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A KC-135 Stratotanker with the 121st Air Refueling Wing sits on the flight line during the sunrise at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio, August 10, 2025. The KC-135 Stratotanker is an essential aircraft for the Air Mobility Command because it provides core aerial refueling for the United States Air Force to ensure rapid global reach. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Ivy Thomas)

All 6 crew members of US KC-135 tanker confirmed dead after crash in Iraq

The crash occurred in “friendly territory” over western Iraq while the troops were flying a combat mission, said Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Marine KC-130T

Air Force engineer found not guilty of cover-up in deadly Marine KC-130 crash

Jurors found James Michael Fisher not guilty of trying to cover up bungled safety investigations that could have prevented the crash.

Recruits of Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, spread out during a martial arts training session Aug. 27, 2015, on Parris Island, S.C. Keeping a safe amount of distance between recruits is one of many safety precautions taken during training. Delta Company is scheduled to graduate Nov. 13, 2015. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for approximately 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Vanessa Austin)

VA ‘invented new reasons’ to deny GI Bill benefits, lawsuit claims

The lawsuit argues that the VA is using a new, overly restrictive rule that requires veterans to have had a “break in service” to access education benefits from the two main GI Bills.

M111 Offensive Hand Grenade

Why the Army’s new M111 grenade uses blast overpressure instead of fragmentation

The M111 Offensive Hand Grenade is meant to be more effective and reduce the risk of injuring friendly forces when used in confined spaces.

SAN DIEGO (Nov. 29, 2022) Families and friends welcome Sailors and Marines assigned to amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7) as the ship returns home, Nov. 29, 2022. Tripoli returned to Naval Base San Diego following its initial deployment to the U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleets in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brett McMinoway)

Military families face waves of AI videos meant to sow discord and tug at heartstrings

Fake videos of soldiers grieving over fallen friends and AI-generated combat scenes are reaching families of deployed U.S. troops.

KIA Kuwait Fallen 2026

These are the US soldiers killed in Iran’s drone strike in Kuwait

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, has been identified as the sixth Army Reserve soldier killed in the March 1 Iranian drone attack on Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.

Sailors observe flight operations in the pilothouse of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026.

Sailor sports ‘Arrogant Bastard’ beer patch on carrier involved in Iran combat operations

Hated by many, loved by few.

U.S. Soldiers with the 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, South Carolina National Guard, conduct their annual aerial-gunnery qualification table at the Poinsett Range, Sumter, South Carolina, May 22, 2024. Aircrews fired both 30mm rounds and rockets, the training allowed Soldiers to sharpen their armory skills, communication and team work with their assigned AH-64 Apache helicopters. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tim Andrews)

US Apache pilots explain how helicopters are shooting down Iranian drones

The ability of AH-64 attack helicopters to shoot drones out of the sky over the UAE shows a new, air-to-air role for the venerable gunship. And U.S. Apache pilots love it.

Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 2-23 Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, conduct a Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise, honing their combat skills through realistic training scenarios

It only took 2 weeks for the Iran war to cause a draft scare

It’s very unlikely.

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine

US goes after Iran’s ability to lay sea mines, build drones, top general says

The U.S. military is targeting ships and storage facilities for Iranian sea mines, along with factories that build one-way attack drones.

Aircraft is staged for flight operations on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Mar. 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)

Hegseth won’t say how long Iran war might last

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that President Donald Trump will decide when Operation Epic Fury’s objectives have been achieved.

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division prepare to embark an MV22B Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Jan. 12, 2023. VMM-268 provided transport for troops and supplies to Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hilo, Hawaii. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Chandler Stacy)

Veteran who survived missile strike says field screenings ‘easily miss’ TBIs

In combat zones, traditional traumatic brain injury tests, which are intended for use in doctors’ offices, can miss key signs, a retired officer says. A new test could provide better results.

U.S. Marines participate in a simulated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear exercise during the Force Headquarters Group Super Team Competition at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 23, 2023. During the multi-day competition, reserve units from all across the Marine Corps exercised their technical and tactical proficiencies by competing in events that highlighted offensive/defensive operations, patrolling techniques, combat marksmanship, physical endurance and small unit leadership. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mitchell Johnson)

Senator blocks veterans benefits bill over cost in ‘dollars and cents’

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) blocked a recent attempt to pass the Major Richard Star Act, citing concerns about how much the legislation would cost.

Air Force F-35 takes flight in the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 2, 2026. Air Force photo. 

Air National Guard general says Iran operation demonstrates ‘wartime readiness’

“Our drills, our exercises, and our inspections have all been in preparation for this moment. We are writing history.”

Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colo, died March 8, 2026, from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1, 2026, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia

Soldier who died from attack on Saudi Arabia was ‘nothing less than a hero’

Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington died on March 8 after being seriously wounded by a March 1 Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

Image: U.S. Sailors man the rails on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during the ship's final departure from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Mar. 7, 2026. Nimitz is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations as part of a scheduled homeport shift to Norfolk, VA. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter K. McHaddad) 

USS Nimitz sets off for Latin America in its last deployment

The aircraft carrier is making its final voyage, and is expected to make several stops at it travels around South America.

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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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