Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 3)

There's now a mystery box at the Pentagon. Don't know what that means? Join the club.
News

What is a loot box and why is there one at the Pentagon?

A Lucky Box machine has been up and running in the Pentagon since Dec. 23.

NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Aug. 22, 2021) An Afghan family waits to exit a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella during Operation Allies Refuge Aug. 22, 2021. NAS Sigonella is currently supporting the Department of Defense mission to facilitate the safe departure and relocation of U.S. citizens, Special Immigration Visa recipients, and vulnerable Afghan populations from Afghanistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel M. Young)
News

Veterans defend Afghan ally programs as Trump closes doors

Established visa pipelines for Afghan allies have been shuttered, veterans say, despite having no connection to a November National Guard shooting.

Hazing
News

Pentagon attempts to assure Congress that hazing is still not tolerated

Nearly 30 lawmakers wrote Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking why the Pentagon is seeking to redefine hazing and bullying.

CV-22 Ospreys assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) approach an MC-130J Commando II for aerial refueling over the Sea of Japan, Mar. 17th, 2023. The 21st SOS utilizes the unique capabilities of the Osprey to conduct long range infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply missions for special operation forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Trevor Gordnier)
Air Force

Air Force crew reacted rapidly to sudden power failure in Osprey mishap

The crew of an Air Force CV-22 Osprey that suffered a hard landing in late 2024 had just completed safety training to get the aircraft on the ground in such moments.

Providers Warrior Restaurant
Army

Here’s why a Fort Bragg dining facility got an ‘F’ sanitation rating

An Army official said the failing health grade was the result of "one incident of a mislabeled item." Corrections by staff have since raised the grade to a "C."

From left, Maj. Gen. Winston Brooks, Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Sartain, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Augustin, and Maj. Benjamin Page shake the hands of soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery regiment as they board a plane at the Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport on May 2, 2024.
Army

The Army wants soldiers to travel less for training, do more in virtual reality

Army leaders said they are looking at more virtual reality and remote training inspired by civilian programs at universities.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jordan Wesemann, left, 909th Air Refueling Squadron instructor pilot, and Capt. Jared Wesemann, 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, deployed to Kadena Air Base, pose for a photo at Kadena AB, Japan, Dec. 4, 2025. The twin brothers shared the same sky and mission during Jordan Wesemann’s final flight at Kadena, a rare opportunity that united tanker and fighter aircrews over the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Melany Bermudez)
Air Force

Twin Air Force pilots connect in refueling flight over the Pacific

Capt. Jordan Wesemann, a KC-135 tanker pilot, refueled his twin brother Jared's F-35 fighter jet during an exercise in Japan. Their father is a former Air Force rescue pilot.

The Pentagon has released its implementing guidance for using the waist-to-height ratio to calculate service members’ body composition.
News

Pentagon announces new way military will measure troops’ body fat

To pass the new standards, a service member’s waist measurement can be only slightly more than half of their height.

Alt text: PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 17: U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) takes questions from press after a town hall at NOAH Cholla Health Center on March 17, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The town hall was held to address the concerns about possible Medicaid budget cuts after House Republicans approved a budget proposal that requires $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
News

Fight between Kelly and Hegseth over ‘unlawful orders’ video headed to court

The Arizona senator and Navy veteran sued Hegseth and the Department of Defense on Monday, saying actions against him would cause a chilling effect on veterans' speech

 U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 19, 2025) A U.S. Air Force chaplain prays over an A-10 Thunderbolt II at a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 19, 2025. (U.S. Air Force Photo) 
Middle East

An A-10 taking part in Syria airstrikes sports ‘Metroid’ nose art

Warthogs have been a major part of recent U.S. operations against ISIS in Syria, including this A-10 paying homage to a classic video game character.

Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion defend the United States and other designated areas from intercontinental ballistic missile attack and provide critical site security of the missile defense complex at Fort Greely, Alaska. (U.S. Army photo)
Active Duty

Missile defense base dealing with ‘critical’ disruptions at its dining facility

Federal worker buyouts, retirements and not enough MREs left soldiers at Fort Greely with limited food services for more than two months.

Image: U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 10, 2026) A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II taxis at a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike, Jan. 10, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Middle East

US, Jordanian air forces conduct dozens of airstrikes in Syria against ISIS

They’re the first American airstrikes reported in Syria this year and the second wave of Operation Hawkeye Strike.

Image: The Air Force Warfare center D.C. Air National Guard pilots with the 121st Fighter Squadron launch out on Aug. 8, 2025 in Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Bamboo Eagle is a U.S. Air Force Warfare Center exercise that builds upon the tactical expertise exercised in Red Flag and presents participants with opportunities to overcome challenges associated with mission generation and command and control in a contested environment. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Filzen)
Air Force

Air Force plans for new electronic warfare squadron to aid combat training 

The 562nd Electronic Warfare Squadron will help airmen with the Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base deal with "contested electronic environments."

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

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.”