Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 30)

U.S Airmen assigned to the 81st Security Forces Squadron along with members of the U.S. Navy stand in formation during the Police Week Retreat Ceremony on May 15, 2025 at Keesler Air Force Base. The retreat ceremony was one of several events held by the 81st Security Forces Squadron commemorating National Police Week. National Police Week was established in 1962 as a collaborative effort to honor America’s law enforcement community and pay special recognition to those law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jon Carter)
Benefits & Pay

Bipartisan bill would nix federal taxes on military bonuses

The bill would amend federal tax codes and take away taxes paid on troops’ performance and enlistment bonuses.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jeremy Jackson, assigned to 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Division, recites the oath of enlistment in front of the Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll during a re-enlistment ceremony at Drawsko Pomorskie Combat Training Center, Poland, April 10, 2025. Driscoll administered the oath during his visit to Poland. Leaders in the area of operations gave him insight into operational planning, mission command, and oversight of the rotational forces in Europe so he could better support NATO allies and help improve interoperability (U.S. Army photo by 1st Sgt. Jacob Connor)
Army

Fewer reenlistment options for soldiers amid high Army retention

The Army pointed to its retention of 800 more soldiers than its original goal for fiscal year 2025 as a reason for the changes.

ICE agents at Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will screen visitors at 3 Marine Corps bases

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are already posted at the gates of Camp Pendleton, California, and they will also be sent to Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

U.S. Air Force Airmen walk away from an explosive detonation during EPIC CRAB 25 Exercise at Northwest Field, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 1, 2025. Explosive Ordnance Disposal locates, identifies and disposes of dangerous hazardous materials, improvised explosives devices and nuclear materials etc. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Adasha Williams)
Air Force

Air Force holds epic exercise to blow stuff up, calls it ‘EPIC CRAB’

EPIC CRAB 2025 involved explosive ordnance disposal technicians from the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and Republic of Singapore.

U.S. Army Spc. Anton Lane, a combat medic with specialized drone training, assigned to 5-7 Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division inspects a Skydio X10E4TT drone prior to flight during exercise Combined Resolve 25-2 at Hohenfels, Germany on May 17, 2025. TiC is grounded in one principle: increasing the lethality of our formations by creating more agile and mobile units capable of responding to complex combat scenarios (US Army photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Fist Class Richard Hoppe, Released).
Army

The Army wants more drones, electronic warfare tech. This unit is the guinea pig.

The 3rd Infantry Division is experimenting with specialized teams that focus on drones and electronic warfare, in order to test out the Army's plan for fighting the next 'big war.'

Abbey Gate
News

Hegseth announces accountability review of Afghanistan withdrawal

The Defense Department will conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 “to ensure that accountability for this event is met.”

Coast Guard rescue swimmers saved a worker stuck in hardening concrete after roof collapse
Coast Guard

Coast Guard rescue swimmers saved a worker stuck in hardening concrete after roof collapse

The rescuers spent three hours extracting four workers from inside a collapsed industrial water tank who had fallen 40 feet when the structure's roof collapsed.

Army Rangers Sea Battle
Army

Army investigating whether Rangers fired weapons at public beach before ‘pirate sea battle’

Posts on social media indicate the incident took place on Friday afternoon before soldiers with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion took part in a private festival in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

19 Purple hearts lay on velvet ready to be awarded to Soldiers of the 39th Brigade Combat Team for wounds received while fighting in Iraq. The Purple Heart is the oldest and most expensive medal in the militarys arsenal of awards. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rebekah-mae Bruns, 39th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
National Guard

10 New York soldiers receive Purple Heart for injuries in Tower 22 attack

Three soldiers died and dozens were wounded in the attack, many with traumatic brain injuries and concussions, when an Iranian drone destroyed a housing unit at the Jordan outpost.

Rambo
Entertainment

Nothing is over! They’re making a ‘Rambo’ origin movie

The new film will likely take audiences back to Vietnam and show the moments that made Rambo the traumatized Green Beret he became in "First Blood."

M1 Abrams
Army

The Army takes steps so its 250th birthday parade won’t destroy DC streets

Previous attempts at a military parade in the nation's capital have been met with concern that heavy Abrams tanks would tear up Washington, D.C.'s roads.

A tiltrotor aircraft flies across the plains.
Army

101st Airborne tapped as first unit to get new Black Hawk replacement

The newly designated MV-75 is meant to eventually replace the Army’s H-60 Black Hawk helicopters, including in special operations missions.

Air Force HALO jump
Air Force

Air Force surprises troops with sudden deadline for reenlistment bonuses

Airmen have until close of business on May 19 to apply for a selective retention bonus. This year’s fiscal program is ending more than four months early.

Army Apache crews who fired ‘first shots of Desert Storm’ receive Distinguished Flying Crosses
Gulf War

Army Apache crews who fired ‘first shots of Desert Storm’ receive Distinguished Flying Crosses

Four U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin National Guard, fly over the Air Dominance Center during exercise Sentry Savannah 25-1, Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, Jan. 24, 2025. Sentry Savannah is the Air National Guard’s premier fighter exercise, a critical training event that aims to enhance the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense’s fighter jet readiness, interoperability and capability in an air-to-air simulated combat environment. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Rafael D. Rosa)
The Pentagon Rundown

Trump touts new ‘F-55’ fighter jet and upgrades to F-35s and F-22s

President Donald Trump said the U.S. military may get a new fighter jet, which he called the F-55, as long as it comes in at the right price.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta died when he intentionally walked into a spinning helicopter propeller on June 25, 2018. Hi parents, Teri and Patrick, lobbied for The Brandon Act, which mandates that troops get mental healthcare and other assistance when they need it.
Mental Health

Parents of ‘Brandon Act’ sailor ask to meet with Hegseth about military suicides

Teri and Patrick Caserta lobbied for the Brandon Act after their son died by suicide while in the Navy, but they say they are afraid that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is not prioritizing the changes it laid out.

Soldier yells
Army

An Army unit’s ‘extreme use of profanity’ was so bad, they made a rule about it

A unit that receives new recruits at boot camp has banned its soldiers from using vulgar language and making rude gestures when working in official capacities during duty hours.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, flies over the Joint Pacific-Alaska Range Complex, during RED FLAG-Alaska 24-1, Apr. 26, 2024. RED FLAG-Alaska provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens)
Air Force

Air Force F-16’s collision with ducks in Alaska ended in ‘flameout landing’

An official Air Force investigation of the mishap found the F-16 landed safely after some 'quack' thinking by the pilot.

An F-35A Lightning II performs a restricted climb over March Air Reserve Base during takeoff for a practice demonstration, April 11, 2025. The F-35A Demonstration Team showcases the power, precision, and lethality of the world’s most advanced multirole stealth fighter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Nathan Poblete)
News

F-35’s close call over Yemen raises questions about how it’s used

F-35s are designed to destroy high-value infrastructure — airfields, shipyards, radar stations and the like — ideally with long-range weapons.

4th Security Force Assistance Brigade Medical Advisors instructs ROTC cadets from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs during Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training. The hands-on session focused on lifesaving skills and leadership development to prepare future Army officers for real-world challenges. (U.S. Army photo)
Army

Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers

Security Force Assistance Brigades were stood up in 2017 to train and advise the military forces of U.S. allies. The Army now plans to eliminate two of the brigades to free up the experienced soldiers assigned to them.