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Task & Purpose. News, culture, and analysis by and for the military community.

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Adm. Brad Cooper speaks with sailors and Marines on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 15, 2026.
Navy

Head of Central Command visits USS Abraham Lincoln amid quality of life concerns

Adm. Brad Cooper met with sailors and Marines on the carrier, which is set to head home soon after an extended deployment.

260107-N-IE405-1164 MANAMA, Bahrain (Jan. 7, 2026) U.S. Navy Ensign Himmat Walha, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), stands conning officer watch during a sea-and-anchor evolution in Manama, Bahrain. Roosevelt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Indra Beaufort) 
Iran

US bases, troops are once again being exposed by Strava

A new report found that more than 1,300 users posted workouts inside American bases in the Middle East, many of which were targeted by Iran.

Airmen of the 163d Operations Support Squadron, California Air National Guard, run during group physical fitness training, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., June 24, 2026. The OSS has accelerated its fitness program over the last eight months, structured around the new Department of the Air Force’s Physical Fitness Assessment standards starting July 1, 2026. (U.S. Air National Guard Photograph by Senior Master Sgt. Julianne Sitterding)
Air Force

Airman who died during fitness test suffered sudden cardiac arrest, Air Force says

Airman First Class Syamukonka Moonga collapsed after a 1.5-mile run in August 2025, having suffered sudden cardiac arrest, a report found.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1-3 Attack Battalion, Task Force Vipers, conducted night gunnery tables with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) and U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) specialists at 21st Central Air Force Training Ground, Nadarzyce, Poland on May 10, 2026. The controllers verify target identification, confirm friend-or-foe positions and are authorized to give the "fire at will" command during air support missions. This training and coordination serves to set the standard for Apache helicopters operated by the Polish Armed Forces, which will train and certify at the base in the near future. (DoD Photos by Greg Czaplicki)
Army

Army grounds Apache helicopter training flights after deadly Fort Hood crash

The temporary pause on training flights comes two days after two soldiers died during a maintenance test flight.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), June 25, 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)
Navy

Navy sending more mental health help to the USS Abraham Lincoln crew

“A small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations in the Arabian Sea, April 16. The ship's embarked carrier air wing includes eight F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 fighter jets, EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, E-2D command and control planes, MH-60 helicopters and CMV-22B Ospreys for logistics support. (U.S. Navy photo)
Navy

Navy to swap USS Abraham Lincoln for George Washington in the Middle East

As the USS Abraham Lincoln prepares to depart the region, we want to hear from sailors and Marines underway — and their families at home.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead.
Army

Army identifies soldiers killed in Texas Apache helicopter crash

The two soldiers died Wednesday after their Apache helicopter went down in Texas.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, assault Machine Gun Hill during Integrated Training Exercise 3-26 at Range 400, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, June 10, 2026. ITX is designed to generate combat readiness and ensure the Reserve Component provides critical strategic depth to the Total Force. From complex combined arms maneuvers to all-domain integration, these Marines are proving that they are ready to augment, reinforce, and fight alongside the active component at a moment's notice. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Ethan DePaul)
News

Here’s what we know about the VA’s new GLP-1 study

Task & Purpose spoke with the lead researcher behind the Department of Veterans Affairs’ new study, which is currently in the recruitment phase.

Camp Buillis Showers
Army

Military officials respond to photo of grimy shower at Texas training base

Base officials have “addressed the immediate cleanliness” of a shower at Camp Bullis, Texas shown in a photo recently posted on social media.

An AH-64 Apache Helicopter flight crew assigned to 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment "Sabers", 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, execute an aerial gunnery designed to certify pilots on their weapons systems at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii from February 2-25, 2026. Flight crews conduct gunnery tables which range from dry-fire, individual skills to live-fire, collective combat scenarios. An aerial gunnery is a semi annual requirement necessary to maintain proficiency of aircrews, and allows the unit to build a more reliable combat power. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Olivia Cowart)
Army

Army Apache helicopter crash in Texas kills 2 crew members aboard

Fort Hood announced on Wednesday that two crew members were killed when an AH-64E Apache helicopter crashed in Salado, Texas.

Private Aiden Craig
Marine Corps

Marines identify West Coast recruit who died after physical fitness test

Pvt. Aiden Craig died on Aug. 5 following a medical emergency four days earlier during the physical fitness test at Camp Pendleton, California.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations in the Arabian Sea, April 16. The ship's embarked carrier air wing includes eight F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 fighter jets, EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, E-2D command and control planes, MH-60 helicopters and CMV-22B Ospreys for logistics support. (U.S. Navy photo)
Navy

Navy denies reports of deteriorating mental health aboard USS Abraham Lincoln

“Based on information available to the command, we have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship,” officials said.

Senior couple sitting at a table at home, reviewing bills and receipts while using a calculator, managing household expenses, budgeting and personal finances together.

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USA, Arizona
Army

Soldiers can now buy beer and hard seltzer at Fort Hood’s dining hall

“Our soldiers are adults, so we’re treating them accordingly,” an Army official said.

Washington Wildfires
Army

Roughly 250 active duty soldiers are fighting a wildfire in Washington state

The soldiers are working with experienced civilian firefighters to help build and improve barriers meant to stop a wildfire from spreading.

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Alethea Ellegor, administrative manager for the Culinary Outpost, serves a meal to a Soldier at the Culinary Outpost at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, June 16, 2026. The Culinary Outpost officially began serving Soldiers that day as part of an effort to enhance quality of life and support readiness by providing fresh, convenient meals designed with Soldiers in mind. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Deneisha Owens-McParland)
Army

500 soldiers in Hawaii don’t have a dining hall. The Army got them a food truck

Army officials said meal options at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, amount to a “food desert.”

More Stories

The Iran War

Sailors stand on the deck of the USS Thomas Hudner as the destroyer pulls into Naval Station Mayport on Aug. 9, 2026. Navy photo.
Navy

Navy destroyer returns home after Caribbean, Iran war deployments

Army

It could take the US military 3 years to restock its missile defenses

Iran

Iraq once again becomes a battlefield in the Iran war

Air Force

How ‘Wild Weasel’ missions became essential in the fight with Iran

SEE MORE

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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