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Field Guide (Page 2)

Stories about benefits, career, education, quality of life and policy updates for active duty military, veterans and their families.

Latest in Field Guide

U.S. Marine Corps recruits with Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion traverse an obstacle course training event at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, April 10, 2026. The O-Course is a series of obstacles designed to build recruits’ strength, agility, endurance and confidence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Adrian Guerrero Martinez)
Military Life

Veteran homelessness dropped only 1% during 2024

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on May 31, 2026

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Gregory K. Anderson, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps, conducts the oath of enlistment for 64 future U.S. Soldiers during the 85th National Airborne Day celebration at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville, N.C., Aug. 16, 2025. This event commemorated paratroopers past and present, celebrating 85 years of U.S. airborne history with events at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM).
Military Life

Army reaches its recruiting goal several months early

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on May 23, 2026

The Patrick Space Force Base SLD 45 Base Honor Guard performs a demonstration of Military Funeral Honors Ceremony at Patrick Space Force Base on May 29, 2025. The Base Honor Guard is manned by volunteer Airmen and Guardians who perform this additional duty to honor the culture and history of the Air and Space Force and are often called upon for ceremonial demonstrations at retirement ceremonies, promotion ceremonies, military and veteran funerals, and other events and ceremonies where Air Force heritage and honor are paramount. (U.S. Space Force photo by DeAnna Murano)
Benefits

A VA system paid out millions in ‘improper’ claims

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on May 14, 2026

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Cesar Ramirez, a warehouse clerk with Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12 pours a canteen of water on his head after a conditioning hike at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, May 23, 2019. Marines with MAG-12 hiked as part of a continuous effort to improve their physical fitness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Seth Rosenberg)
Military Life

Marines in hot barracks getting portable air conditioners

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Apr 29, 2026

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nhien Do shaves during Artillery Relocation Training Program 23.3 in the North Fuji Maneuver Area at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Nov. 26, 2023. Marines continue to maintain good hygiene and grooming standards while in field conditions. The skills developed at ARTP increase the proficiency and readiness of the only permanently forward-deployed artillery unit in the Marine Corps, enabling them to provide indirect fires. Do, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an artilleryman with Alpha Battery, 3d Battalion, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alyssa Chuluda)
Military Life

Marines now have 12 months to meet shaving rules

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 27, 2026

Sgt. Nathan Winter lifts a 40-lbs sandbag as part of the Army's new Combat Field Test at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.
Military Life

Army releases details on new test for combat arms soldiers

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Apr 22, 2026

Barracks Repair
Military Life

Military budgets $57 billion to fix bases and ‘substandard’ barracks

By Jeff Schogol

Updated on Apr 21, 2026

Two married individuals hold hands at Fort Knox, Kentucky on Feb. 24, 2026.
Military Life

Caregivers need greater support to help assist veterans, watchdog finds

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

Airmen assigned to Flights 081-097 march in the 737th Training Group’s graduation parade, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, January 8, 2026. The ceremony is one of three graduation events for the Department of the Air Force Basic Military Training and signifies the transition from trainee to Airman. Maj Gen Scott A. Cain, Commander, Air Force Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), Calif., was the reviewing official for the ceremony. The 37th Training Wing, known as “Gateway to the Air Force,” is home to BMT. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ismael Ortega)
Career

The Air Force met its annual recruiting goal 5 months early

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Apr 17, 2026

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Presidential Salute Battery, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), participate in a ruck march followed by a door bundle airdrop retrieval during the 2026 Best Mortar Competition at Fort Benning, GA. April 9, 2026. The event tests Soldiers’ endurance and ability to locate and recover equipment delivered by aerial resupply. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Smith)
Career

How an overhaul of federal layoffs could affect veterans

By Patty Nieberg, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Apr 15, 2026

Military Pay Raise 2027
Benefits

Military’s new budget could give 7% pay raise to most junior troops

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Apr 7, 2026

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 16: A military veteran leaves a Stand Down event designed to help veterans who are homeless or housing insecure on June 16, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The semi-annual event helps veterans who are experiencing homelessness connect with services to find them housing. The event also connects veterans with agencies to help with medical services, food, clothing, and also helps veterans navigate the VA benefits system. There are an estimated 500 homeless veterans in the Chicago area, and 38,000 nationwide. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Military Life

