Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 11)

Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan, was one of four soldiers killed when an M88A2 sank in a Lithuanian swamp, the Army confirmed Tuesday.
News

Fourth and final soldier identified from armored vehicle that sank in Lithuania swamp

Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, was the final soldier recovered from an M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle that sank in a Lithuanian swamp on March 25. Hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers, sailors and civilians worked around the clock to retrieve the four missing in the crash.

A ladder truck from the Edinburgh, IN fire department reaches a paratrooper in a tree on Camp Atterbury.
News

Firefighters help paratrooper finish jump after missing the ground

The call-out was at least the fourth time since 2018 that local fire fighers responded to a paratrooper caught in a tree at the Indiana National Guard's Muscatatuck Training Center.

Bone Marrow soldier
News

A soldier desperately needed a bone marrow transplant. Thousands volunteered as donors.

More than 1,000 soldiers and veterans showed up for a bone marrow donor screening event at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and more than 1,000 others requested test kits online.

Three soldiers who died in a training accident in Lithuania last week were identified Tuesday. Left to right: Sgt. Edvin Franco; Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr.; Pfc. Dante Taitano.
News

Army identifies three of four soldiers killed in Lithuania training accident

The Army identified three soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia who died in a Lithuania training accident last week.

The Army is removing resiliency training and leaving courses on occupational safety, law of war, combat lifesaving, and more up to commanders.
News

Here is the training that the Army says is no longer mandatory

The changes come as part of a broader focus shift toward war fighting, readiness, and removes “burdens” on soldiers to do extra training in other categories, Army officials announced.

Members of Commader, Task Force (CTF) 68 U.S. Navy dive team arrive on site to assess diving operations to recover four U.S. soldiers in a submerged M88 Hercules on a training site near Pabadre, Lithuania on March 29, 2025.
News

All four missing US soldiers confirmed dead after massive recovery effort in Lithuanian bog

The seven-day search operation to find the missing soldiers drew in hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian troops, U.S. Navy divers from Spain, specialized ground search radars and even helicopters to transport teams from a nearby airport.

The Talarico family has joined a lawsuit against private military housing contractor Balfour Beatty over moldy and neglected housing at Key West Naval Air Station, Florida.
Military Life

Mold in privatized housing cost this Navy family their health and reenlistment bonus

Jackie and Anthonie Talarico say their family developed chronic health issues and spent an entire reenlistment bonus to replace furniture ruined by mold in Navy housing. They have joined a lawsuit against Balfour Beatty, the private contractor.

Combat Arms artillery
News

Hegseth directs service chiefs to conduct ‘sex-neutral’ review of combat arms standards

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that the standards for combat arms jobs must be “based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary.”

USS Spruance
News

Navy destroyer helps apprehend 13 people for border security mission

The USS Spruance used its radar to help the Coast Guard and agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to intercept a vessel.

An A-10 Thunderbolt II sits on a runway, mountains in the background.
News

More A-10 Warthogs deploy to the Middle East

"Several" Warthogs and more than 300 airmen are deploying as the U.S. military builds up forces in the region amid ongoing fighting with Houthi militants in Yemen.

Troops in uniform run through a smoke-filled enclosure. The lead man carries a sniper rifle and has an impressive mustache.
Culture

Iraq War movie ‘Warfare’ is a beautiful depiction of an ugly war

Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland's recreation of a mission in Ramadi gone wrong hits with visceral and personal details.

A soldier in full dress uniform stands in front of the american flag
News

Green Beret killed in Niger awarded Silver Star after new footage emerges

Staff Sgt. Bryan Black's award was upgraded after the Army obtained new footage of his actions in the deadly firefight.

U.S. Marines with Marine Forces Special Operations Command conduct a raid during realistic urban training (RUT) in Lynchburg, Virginia, Mar. 19, 2025. RUT, an exercise hosted by Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG), is comprised of different training scenarios that enable the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to train as a cohesive Marine Air-Ground Task Force. EOTG trains II Marine Expeditionary Force units in preparation for upcoming deployments in support of geographic combatant commands. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin)
News

When are classified war plans neither ‘classified’ nor ‘war plans’

“It’s dumbfounding to even contemplate an argument that this would not be classified,” said national security attorney Mark Zaid.

Members of the Air Force's NAOC Security Forces flank Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as he boards the E-4B 'Doomsday plane.'
News

Those ‘Hegseth bodyguards’ are actually there for the Air Force’s ‘Doomsday’ plane

Members of the Air Force's National Airborne Operations Center Security Forces team travel with the E-4B Nightwatch aircraft — not as personal guards to the Secretary of Defense, as some speculated.

A U.S. Army Soldier reaches out to tap the Ranger Tab above Victory Pond before falling in the water during the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Moore, Ga., April 14, 2024. The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is a two-man team competition where competitors push themselves mentally and physically over three days and two nights to earn the title of “Best Ranger”. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Eric Kestner)
News

Ranger School’s new fitness test is tougher than ever, but nixes sit-ups

Earning a Ranger Tab will now include a sandbag lift, a buddy carry, crawls and other 'functional fitness' events — but no sit-ups.

'Rite of Passage' sword
Culture

Marine vet buys sword that slayed the lava monster in the iconic 90s recruiting ad

Marine veteran Jackson Dodd recently bought the iconic sword from the original blacksmith who forged it for the legendary “Rite of Passage” recruiting commercial.

U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew E. Delamater, from Portland, Tennessee with India Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kansas conducts familiarization training on an M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System with Soldiers of 1-16th Infantry Regiment at Mihail Koglaniceanu Air Base, Romania, March 16, 2019. The Soldiers are conducting the training in preparation for their upcoming missions with allied and partner nations as part of Atlantic Resolve. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. True Thao)
News

Army locates Hercules vehicle that missing 3rd Infantry Division soldiers were in

The Army confirmed that searchers had found the M88 Hercules the soldiers were assigned to submerged in a body of water. No update was available on the soldiers.

Strykers on the southern border
News

Troops in Stryker armored vehicles to patrol southern border

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized U.S. troops deployed to the southern border to use Strykers and other tactical military vehicles for patrols.

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer candidates perform an underwater exercise during an assessment and selection process at Hurlburt Field, Florida, March 5, 2025. STO selection is an arduous mental and physical process that screens candidates to become Air Force Special Tactics leaders, overseeing 14-member Special Tactics teams across the Air Force Special Operations Command enterprise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Raul Mercado)
News

This photo of Air Force special ops pool training is chaos. There’s a reason for that.

This picture of an underwater drill at a selection course for Air Force Special Tactics Officers is confusing as hell and that's by design.

2nd Lt. Leif Whalen, an engineer officer, fireman carry’s Sgt. 1st Class Lucas Bradfield, a platoon sergeant assigned to 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during the most lethal teams competition, June 17, 2024, at Fort Carson, Colorado. Whalen and Bradfield conducted the stress fire, with the fireman's carry as the final event. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jonathan Reyes)
News

Army wants junior officers to fix quality-of-life issues that drive soldiers out

The Army's Junior Officer Counsel pilot program aims to get officers to come up with solutions for quality of life problems that are driving soldiers out of the Army.