Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 34)

News

Pentagon ‘temporarily’ removes loot box vending machine from food court

The Pentagon is conducting an “additional review” of the Lucky Box machine a month after it was installed.

Marine Corps

Navy, Marines ban kratom, an herbal pain treatment linked to abuse

The Navy followed the Army and Air Force in banning sailors and Marines from using and possessing kratom. The herbal supplement is often sold alongside CBD and vapes.

Army

Soldier says Army dining facility often closed: ‘Uber Eats, every day’

A soldier based in Hawaii said a dining facility at Schofield Barracks is frequently closed, and he asked if troops could use their meal cards off base.

Army

Husband and wife in the Army compete to see who’s the better medic

“At home, we’ve been able to talk through lanes together and help fill in gaps in our knowledge,” Sgt. Kaitlin Flynn said.

Army

Soldiers in Hawaii may ‘double up’ in barracks for the next 15 months

The Army will house more soldiers per barracks room than a service regulation allows due to an increase of more than 690 troops assigned to units in Hawaii.

Air Force

F-15 squadron that took out Iranian drones returns to the Middle East

The 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron previously destroyed Iranian drones launched against Israel. Now, its F-15s are back in the Middle East.

National Guard

Recruiter told students that enlisting can lead to Green Cards for parents

A Minnesota National Guard recruiter told high school students that enlisting could help their parents get a Green Card.

Culture

Sailors on USS Indiana submarine snap football celebration photo

Sailors aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Indiana, which shares a name with the new college football champions, snapped a celebratory picture on the ship's hull.

News

Military archbishop says it might be ‘morally acceptable to disobey’ orders to attack Greenland

The archbishop who oversees Catholic priests across the U.S. military questioned the moral justification of an invasion of Greenland.

National Guard

Minnesota Guardsmen told to wear reflective vests to distinguish them from ‘other agencies’

Minnesota National Guardsmen will wear reflective vests, so their members are not mistaken for state and federal agents.

History

When the Air Force had a guy jump from the edge of space

Cold War experiments were weird.

Europe

NORAD stresses aircraft deployment to Greenland is ‘routine’ and ‘long-planned’

The move of new aircraft to Pituffik Space Base comes amid growing tensions as the Trump administration reiterates calls to acquire Greenland. 

National Guard

National Guard mission in DC extended through end of 2026

More than 2,000 troops from the District of Columbia and 11 other states are still active in the nation’s capital.

Iraq

US troops fully depart al-Asad Air Base in Iraq

American forces left on Saturday, after using the base for years as part of anti-ISIS operations.

Navy

The toilets on the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier keep failing

The USS Gerald R. Ford, currently taking part in operations in the Caribbean, sees some of toilets fail nearly every day.

Middle East

Airstrike kills militant leader linked to ambush on US soldiers in Syria

U.S. Central Command says it took out an al-Qaeda affiliate commander directly linked to the Dec. 13 attack on American forces in Palmyra.

Space Force

Pentagon wants major improvements to runways at Greenland base

Amid demands to control the island, the U.S. military is trying to overhaul infrastructure at its decades-old Pituffik Space Base.

News

Would a proposed law on mold in military housing actually help?

A new bipartisan bill would make private companies that manage military housing pay for costs associated with mold, but an attorney worries families would only collect damages through lawsuits.

Army

Army Corps of Engineers commander fired amid political dispute over lake properties

Two members of Congress and a senior Pentagon official weighed in on the firing, implying it was tied to a Corps of Engineers dispute with homeowners around a lake in Missouri.

News

The military will now do grocery delivery for 70 on-base commissaries across the US

The Defense Commissary Agency will offer online delivery from 70 base stores by the end of January and the remaining 108 stores by the summer.