Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose

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A F/A-18 fighter jet takes off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, smoke and steam trailing behind it.
News

US Navy carries out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

These are the first major strikes since the Navy accidentally shot down its own F/A-18F fighter jet on Dec. 22.

US Troops Deployed To Iraq
News

National Guard soldier dies in Iraq in ‘non-combat’ incident

Capt. Eric Richard Hart, 34, with the 38th Infantry Division of the Indiana Army National Guard, was deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Black and white photo showing several American soldiers in the snow, a church behind them.
History

When Americans spent Christmas and New Year’s freezing in Russia

As World War I ended, thousands of American troops were fighting in the early stages of Russia’s civil war.

President Jimmy Carter, in a dark suit, with an American flag behind him
News

President Jimmy Carter, Navy veteran and humanitarian, dies at 100

The 39th president died "peacefully" on Dec. 29, his family said.

William Anders' "Earthrise." (photo courtesy NASA)
History

The Air Force once proposed bombing Earth from the Moon

Members of the 8th Maintenance Squadron at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea work on an F-16 during an exercise in 2013. ((U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Military Life

Air Force expands the number of skilled jobs up for retention bonuses

The Air Force is hoping large amounts of cash can help it hold onto airmen whose specialized talents are in demand.

An older man shakes hands with a man in military uniform.
History

Pearl Harbor survivor and last living crewmember of the USS Utah dies at 105

Rear Admiral. Joseph Buzzella (right) pins the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal on Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Conrad during an award ceremony at Air Station San Francisco on Dec. 12, 2024. During the ceremony, Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Conrad was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal for his actions during a search and rescue case on Dec. 30, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel)
News

Coast Guard pilot receives top flying honor for helicopter rescue

Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Conrad and his crew braved bad weather and mechanical issues to save four people.

Headshot of a man, smiling, wearing a bowite
News

Special Forces soldier dies in non-combat incident at Eglin range

Sgt. Thomas Lazzaro was shot in a hunting accident on Sunday, Dec. 22.

A red coast guard icebreaker sails through water.
News

The Coast Guard is building up its Arctic fleet

The service is working to quickly acquire and build new ice breakers to counter threats in the polar regions.

OSS crossbows were built for commandos and spies in World War II.
History

This tiny crossbow is the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite World War II Spy

This Christmas, get that spy in your family the one thing they don’t have: an OSS crossbow designed to be deadly and silent.

The hit 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora! captured a true moment of life and death for the stuntmen on set when a remote controlled plane careened towards a crowd during filming.
Culture

The Pearl Harbor movie scene that accidentally filmed a real plane crash 

A scene in “Tora! Tora! Tora!,” the 1970 Pearl Harbor movie, sent stuntmen running for their lives during a real-life airplane crash.

US Troops Deployed To Iraq
News

More than 4,500 US troops are spending Christmas in Iraq and Syria, according to Pentagon figures

The Pentagon has admitted that at least 1,100 more US troops are deployed to Iraq and Syria than had been previously acknowledged.

marines 100 years ago
News

A Marine’s disciplinary record from 100 years ago reveals rank-and-file life as much the same

A currently serving Marine discovered the disciplinary record for his great-grandfather, back when he was a sergeant in 1926.

A man in military uniform with a face mask installs a white square Internet router in the ceiling of a barracks.
Military Life

Congress authorizes free Wi-Fi for troops in barracks

The approval comes three months after the Pentagon announced pilot programs to test out free broadband Internet across the military branches.

A F/A-18F moves down the runway of an aircraft carrier.
News

Navy shoots down its own F/A-18 in Red Sea fight

The two aviators were able to eject and were recovered safely.

a man in uniform sits in a long hallway, head in his hands
Military Life

Veteran suicides stayed at same level in 2022, despite efforts to reduce deaths

After spiking in 2021, the number of women veterans who killed themselves in 2022 dropped by nearly a quarter.

A satellite jammer sits atop a shipping container.
Tech & Tactics

Space Force to deploy new jammers to yell at enemy satellites

In space, they apparently can hear screams.

An MV-22 Osprey prepares for takeoff during integration training between Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4 and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Oct. 28, 2020. PHIBRON-MEU Integration Exercise (PMINT) provides opportunities for Sailors and Marines to synchronize capabilities as a Navy-Marine Corps team. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaiah Campbell)
News

Ospreys cleared to fly again in Navy and Air Force after inspections

The Marine Corps stopped flying its Ospreys for four days in early December but resumed flights soon after. The airplane's transmission has caused a series of deadly crashes.

Dr. Lytle S. Adams, a dental surgeon, concoted a weapon to compete with the atomic bomb.
History

That time the US military burned down one of its own bases with a ‘bat bomb’

Wild bats with napalm, what could go wrong?