season of the Amazon Prime thriller starring Chris Pratt was the brainchild of three former SEAL snipers behind the show.
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Army wants to test and field new drone defenses in under six months
The Army will test drone defense systems in Morocco next spring that it plans to field within 180 days, including technology designed to detect drones that aren’t transmitting signals.
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Rappel demonstrations are risky, but common among elite units
The football stadium demo in which an airman was killed Saturday was a tragedy, but highly trained troops frequently put on training events before large crowds.
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.
