Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 24)

Air Force

Air Force names 2 bases that could host nuclear ‘microreactors’

Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, and Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, could have on-site nuclear microreactors by 2030.

Army

Reserve officer in fight with Army for owning marijuana dispensary

"Being involved in some sort of commercial enterprise in my state — that maybe some still find morally reprehensible — is still legal in my state, and I've done nothing wrong.”

Air Force

Air Force offers up to $50,000 annual bonuses to keep aviators in the service

Eligible aviators can receive up to $50,000 a year for a maximum of 12 years, or $600,000 total, to stay in the Air Force.

Air Force

A boom operator on an Air Force tanker earned two DFCs for combat flights

Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Stallings was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" device and a second with a "C" in a rare double-award of the military's top aviation medal.

Iran

US troops downed ‘2 million’ energy drinks during Iran war, top general says

Troops in Epic Fury did some epic chugging of nearly a million gallons of coffee and two million energy drinks. "I am not saying that we have a problem," said Gen. Dan Caine.

Army

Army plans to host new commercial data centers on at least 4 bases

Commercial data centers have been confirmed for Fort Bliss, Texas, and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and the Army recently put out a contracting request for centers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Hood, Texas.

Benefits

Military’s new budget could give 7% pay raise to most junior troops

Service members at the lowest five ranks will receive the largest of a three-tiered pay raise included in the White House’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.

News

Pentagon calls Individual Ready Reserve a ‘mobilization asset’ in new policy

The new Pentagon policy was likely in the works before the Iran war began, but it still holds relevance as the military plans for any future mass mobilization, experts say.

Iran

General confirms A-10 lost, helicopter damaged during F-15 rescue in Iran

The pilot of an A-10 Warthog had to eject due to damage sustained during an operation to rescue one of the two downed F-15 crew members.

Military Life

VA staffing shortages led to failure to refer veterans to supportive housing, investigators find

As many as 174,000 veterans were not referred to a federal housing program between 2020 to 2024.

Army

Army lets soldiers deployed for Operation Epic Fury reenlist two years early

The Army aims to “maximize benefits for personnel who are serving deployed in support” of the war with Iran.

Air Force

What we know about the commando raid to recover the F-15 crew member in Iran

Special operations teams raced against Iran to locate the missing airman, setting up a temporary airstrip to extract U.S. forces.

Air Force

Former airman pleads guilty to defrauding Air Force of $37 million

A former master sergeant who called himself “Al Capone” inflated costs of IT contracts to enrich himself and others.

Air Force

What we know about a downed US F-15 and its crew in Iran

Several reports indicate one of the two flyers on board was rescued in a large-scale rescue operation.

Tech & Tactics

Right to repair: Why the US military can’t fix much of its own equipment

Restrictive agreements with defense contractors leave service members unable to fix the expensive ships, fighter jets, and ground vehicles they depend on.

Army

Hegseth asks top Army officer to step down

A Pentagon official confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down.

Commentary

How does the Iran war end?

One month into the Iran war, the U.S. military finds itself in a familiar position: Despite apparent battlefield successes, it's not clear how the conflict will end.

Army

82nd Airborne Division cancels All American Week amid Iran war deployments

Officials said the event was cancelled “due to competing requirements."

Army

Army ‘pauses’ plan to close more than 20 base museums

The Army has 45 facilities in its museum network, and planned to close about half. Now congress wants to see a plan for which should be kept open.

Military Branches

Infantry, artillery, other combat arms troops had highest suicide risk in 2024

For the first time, the Pentagon’s annual suicide report broke down rates based on military job fields.