Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 26)

Private Fitz Lee, in a suit and hat, poses with his Medal of Honor.
Historical Figures

An Army base will now honor a Buffalo Soldier

Fort Lee is now named for Pvt. Fitz Lee. The new namesake was a Buffalo Soldier who earned the Medal of Honor.

Pvt. Lakeith Walters from the 401st Military Police Company talks to the role-player, Spc. Keishon Trice, during a traffic stop in a training exercise for the Installation Law Enforcement Certification course June 10, 2024, at Fort Cavazos, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexander Chatoff)
Army

The Army is deactivating police units in deep cuts to number of military cops

The Army plans to close one police brigade, four battalions and several other law enforcement-focused units. By next year, the service will have just over half the number of many military police as it did in 2007.

Royce Williams
Army

Proposed law would open the door for more troops to be awarded the Medal of Honor

The Valor Has No Expiration Act would end a requirement that veterans and service members be awarded the Medal of Honor within five years of their heroic actions.

A photo of a crashed U.S. helicopter from Operation Eagle Claw.
Past Conflicts

Operation Eagle Claw and the genesis of Joint Special Ops

A plan to free American hostages in Iran ended in disaster on April 24, 1980. The tragedy led to an overhaul of U.S. special operations.

Warfare movie review opening scene
Entertainment

The most authentic scene in ‘Warfare’ happens before a single shot is fired

In just a few minutes, “Warfare” perfectly captures modern military life by showing a unit's last easy laugh.

A sailor hammers away at floor planks in a trench in Latvia.
Marine Corps

Marines and sailors are building trenches for the drone age

During exercises in Latvia, combat engineers are testing how to stay protected from small, deadly quadcopters.

A live fire demonstration of the Army’s newest and most modernized combat vehicle, the M10 Booker, marks the conclusion of the M10 Booker Dedication Ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Aberdeen, Md., April 18, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Kaufmann)
Opinion

Why the Marine Corps should adopt the M10 Booker

The Army cancelled the M10 Booker. As the leaders of the Marine Corps' 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, we believe the Army's loss could be the Marine Corps' gain.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel R. Gibson
Army

Military intelligence battalion sergeant major arrested for DUI and suspended

Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel R. Gibson has been suspended from his duties as senior enlisted leader for the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion.

USS Nimitz
Air Force

With USS Nimitz deployment, the US surges air and sea assets to the Middle East

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is headed to the Middle East to join a second carrier in the region, USS Carl Vinson.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Thomas Hudner taking part in the Formidable Shield exercise in May 2025.
Navy

Navy destroyer, air defense systems help intercept Iranian missiles

The military is moving another destroyer to bolster air defense systems in the region as fighting between Israel and Iran continues.

US base defense in the era of large-scale drone attacks
Analysis

US base defense in the era of large-scale drone attacks

Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web highlights massive vulnerabilities that military bases have when it comes to small drones. Here’s how the U.S. is adapting.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright stands in front of an American flag.
Army

Army identifies 101st Airborne soldier killed in training accident

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright, a pilot with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), died on Wednesday, June 11.

Army soldiers with 3rd Infantry Regiment dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms march as part of the Army Birthday Twilight Tattoo at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia on June 11, 2025.
History

The US Army turns 250

Initially created as a small force, the Army has spent two and a half centuries playing a major role in the United States' growth and defense. Now it's the force's birthday.

Army veteran Marcos Leao kneels while being detained by Marines at the Wilshire federal building on June 13, 2025.
Marine Corps

Marines detain civilian in Los Angeles, in first such case

A 27-year-old Army veteran was briefly detained at the Wilshire federal building shortly after Marines arrived there.

Lt. Col. Brian Seymour stands next to an Air Force plane at the change of command ceremony for the 71st Student Squadron on May 16, 2025.
Air Force

Air Force relieves commander of pilot training squadron

Lt. Col. Brian Seymour was removed following a "loss of confidence in his ability to lead." He took over the squadron in May.

28th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge
World War II

The overlooked Army division that held off the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge

At the start of the Battle of the Bulge, the 28th Infantry Division delayed the Germans long enough to allow the 101st Airborne Division to move into Bastogne.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, attached to Task Force 51, rehearse non-lethal tactics in Los Angeles, June 11, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is supporting federal agencies by providing military forces to protect federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area. On June 7, the Secretary of Defense directed USNORTHCOM to establish Task Force 51 to oversee Title 10 forces supporting this mission. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jaye Townsend)
National Guard

Marines to begin guarding federal property in LA

The Marines sent to Los Angeles will protect federal property in the area, while the National Guard soldiers will transition to protecting local law enforcement personnel.

Andrew Bosworth, chief technology officer of Meta, and Shyam Sankar, Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer for Palantir are joining the Army Reserve as two of the four new senior advisors who will advise the Army on its tech transformation.
Military Life

Army bringing in big tech executives as lieutenant colonels

The Army is swearing in top tech executives from Meta, OpenAI and Palantir as senior officers to be part-time advisors.

Protesters confront California National Guard soldiers and police outside of a federal building as protests continue in Los Angeles following three days of clashes with police after a series of immigration raids on June 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
The Pentagon Rundown

The difference between the Insurrection Act and martial law

The Insurrection Act, which allows federal U.S. troops to enforce civilian laws on U.S. soil, is often confused with martial law, but the two are very different.

A U.S. Army Soldier, with the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, fires the MK-22 Precision Sniper Rifle as part of a weapon familiarization range on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 22, 2023. The MK-22 replaced the Army’s existing M2010 and M107 sniper rifles. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Michael Schwenk)
Army

Ranges on Fort Benning aren’t long enough for Army’s new sniper rifle

With the MK22 Precision Sniper Rifle, soldiers are expected to hit targets up to 1,500 meters away — 500 meters farther than they could with the previous rifle.