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Frontline medical workers wait in line to receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 at the Virginia Hospital Center on December 16, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. More than 1,950 of the hospital’s employees will be vaccinated over the next 4 days as the COVID-19 vaccine begins widespread distribution in the United States this week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Federal watchdog reports ‘suicide hazards’ at VA hospitals

The Inspector General found physical safety risks for mental health patients at a Massachusetts hospital and warned about “similar concerns” at other facilities.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ruby Russo, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, climbs a rope obstacle during the obstacle course event of the Blackjack Warrior Competition at McGregor Range, N.M., May 5, 2025. The competition tested Soldiers’ physical fitness, endurance and mental toughness while reinforcing overall unit readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. JaDarius D. Duncan)

Pentagon orders review on ‘effectiveness’ of women in combat arms jobs

Pentagon officials ordered a review of the “effectiveness” of women serving in combat after a ratcheting up of rhetoric around “sex neutral” fitness standards.

CORONADO, Calif. (Aug. 12, 2024) A Special Warfare Combat Crewman (SWCC) instructor motivates SWCC candidates before the conditioning run evolution of Alpha Phase at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Naval Special Warfare is the nation's elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet's reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conflict. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Kerska)

Here is the Navy’s new fitness test for SEALs and other combat jobs

SEALs and special warfare combat crewman will face slightly higher standards than EOD techs and fleet divers in the Navy’s new combat arms test.

The raid to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro was a tactical success, but it also raises the possibility of strategic missteps, warn veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For some veterans, the specter of Iraq and Afghanistan looms over the Maduro raid

Even as veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan acknowledge the skill required to pull off the operation, the question of “what comes next” hangs over it.

Pentagon officials are issuing adverse actions against a senator who participated in a viral video on "unlawful orders."

Hegseth moves to reduce Sen. Kelly’s military retirement pay over unlawful orders video

Sen. Mark Kelly may see his retirement pay reduced after participating in a video with other members of Congress urging troops not to obey unlawful military orders.

Image: (Original Caption) The Charleston shot was part of Operation Plumbbob and was fired from a balloon on September 28, 1957. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

The military once considered using balloons as nuclear weapons systems

A 1957 study looked at the possibility of an American strategic floating bomb force.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, launches from the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 28, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president's priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

More than 150 fighters, bombers and other aircraft took part in Venezuela strike

The force of Navy, Air Force and Marine F-22s, F/A-18s, F-35s and drones struck several sites in Caracas as the Army captured Nicolás Maduro.

An MC-130J Commando II assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing and U.S. Army MH-60M Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) participate in a helicopter air-to-air refueling exercise near Hurlburt Field, Florida, Nov. 20, 2025. Joint exercises enable special operations forces to share distinct interservice skillsets and seamlessly operate during real-world missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isabel Tanner)

Delta Force, other special operations soldiers carried out Venezuela raid

President Donald Trump said no personnel were killed in the attack on Venezuela, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve.”

Trump Maduro

US military captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro after striking military sites

President Donald Trump has issued a statement saying U.S. forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules with USCG Base Honolulu, performs aerial maneuvers while performing a Search and Rescue demonstration during the 2025 Kaneohe Bay Air Show at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2025. The Kaneohe Bay Air Show provides an opportunity to showcase the aircraft, equipment and capabilities of the armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region to the local community. The air show contained aerial performances, static displays, demonstrations and vendors, was designed to celebrate MCBH’s longstanding relationship with the local community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jade K. Venegas)

Coast Guard halts search for survivors of US strikes on boats in the Pacific

The effort, which lasted four days, is the most extensive one conducted by the U.S. since it began attacks on alleged drug ships in September.

Image:  Soldiers assigned to 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (3rd ID), Marne Innovation Center, 3rd ID and Artificial Intelligence Integration Center, Army Futures Command, discuss a Tethered Unmanned Aircraft System with Sentinel Software at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, July 18, 2024. By combining forces, the U.S. Army utilizes assets and creates technology to increase the lethality of its brigades, while also cultivating a culture of innovation. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rebeca Soria)

Army creates new AI-focused career field for officers

The new 49B area of concentration will get its first cadre of officers who are tasked with integrating AI into logistics, robotics and combat.

Technician from Office of Naval Research (ONR) participates in freeflight after extensive testing for the Hiller Flying Platform. The platform was first flown in public in 1955. (Photo by US Navy/Getty Images)

When the military tried to give soldiers personal flying platforms

In the 1950s the Navy and Army worked on small VTOL machines to make troops go airborne. They worked, just not well enough.

Airman 1st Class Charles Crumlett, 335th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, prepares a weapon to be loaded during the 4th Quarter Load Crew of the Quarter competition, Jan. 26, 2018, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The purpose of the weapons load competition is to showcase the weapons crews highly developed skills with precise loading capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kenneth Boyton)

Lack of supervision contributed to Alaska airman’s death, report finds

A new Air Force review of Staff Sgt. Charles Crumlett’s death in March 2024 noted failures in supervision, communication and procedures while working on a F-22.

Image: Navy Counselor 1st Class Andrew Shipman from Beaufort, North Carolina, facilitates a mock physical fitness assessment aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, June 26, 2025. Fitzgerald, assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Cyrus Roson) 

Navy rolls out twice-a-year fitness tests

The new system goes into effect in the new year, with all active-duty sailors required to complete a fitness assessment every six months.

Image: The 1st Cavalry Division, Horse Cavalry Detachment poses for photos during a retirement ceremony for 1st Sgt. Brandon P. Mims, on Fort Hood, Texas, Dec. 05, 2025. The ceremony included a presentation of multiple awards, the Color Guard, a cavalry charge, and the attendance of family and friends. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michelle Lessard-Terry)

Army changes course, decides to keep horses at two bases

The Army previously planned to phase out its Military Working Equid program at five different bases to focus on “warfighting priorities.”

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 28: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 28, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump invited Zelensky to his private club to work on the U.S.-proposed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine as the conflict approaches four years since the sudden full-scale invasion by Russia on February 24, 2022. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Trump says US took out a ‘big facility’ in Venezuela

The president would not say if the U.S. military was involved in the operation on Christmas Eve.

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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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