We have updated our Privacy Policy. Please review to learn more. By continuing to use our services, you agree to these updates.

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

Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. James McKnight, B Co., 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion, surveys the area out of the side window of the CH-47F Chinook during a dust landing certification flight at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, Calif., May 29, 2019. B Co. 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion is providing air lift capabilities and support to the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team. A month-long NTC rotation provides more than 4,000 service members from 31 states, including units from 13 National Guard states and territories, with realistic training to enhance their combat, support and sustainment capabilities. (Photo by Cpl. Alisha Grezlik, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
Army

Army searching for $33,000 in helicopter gear, radios stolen from rental car in Oregon

$33,000 worth of gear was reportedly stolen from inside a rental vehicle.

Image:  U.S. Soldiers assigned to MoD Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), fire mortars down range during an African Lion 26 counterattack exercise at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 4, 2026. The command field exercise counterattack lane tested new combined arms breach tactics by synchronizing unmanned ground vehicles, remote systems and maneuver elements, demonstrating the integration of autonomous and conventional forces to create standoff, reduce risk and generate new tactical possibilities on the modern battlefield. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Sanchez 
Army

The Army has a mobile app that helps soldiers adjust mortar fire

The Army’s new standardized Mortars App can carry out fire support on an Android smart phone.

U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground recently tested the GRIZZLY vertical launcher for use with the AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), following on previous institutional knowledge testing the launcher’s use with the Hellfire missile.
Drones

The Army’s latest anti-drone tool fires missiles from a cargo container

The new Grizzly weapons system can fire both Hellfire and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles, is relatively light and maneuverable and meant for base defense.

FILED - 31 January 2025, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf: Several packs of nicotine pouches from different manufacturers (Zyn/Philip Morris and Velo/British American Tobacco, BAT) are lying on a table (staged scene). Warnings in Swedish can be read on the pack, warning of the danger of nicotine addiction. Nicotine pouches are pushed behind the upper lip and taste of different flavors. They cannot be legally purchased in German stores. Photo: Wolf von Dewitz/dpa (Photo by Wolf von Dewitz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Army

Army warns soldiers: No Zyn in France, please

A major garrison in Europe issued a travel advisory to troops warning of penalties after France outlawed nicotine pouches.

U.S. service members on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, attend a National Day of Prayer service at the protestant chapel on MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 7, 2026. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May that encourages all Americans to pause, reflect, and pray for our nation. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Jessica J. Mazzamuto)
Military Life

Pentagon cuts 180 faiths from recognized religion list

The Department of Defense called the previous faith and belief codes system “unmanageable” and argued the change is a mostly administrative update.

Soldiers seeking a religious waiver for grooming and uniform standards must swear under oath to “sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Army

Army lays out criteria for evaluating religious waivers for beards

Under the new criteria, soldiers may only request religious waivers for grooming and uniform standards based on “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

A red sky hangs over the Federal Prison 08 June 2001 in Terre Haute, Indiana, where Oklahoma City Federal Building bomber Timothy McVeigh awaits execution. McVeigh ordered his attorneys to stop their appeals and will die early 11 May 2001. AFP PHOPTO/Tannen MAURY (Photo by TANNEN MAURY / AFP) (Photo by TANNEN MAURY/AFP via Getty Images)
Army

Army’s plan for military death row executions is named ‘Operation Resolute Justice’

If an execution order is signed by the president, military death row inmates would be transported to Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute in Indiana.

Pizza Cat Promotion
Culture

Air Force promotes ‘Pizza Cat’ to ‘Senior Meowster Sergeant’

“The U.S. Aire Furce has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and abilities of Pizza Cat.”

An artist's rendering of the F-47, a planned sixth-generation combat aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.
Fighter Aircraft

What is China’s government saying about the F-47?

Observers in China think America’s sixth-generation fighter could either be a costly boondoggle or a cutting-edge threat.

