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

C-130 aircraft from the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand prepare for takeoff on the runway at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on July 21, 2025. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler McQuiston.
Missiles

Is the US military’s most important island in the Pacific ready for war?

Guam’s vast logistics infrastructure makes it the keystone for any military operation in the Pacific — and a prime target for China.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Presidential Salute Battery, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), participate in a ruck march followed by a door bundle airdrop retrieval during the 2026 Best Mortar Competition at Fort Benning, GA. April 9, 2026. The event tests Soldiers’ endurance and ability to locate and recover equipment delivered by aerial resupply. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Smith)
Transition

How an overhaul of federal layoffs could affect veterans

About one in every four federal workers is a military veteran. A new rule proposed by the Trump administration could change protections veterans have had from layoffs.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch sits in an U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of the San Antonio Class amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) after returning from space on Apr. 10, 2026.
News

How a Navy photographer snapped an iconic Artemis II astronaut photo

“I was trying to be kind of respectful and not intrusive, because they did just get back from space.”

New U.S. Marines with Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, stand in formation before their family day ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, Jan. 16, 2025. After a long, 13 weeks of physical and mental challenges, early mornings, letters to and from home, this is the first time friends and families will see their newly transformed Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sarah M. Grawcock)
Marine Corps

Marine Corps sets timelines for responding to missing personnel

Within three hours of a Marine not showing up for work, units are directed to make “reasonable” efforts to contact them and begin checking in with local police, hospitals and clinics.

SMASH 2000L
Marine Corps

Marines on way to Middle East seen using rifles with anti-drone smart scope

The company that makes the SMASH 2000L advanced fire control system confirmed that a recent series of photos show deployed Marines using the smart scope.

In a series of recent video interviews, Old Dominion University ROTC students recounted the final acts of heroism of their instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.
Army

Army cadets recall how fallen officer defended them in Old Dominion shooting

Eight Army ROTC students credited their quick reactions to Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, their instructor. Shah was killed in the attack.

U.S. Army Private First Class Ajryan Scales , assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps Signal Detachment, trains and familiarizes with the 5.56mm L-variant Drone Round to defeat small unmanned aerial systems at Oak Grove Training Center, N.C., April 9, 2026. The training offered units the chance to build proficiency and familiarize Soldiers with techniques to engage and defeat sUAS while rapidly advancing operational capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Alexis Fischer)
Drone Swarms

Soldiers with the XVIII Airborne Corps are training with anti-drone rounds

The round breaks apart mid-flight and effectively becomes buckshot, which can make it easier to take out small, fast-moving drones.

After two full days and nights of events to test their stamina, technical prowess and mental acuity, the remaining teams crossed the finish line April 12, 2026 at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus Georgia, concluding the 2026 Best Ranger Competition. Sgt. Drew Schorsh and Spc. Caleb Godbold, representing the 75th Ranger Regiment, was the winning team. (U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright)
Army

Specialist and sergeant win Best Ranger competition for first time in nearly 40 years

“We had each other’s back, and knew that when one of us was in trouble, the other was there to carry the load.”

Members of the 163d Attack Wing pilot an MQ-9 Reaper taxing down the runway after returning home from a milestone mission to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, February 15th, 2024. The mission marked the first ever MQ-9 to grace the runway at Shaw AFB. This one of many examples of how the 163d ATKW is pushing innovation and the MQ-9 platform to new heights.
Drones

The Iran war took a toll on the Air Force’s Reaper fleet

The service has lost at least 35 Reaper drones in combat and aircraft accidents over the last few years, according to news reports and Air Force investigations.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) sails alongside fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187), during a replenishment-at-sea in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 18, 2026. Frank E. Peterson Jr. is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christian Kibler)
Navy

What we know about the US military’s blockade of Iran

“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas,” according to U.S. Central Command.

100-year-old retired Staff Sgt. Phillip Bruce Cook stands in front of a B-17 ball turret, like the kind he used to fight in.
World War II

World War II B-17 gunner awarded France’s highest military honor

Phillip Bruce Cook, 100, took part in some of the most dangerous bombing missions over Europe. 

Image:  A U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules is reflected in shallow water on the flightline at Shannon, Ireland, March 2, 2026. The 302d AW deployed two C-130 Hercules aircraft and multiple personnel to Ramstein AB, Germany, to support the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Silver Arrow mission. The wing has provided tactical airlift, airdrop, and medical evacuation support in theater since March 2. The Silver Arrow program leverages volunteer Air Reserve Component (ARC) Airmen and their unique skills to enhance the mobility aircraft capabilities of U.S. Air Forces stationed in the European theater. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo) 
Air Force

Man arrested after climbing up on and damaging an Air Force C-130 in Ireland

A man climbed onto the transport plane while it was parked at Shannon Airport and hit it repeatedly with a tool before being stopped.

A James Bond-style 007 logo flies on the USS Stockdale's battle flag.
Culture

USS Stockdale flies shaken, not stirred battle flag

The USS Stockdale returned to port flying its “007” battle flag in honor of its namesake, Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale.

An American Navy destroyer sails through the Strait of Hormuz on April 11, 2026.
Navy

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission

The USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy sailed into the Persian Gulf to start preparations for sweeping the waterway for explosives. 

Soldiers and Airmen of the Hawaii National Guard assist the community with sandbag distribution in Waialua, Hawaii, April 7, 2026. At the request of civil authorities, the Hawaii National Guard is assisting with local emergency preparations by staging vehicles and equipment statewide in preparation for heavy rains and possible flooding due to incoming severe weather. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Donald Bond)
National Guard

More than 300 Hawaii National Guard troops activated as a third storm hits the state

Last month’s storms saw thousands evacuated in flooded parts of Oahu, with military units carrying out extensive search and rescue efforts.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman walks with NASA personnel on the flight deck of the San Antonio Class amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) after returning from space on Apr. 10, 2026. John P. Murtha is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission, retrieving the crew and spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a flight around the moon in the Orion space craft, marking the first time humans journeyed to deep space in over 50 years. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson)
Navy

Navy divers, ship recover Artemis II crew after splashdown

Specialized medical divers made first contact with the astronauts of Artemis II after their spaceship returned to Earth on Friday.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 River Mitchell, food advisor, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, retrieves a prepared meal from the Sustained Autonomous Meals system at Camp Walker, Daegu, Republic of Korea, Mar. 26, 2026. The system improves efficiency by delivering meals quickly with minimal personnel, strengthening sustainment support in austere locations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Deziree Keay)
Army

The Army is testing out a robotic kitchen that can cook for soldiers downrange

The Army is testing out an automated kitchen that basically amounts to a chef-in-a-box.

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron prepare to conduct combat search-and-rescue from an MH-6M Little Bird that was offloaded from a MC-130J Commando II during Exercise Agile Chariot near Riverton, Wyoming, May 2, 2023. Agile Chariot tested Agile Combat Employment capabilities, including using smaller, more dispersed locations and teams to rapidly move and support aircraft, pilots and other personnel wherever they’re needed. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)
Air Force

A 2023 special ops exercise in Wyoming was a preview of the Iran rescue mission

In 2023, special ops cargo planes delivered commandos and folded helicopters to a Wyoming airstrip in search of a “missing pilot" — the same tactics behind the rescue in Iran.

Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey travels with a next-generation nuclear reactor airlifted from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. to Hill Air Force Base, Utah by a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, Feb. 15, 2026. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Brann)
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.

Marijuana
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.”