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Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 23)

An Air Force uniform with the job tab "CYBER."
Air Force

Air Force brings back job patches, which were banned for some reason

Banned a year ago to emphasize a “warfighting team,” the patches that identify an airman’s job are once again allowed on uniforms.

Jose Martinez says he was detained by immigration agents who burst into his room on a cruise after mistaking him for someone with the same name.
Coast Guard

Veteran says he was seized by immigration agents on cruise in case of mistaken identity

Jose Martinez, a U.S. citizen, said it was a case of mistaken identity and that he’s gotten stopped before at customs because of his name.

Women who have served in combat arms jobs say a new Pentagon review of their "effectiveness" is the latest example of doubts they've faced their whole careers.
Air Force

Women in ground combat jobs say they prove their ‘effectiveness’ every day

Women in combat arms jobs say a new Pentagon review will only duplicate studies of the last decade that confirmed women meet "objective" and “qualitative” standards.

Exercise Sourdough 2025
Air Force

‘Exercise Sourdough’ — How the Air Force turned San Francisco into an urban evasion course

“This is kind of mimicking if they are in an urban environment in a foreign country and the American forces need to devise a plan to extract them.”

The Navy has released a video that shows the FF(X) frigate’s proposed design.
Coast Guard

Here’s why the Navy is planning to turn a Coast Guard cutter into a frigate

The Navy is looking to rebound from its latest shipbuilding SNAFU by basing the design of its new frigate on a Coast Guard cutter.

Pilots from 1st Battalion, 189th General Support Aviation Battalion, with pilots from New York, Delaware and Montana, now under the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, land during a deck landing qualification with UH-60 Blackhawks on the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) on Jan. 23, 2014, somewhere in the Arabian Gulf. U.S. Army aviation assets and the U.S. Navy conduct joint-service littoral (near shore) training missions to build familiarity with each other's equipment and procedures. The 42nd CAB, N.Y. Army National Guard, is currently deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Army

National Guard pilot admits to landing Black Hawk helicopter to pick up elk antlers

The Montana soldier entered a no-contest plea to trespassing charges for landing a UH-60 helicopter on a remote ranch to collect elk antlers.

Space Force Home Burned Down
Space Force

Married Space Force officers lose home after fire and burglary

A car belonging to one of the officers was defaced with graffiti that included the messages “F**k Trump” and “F***k you space man.”

A photo of the prototype for the Army's M1E3.
Army

These are the first photos of the Army’s M1E3 Abrams prototype

Rumors of the demise of the tank have long been exaggerated.

Operation Absolute Resolve
Americas

Here’s what we know in the wake of Operation Absolute Resolve (and what we don’t)

We break it down in our most recent video, from the aircraft to weapons systems to the hazy legality of it all.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Friedman with the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, left, Tech. Sgt. Joshua Skinner with the 601st Air Operations Center, and Capt. Kyle Imhoff with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, right, run on the fitness track at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Sept. 8, 2020. The Tyndall Focus 5/6 group organized a running event where runners tracked miles during the month of August. The top three runners were recognized and included Skinner with 348 miles, Friedman with 356 miles, and Imhoff with 366 miles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Magen M. Reeves)
Air Force

Airmen can now swap out the 2-mile run on both yearly fitness tests

Airmen can now swap out of their run on both tests — and Space Force guardians will take theirs twice a year.

Frontline medical workers wait in line to receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 at the Virginia Hospital Center on December 16, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. More than 1,950 of the hospital’s employees will be vaccinated over the next 4 days as the COVID-19 vaccine begins widespread distribution in the United States this week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
News

Federal watchdog reports ‘suicide hazards’ at VA hospitals

The Inspector General found physical safety risks for mental health patients at a Massachusetts hospital and warned about “similar concerns” at other facilities.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Alexandra Cahall, a combat marksmanship coach assigned to 25th Marine Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, fires a rifle during an all-female marksmanship subject matter expert exchange between U.S. Marines and Jordanian Soldiers during Intrepid Maven 25.1 in Al-Quwayrah, Jordan, Oct. 29, 2024. The second iteration of this exchange between U.S. and Jordanian female engagement teams was nested in Intrepid Maven 25.1 and represents a step forward in strengthening military cooperation and promoting Women, Peace, and Security initiatives. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Angela Wilcox)
United States

Pentagon orders review on ‘effectiveness’ of women in combat arms jobs

Pentagon officials ordered a review of the “effectiveness” of women serving in combat after a ratcheting up of rhetoric around “sex neutral" fitness standards.

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)
Navy

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

SEALs and special warfare combat crewman will face slightly higher standards than EOD techs and fleet divers in the Navy's new combat arms test.

The raid to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro was a tactical success, but it also raises the possibility of strategic missteps, warn veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
News

For some veterans, the specter of Iraq and Afghanistan looms over the Maduro raid

Even as veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan acknowledge the skill required to pull off the operation, the question of “what comes next” hangs over it.

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

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

Sen. Mark Kelly may see his retirement pay reduced after participating in a video with other members of Congress urging troops not to obey unlawful military orders.

Image: (Original Caption) The Charleston shot was part of Operation Plumbbob and was fired from a balloon on September 28, 1957. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
History

The military once considered using balloons as nuclear weapons systems

A 1957 study looked at the possibility of an American strategic floating bomb force.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, launches from the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 28, 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. Navy photo)
Americas

More than 150 fighters, bombers and other aircraft took part in Venezuela strike

The force of Navy, Air Force and Marine F-22s, F/A-18s, F-35s and drones struck several sites in Caracas as the Army captured Nicolás Maduro.

An MC-130J Commando II assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing and U.S. Army MH-60M Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) participate in a helicopter air-to-air refueling exercise near Hurlburt Field, Florida, Nov. 20, 2025. Joint exercises enable special operations forces to share distinct interservice skillsets and seamlessly operate during real-world missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isabel Tanner)
Army

Delta Force, other special operations soldiers carried out Venezuela raid

President Donald Trump said no personnel were killed in the attack on Venezuela, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve.”

Trump Maduro
Americas

US military captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro after striking military sites

President Donald Trump has issued a statement saying U.S. forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules with USCG Base Honolulu, performs aerial maneuvers while performing a Search and Rescue demonstration during the 2025 Kaneohe Bay Air Show at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2025. The Kaneohe Bay Air Show provides an opportunity to showcase the aircraft, equipment and capabilities of the armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region to the local community. The air show contained aerial performances, static displays, demonstrations and vendors, was designed to celebrate MCBH’s longstanding relationship with the local community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jade K. Venegas)
Coast Guard

Coast Guard halts search for survivors of US strikes on boats in the Pacific

The effort, which lasted four days, is the most extensive one conducted by the U.S. since it began attacks on alleged drug ships in September.