Navy firings
Navy

Navy fires entire leadership team of ship repair facility in Japan

Capt. Wendel Penetrante, Capt. Edwin Catubig and Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Dean Howell were relieved on Wednesday. No specific reason for their firing has been given.

Joint Warfighting Ability
News

Hegseth directs ‘joint warfighting ability’ be considered for officer, NCO promotions

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is requiring that officers and senior enlisted leaders demonstrate their “joint warfighting ability” for advancement.

260529-N-YM856-1452 GULFPORT, MS (May 29, 2026) Sailors try new menu options during the reopening of Colmer Dining Facility following the facility’s food service transformation, May 29. The “campus style” dining pilot program is part of the Navy’s shore food service transformation initiative to provide an improved galley experience to support warfighter readiness, wellness, and performance through better nutrition. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brittney Kinsey)
Navy

Navy wants to let sailors use meal cards at restaurants on base

The service is testing a pilot program where sailors can swipe their meal cards at restaurants on base — with the intent of one day moving to chain restaurants.

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Russel Hull, senior enlisted leader of 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, stops for a photo at his graduation from the Army's Sapper Leader Course. Hull is the first sergeant major to graduate from the course since 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office)
Army

43-year-old sergeant major completes Army Sapper Course

“There was a few minutes where I wanted to quit, because I was just like, ‘What am I doing? I'm 43 years old. I've been in the Army over 20 years. Why am I POW crawling up this hill right now?”

Capt. Leon Davis of the 688th Cyberspace Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, conducts cyber operations planning with a team as part of Savage Cerberus 24, a two-week cyber exercise aimed at responding to simulated malicious cyberspace activities. With a total force engagement across the cyber domain, Savage Cerberus consisted of 120 members and was the fifth iteration of the wing's flagship exercise. The completion of this exercise marks a significant achievement in the ongoing efforts to strengthen the U.S. military's cyber capabilities. Photo by Kyle Burns.
News

Officers only: New report lays out what a ‘US Cyber Force’ could look like

Experts with two military think tanks argue that a force of officers and warrant officers is better suited to retain the talent needed for digital conflict.

Retired Col. Bruce Crandall
News

Medal of Honor recipient and legendary Vietnam War helicopter pilot ‘Old Snake’ has died

“He kept flying until every wounded man had been evacuated and every need of the battalion had been met.”

The USS Herring submarine's final resting place was confirmed 82 years after it disappeared.
World War II

Navy researchers find wreck of World War II submarine that vanished 82 years ago

The USS Herring saw action in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific before it went missing June 1, 1944, north of Japan.

Harriers Sundown
Marine Corps

A final public flight for the Marine Corps’ legendary Harrier jet

“The Harrier didn't need an airfield. All it needed was a Marine flying it.”

Lauren Palladini, with her daughter Everly and husband, underwent numerous surgeries after her Army doctors caused major internal bleeding during a 2019 C-section delivery.
News

The military has approved less than 10% of medical malpractice claims since 2020

Military members have filed 764 claims of malpractice in military health care under a 2019 law. Only 73 have been approved for compensation.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Terrance Greenwood, 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 loadmaster, conducts final checks to ensure security of container delivery system bundles before loading onto an aircraft at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, July 5, 2023. The 40th EAS provides U.S. Air Forces Central a global reach tactical airlift mission capability and is a prime transport for airdropping and transiting personnel and equipment into hostile areas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Isaac Garden)
Iran

Iranian missiles target U.S. base in Kuwait as both sides keep trading fire

The U.S. military shot down Iranian missiles targeting American forces in Kuwait on Sunday night. Several U.S. troops were reportedly injured in similar strikes last week.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna delivers his keynote “The Guardian Experience: Answering the Call, Building the Force” during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 23, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
Culture

Chief Master Sergeant of Space Force’s Instagram hacked

John Bentivegna’s Instagram page posted several pro-Iranian stories and images on Sunday night over several hours.