Happy Thanksgiving, Task & Purpose readers (and viewers).
Without you, we couldn’t do this job. We owe you an incredible debt of gratitude, not just for your time and attention each day, but for your feedback and support — whether it comes in the form of a sincere comment, a submission to our tips inbox, a tongue-in-cheek retort to a comment, or a suggestion on what we should have covered instead. (That last bit may sound sarcastic, but it’s not.)
More than once, we’ve been handed stories because someone took the time to say, “Hey, idiots, don’t write about that, cover this instead.” Please, keep doing that.
This year, you have helped us break news on barracks security issues, plans to mobilise further National Guard units for stateside missions, and personnel policy changes to everything from training to grooming. And you tipped us off about plans to close 168 commissaries during the government shutdown, and the closure of an Army base’s sole dining facility amid the funding freeze.
We’re also thankful we were able to tell stories about soldiers fighting off drones in the Middle East, advocates improving mental health access, and a severely wounded pilot being able to sit in the cockpit for one last flight. And we are thankful for the opportunity to recognise Lt. Col. Rhonda C. Martin, the longest-serving active-duty Marine, who officially retired in September after serving in the Corps for 42 years. And then there’s the stories of battlefield heroism, like that of retired Capt. Royce Williams, who shot down four Soviet MiG-15 fighters during the Korean War in the longest dogfight in U.S. military history.
And while a lot of what we do (or try to do, at any rate) focuses on accountability and informing members of this community, sometimes we’ve been able to single out lighter moments, and we are truly thankful for that, whether it’s an ode to dip spitters or a wistful write-up of the Army’s most enduring fake war.
Going forward, we will continue to need your help as we look for opportunities to inform our audience about the most pressing issues they face, such as when the Department of Veterans Affairs sent tens of thousands of foreclosure letters to thousands of vets, most of which turned out to be sent by mistake, sowing confusion among the veteran community.
For our YouTube channel, the audience there has helped us sharpen our coverage of the weapons, technology, and tactics that impact troops today. The support from the community has been incredible. The audience has significantly contributed by suggesting several video topics, like why the U.S. military doesn’t use bullpups, why the Pentagon keeps passing on the CV90, what an EMP could actually do to the military, and many more great topics. Outside of the videos, the Community has become really active with awesome discussions and important updates — and we hope more of you will join us there.
Without you, not only would there be no point in doing any of this, but there’d be no way to do it.
So thank you, and happy Thanksgiving.
Now, before we close up shop, here’s your obligatory safety brief: Don’t do anything we’ll have to write about on Monday when we’re all back at work.