VA staffing shortages led to failure to refer veterans to supportive housing, investigators find

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 6, 2026

A mover loads boxes into the truck for transport to the next duty station during a Permanent Change of Station on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 18, 2025. The Department of Defense established the Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force to improve the moving experience for military members and their families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Henry)
Benefits

New bill could make it easier for veterans to get VA home loans, senators say

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 27, 2026

A trainee from C Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade low crawls through an obstacle the Sand Hill Obstacle Course March 4, 2024 on Sand Hill. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Stephanie Snyder)
Benefits

Soldiers must now get approval from supervisors for tuition assistance

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 24, 2026

The Danish cargo ship Lars Maersk sails on Gatun Lake near the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon City, Panama, on December 28, 2024. On 31 December 2024, Panama will celebrate the 25th anniversary of sovereignty over the Canal. (Photo by ARNULFO FRANCO / AFP)
Military Life

As Iran war slows global shipping, military family moves face delays 

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 18, 2026

Crews dismantle a homeless veterans encampment on San Vincente Boulevard in Los Angeles on Nov. 1, 2021. The encampment was set up outside of the 388-acre West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus. (photo by Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images).
Military Life

VA announces plan to put some veterans in guardianships

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 15, 2026

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)
Benefits

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

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 12, 2026

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 Life

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

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 12, 2026

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)
Benefits

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

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 9, 2026

U.S. Soldiers with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team ruck march near the Cambridge Springs Readiness Center in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, Jan. 8, 2026. Soldiers complete ruck marches, usually a number of miles with a weighted ruck sack, to build military fitness and readiness. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Campbell)
Benefits

VA to officially rescind controversial disability rule following outcry

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 26, 2026

Pentagon Barracks Standards
Military Life

Pentagon issues standards for barracks that all services must meet

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 25, 2026

VA Disability Rule
Veterans

VA has no plans of ‘ever doing anything’ about disability rule, official says

By Jeff Schogol

Updated on Feb 24, 2026

In an abrupt about face, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said Thursday the agency was "halting enforcement" of a new rule that tied medication to a veteran's disability rating.
Benefits

VA pauses new disability rule 2 days after announcing it

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 19, 2026

U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2d Battalion, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division conduct a live-fire platoon attack during Service Level Training Exercise 4-25, on Range 410A at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 16, 2025. SLTE 4-25 is designed to be a challenging, realistic training environment that produces combat-ready forces capable of operating as an integrated Marine Air Ground Task Force across all domains of military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Judith Ann Lazaro)
Benefits

Concern and confusion erupt over new VA disability rule

By Patty Nieberg, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 18, 2026

Candidates assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School take part in a an early morning ruck march as part of Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) at Camp Mackall, North Carolina January 13, 2026. Candidates who attended the three-week assessment and selection were evaluated on their physical fitness, character and intellect as well as their ability to work individually and on a team. (U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens)
Benefits

New VA rule could lower veterans’ disability rating if medication improves their symptoms

By Patty Nieberg, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 18, 2026

U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, maneuver toward an objective during a live-fire training event at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Feb. 3, 2026. The training exercise at PTA refined weapon system and tactical proficiency, strengthening overall combat readiness and preparing 3rd LCT for future operational requirements. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Iyer Ramakrishna)
Benefits

‘Double-dipping’ controversy bars injured and ill vets from getting full benefits

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 17, 2026

U.S. Air force Airman 1st Class Robert Mulholland, 36th Communication Squadron multi capable Airmen team (MCAT) technician, helps stock the shelves in the commissary at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Nov. 18, 2023. The Defense Commissary Agency worked alongside over 100 Airmen and Sailors to help employees restock shelves. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Allon Lapaix)
Military Life

Military commissaries are planning ahead for possible government shutdown

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jan 29, 2026

Warrior Inn
Military Life

Soldier says Army dining facility often closed: ‘Uber Eats, every day’

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 23, 2026

Schofield Barracks
Military Life

Soldiers in Hawaii may ‘double up’ in barracks for the next 15 months

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 22, 2026

Military Recruiting
Career

Recruiter told students that enlisting can lead to Green Cards for parents

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 21, 2026

MOLD Act
Military Life

Would a proposed law on mold in military housing actually help?

