Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 16)

Mikhail Robin Wicker.
Benefits & Pay

Fake Marine convicted of claiming Purple Heart for $140,000 in VA benefits

Mikhail Robin Wicker claimed to be an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, collecting VA medical care and disability pay for years.

U.S. Soldiers with the 128th Military Police Company, Alabama National Guard, begin their patrol in Washington, D.C., Oct. 31, 2025. About 2,400 National Guard members support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, assisting the Metropolitan Police Department in maintaining public safety for residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Paris Hayes)
Army

National Guard soldier assigned to DC mission dies

Alabama National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob Hill died in a “non-duty-related incident” in Washington D.C. on Nov. 13.

Capt. Gilbert Clark Jr.
Navy

Naval Academy Commandant fired just six months into role

Capt. Gilbert Clark Jr. took over as the Commandant of Midshipmen in June. He was relieved for "a loss of confidence in his ability to lead."

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

Pentagon threatens to court-martial senator who told troops they can refuse ‘illegal orders’

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a retired Navy captain, appeared in a Nov. 18 video urging troops to refuse “illegal” orders.

On a snow covered hillside, three members of a US machine gun squad lay exhausted after taking a Communist position. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Korean War

On this day 74 years ago, one soldier staged a last stand to protect his unit

Pfc. Noah Knight found himself holding off an enemy attack in the Korean War, taking out whole squads and earning the Medal of Honor. 

Lt. Col. Joshua Simms, executive officer for the 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment, stands before the unit at the beginning of the activation ceremony November 7, 2025, at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The activation ceremony of 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment marks a strategic shift in the Army’s ability to gain and maintain information advantage to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army Photo by Russell K. Dodson)
Army

Why the Army set up a counter-disinformation unit in the Pacific

Minds are now battlefields.

Mugshot of Tanner Christopher Thomas.
Americas

Airman indicted in plot to take over Haitian island, enslave population

Two Texas men, one who joined the Air Force to learn combat skills, are accused of trying to take over a small island off of Haiti.

Image:  Col. Daniel Voorhies, 341st Missile Wing commander, pins 20th Air Force’s first-ever Air Medal on Maj. Collin Urbanowicz, 341st Medical Group aeromedical physician assistant, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Nov. 20, 2025. The Air Medal recognizes meritorious achievement or heroism during aerial flight, acknowledging performance beyond standard expectations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Bowers) 
Air Force

Malmstrom airman awarded Air Medal for mountain rescue

Maj. Collin Urbanowicz, the flight medic on a search and rescue mission in August, braved rough winds and stayed overnight on the ground to help save a lost hiker.

Naval Academy seniors learn their future jobs with a ‘team jersey’ reveal
Mandatory Fun

Naval Academy seniors learn their future jobs with a ‘team jersey’ reveal

Seniors at the Naval Academy found out what job they'll have after graduation with a unique reveal: each student got a custom 'team jersey' for their assigned field.

A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced) on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sean, Sept. 7, 2025.
Marine Corps

Marine Harriers are in the Caribbean just ahead of retirement

“If they don’t have enough F-35Bs to do the job, then, well, it’s up to the last of the Harriers," an expert said.

Maj. Gen. Michelle A. Schmidt, the commanding general of the 7th Infantry Division, engages in conversation with the Honorable Dan Driscoll, the 26th Secretary of the Army, at the hangar of the 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, March 10, 2025. During Driscoll's visit to JBLM, a static display was set up to showcase the power capabilities of I Corps. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Bruer)
Army

Every soldier in the Army will get a daily ‘check in’ under new holiday order

In an Army-wide campaign aimed at mental health during the holidays, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said an officer or NCO will personally contact all soldiers "to see if they need help" through Jan. 15.

Balfour Beatty military housing
News

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

Hundreds of troops and their families paid an average of $1,680 out of pocket due to problems with privatized military housing, a recent survey found.

U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, Marine Barracks Washington, The Commandant's Own, Silent Drill Platoon, Drum and Bugle Corps, Color Guard
Opinion

The secret list that’s ending military careers

Pete Hegseth has told troops "it all starts with physical fitness." But for those who use supplements to improve workouts, a little-known, hard-to-find list is ending careers.

Christmas decorations
News

Christmas truce: More troops allowed to display holiday decorations early

"We recognize the pride our residents take in their decorations and the effort involved, so we want to maximize the time they can enjoy them.”

A XM30 Bradley replacement illustration showing a concept of the vehicle.
Tanks

Inside the XM30 program: The Army’s Bradley replacement

After four decades of failed replacement attempts, the Army’s XM30 program is the closest it has come to retiring the Bradley, but challenges remain.

A U.S. Marine with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, signals to a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II assigned to VMFA-225 at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Nov. 6, 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. Marine Corps photo)
Americas

What 3 former SOUTHCOM commanders say troops should know about Venezuela

Their concerns include whether U.S. troops would have a clear military objective for any looming operations against Venezuela.

Waist-up shot of a group of friends taking a selfie together in a community centre. They are all smiling with positive emotion for the camera both wearing casual clothing. The community centre is located in Seaton Deleval in the North East of England.

Serving those who served our nation

How to really say thank you to veterans this Veterans Day.

The U.S. Naval Academy released its special edition football uniform for the 2025 Army-Navy football game.
Navy

Naval Academy custom football uniform honors ‘Original 6 Frigates’

Designed for the 2025 Army-Navy football game, the special edition uniform honors the Navy's original 6 frigates, including the USS Constitution.

Drug cartels designated as terrorists
Americas

The US designated more terrorist groups in 2025 than in the last 10 years combined

The U.S. government is now leaning on the military to employ tactics and techniques it honed during the Global War on Terror to combat drug cartels.

SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND, Alaska (Sept. 11, 2022) A West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare operator conducts security utilizing a SHIELD AI Nova I drone during Operation Noble Defender. Sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning software capabilities coupled with the development of layered denial, and defeat mechanisms capable of addressing current and emerging threats are fundamental to national defense. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Alex Smedegard)
Navy

Navy SEALs want to start a 10-day school to learn drone warfare 

Special operations forces will learn the ins and outs of building, repairing and flying first-person-view drones in the 80-hour course, ending with a full field exercise.