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 16, 2026

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)
Military Life

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

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 6, 2026

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

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

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jan 5, 2026

Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test
Military Life

Marines moving to gender-neutral Physical Fitness Test for combat jobs

By Jeff Schogol, Matt White

Posted on Dec 19, 2025

Julie Eshelman, her husband Andrew who is in the active duty Reserve, with their 4-year-old daughter who was conceived by IVF.
Military Life

Military families are ‘pissed’ after IVF coverage cut from defense bill

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 19, 2025

Soldiers with the U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership eat their Thanksgiving meals at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy dining facility, Nov. 27, 2024.
Career

Army wants to overhaul dining at basic training

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 17, 2025

Navy Barracks Repairs
Military Life

Sailors may have to fix their own barracks rooms, says Navy’s top enlisted leader

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Dec 17, 2025

VA review website
Benefits

Army vet who created ‘Yelp for the barracks’ makes website to review the VA

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

Marines with Delta Company, 1st Marine Training Battalion, march to the Peatross Parade Deck in their Dress Blues aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC, Dec. 2, 2022. The Marines have spent the last 13 weeks learning close-order drill, marksmanship, martial arts, and Marine Corp traditions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Blake Gonter)
Career

Marines reinstate photos in some review boards, but not for promotions

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 5, 2025

The Medal of Honor.
Benefits

Under new law, Medal of Honor recipients will receive $67,500 annual stipend

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 5, 2025

Steven Price testifies at the Texas House of Representatives this year, and a photo from his time stationed in Panama in the early 1980s.
Benefits

A veteran’s service in Panama isn’t covered by the VA. There are hundreds like him.

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 1, 2025

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Christian F. Wortman, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, left, and Lance Cpl. Elijah Merino, a grenadier with 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, repair a wall locker during Operation Clean Sweep III at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 16, 2025. OCS III, part of the ongoing Barracks 360 Reset initiative, demonstrates a collective commitment to improving living conditions through shared ownership, sustained accountability, and tangible improvements to the barracks. Wortman is a native of Pennsylvania and Merino is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bryant Rodriguez)
Military Life

Pentagon pledges $400 million for ‘immediate’ barracks renovation

By Patty Nieberg, Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 1, 2025

Balfour Beatty military housing
Military Life

Military families forced to pay out of pocket for problems with privatized base housing

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Nov 20, 2025

Christmas decorations
Military Life

Christmas truce: More troops allowed to display holiday decorations early

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Nov 19, 2025

Two senior men sitting and talking on porch

A Shared Mission: Humana and USAA Join Forces to Support Veterans’ Health As They Age

By Shannon Corbeil

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Coronado, a diver assigned to Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, prepares to descend below the surface in the Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii Sep. 26, 2025. Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker Pacific members and a Coast Guard Station Honolulu 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew worked together to inspect and service channel marker buoys in Honolulu harbor, Hawaii. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Robertson)
Career

Coast Guard looks for another boot camp location as recruitment booms

By Drew F. Lawrence

Posted on Nov 12, 2025

doctor visit

Listening to military families: A new approach to TRICARE 

By Ted Painter

Posted on Nov 10, 2025

Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, Pacific Air Forces Command chief, speaks to an Airman Leadership School class during a site visit at Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 5, 2023. Site visits are opportunities for senior leadership to assess the health of wing level units, meet with local peer leaders, and to spend time mentoring Airmen. Airman Leadership School is the initial level of Professional Military Education enlisted Airmen experience. It’s designed as an entry level leadership course to prepare Senior Airmen for positions of greater responsibility by strengthening leadership, followership, and personnel management while also gaining more understanding of the military profession. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Lackey)
Career

Air Force’s new top enlisted leader had long career in security forces

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Nov 6, 2025

The Marine Corps is offering cash bonuses for recruits wanting to join cyber, electronic jobs.
Career

Marines offer tech-savvy recruits $15,000 to enlist

By Drew F. Lawrence

Posted on Nov 5, 2025

Air Force Mustaches
Military Life

Air Force rolls out new rules on mustaches and sideburns

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Nov 3, 2025

Among trounior enlisted service members with families are among those l231119-N-ML137-1033 NAVAL BASE GUAM, Guam (Nov. 19, 2023) Hull Technician 3rd Class Steven Tamse, right, and other Sailors assigned to the submarine-tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), fill store shelves at Orote Point Commissary following a shipment of groceries, Nov. 19, 2023. The shipment is one of several high-priority grocery flights that will resupply Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) shelves at Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB) and U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) before Thanksgiving. Following the discovery of an isolated insect incident at base commissaries in Guam, Joint Region Marianas engaged DeCA leadership for immediate response. The shipments of groceries will provide much needed products to military service members and their families. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samantha Jetzer)
Military Life

As federal food assistance runs out, junior troops with families may be hit hard

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

Air Force barracks inspections
Military Life

Air Force announces all-hands room inspections for every barracks

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

A student in the fitness track of the U.S. Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course works on deadlifts during a training session. The fitness track of the course educates students on the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness System to help them lose body fat in order to meet the Army’s enlistment standards.
Career

Army tightens standards for its basic training prep course

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

Red Roof Inn

Red Roof is the premier military lodging partner

By Justin Burgess

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Pacific complete the Incline Skills Trainer during the USARPAC Best Squad Competition, July 18, 2025, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The week-long competition will assess each squad on their technical and tactical proficiency, as well as their ability to work as a disciplined and cohesive team. The competition features a multitude of different fitness and combat related events ranging from the Army Combat Fitness Test and various weapons lanes, to a strenuous 12-mile foot march and detailed individual warrior tasks and squad battle drills. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Alvin Conley)
Military Life

For barracks overhaul, Hegseth steers towards private contractors

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Oct 9, 2025

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jason Myers, an operations chief with 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, replaces a towel rack during Operation Clean Sweep III at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 26, 2025. Operation Clean Sweep III, part of the ongoing Barracks 360 Reset Initiative, demonstrates a collective commitment to improving living conditions through shared ownership, sustained accountability, and tangible improvements to the barracks. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Manuel Rivera)
Military Life

Hegseth directs new task force to come up with ‘barracks investment plan’

By Drew F. Lawrence

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

Philadelphia, PA, USA - November 8, 2015: The U.S. Army Drill Team performs a demonstration for officials gathered at Independence Mall, in Philadelphia, PA, on November 8, 205, for the inaugural Philly Veterans Parade. (photo by Bastiaan Slabbers)
Benefits

One VA staffer rubber-stamped benefits at 20 times the normal rate. That could be bad news for vets.

By Drew F. Lawrence

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

Air Force Fitness
Military Life

Air Force says viral ‘combat fitness’ memo isn’t real

By Jeff Schogol, Matt White

Posted on Oct 6, 2025

Navy beats annual recruiting goals with more recruiters, less paperwork
Career

Navy beats annual recruiting goals with more recruiters, less paperwork

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Oct 1, 2025

U.S. Army Capt. Meckenzie MacIlvennie, commander of the 5th Quartermaster Theater Aerial Delivery Company, 16th Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, watches as paratroopers exit an aircraft over the historic drop zone at Ginkelse Heide in Ede, Netherlands, during the 81st commemoration of Operation Market Garden, Sept. 20, 2025. The airborne operation is part of Exercise Falcon Leap, a multinational training event honoring the legacy of allied paratroopers. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Nahjier Williams)
Military Life

What troops and military families need to know about the government shutdown

By Jeff Schogol, Drew F. Lawrence

Posted on Oct 1, 2025

Air Force Recruiting
Career

Air Force has the highest number of potential recruits on record

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Sep 30, 2025

Air Force Fitness Program
Military Life

Air Force announces new force-wide fitness test: 2-mile run, twice per year

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Sep 24, 2025

Specialist Rosealina Ortiz (left) assists Specialist Oscarina Pepen (right) with her hair following live fire training. CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada, August 9, 2022. In 2021 the Army released updated female grooming standards which are more inclusive of various natural hair styles. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. David Connors)
Military Life

Army grooming standards and hairstyles get more strict under new orders

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Sep 15, 2025

Families move into a private military housing home.
Military Life

Military family housing understaffed, lacks proper oversight, IG report finds

By Matt White, Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Sep 14, 2025