Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 38)

Military Life

Military families are ‘pissed’ after IVF coverage cut from defense bill

“People are pissed,” a military spouse said. “They're like, ‘oh, of course, Congress doesn't give an F about us.’”

Army

Jumpmaster who saved paratrooper breaks down viral video

Sgt. Maj. Keith Platt explains why he stopped a paratrooper in a widely seen video whose static line was across his neck. His lesson: “If something isn’t right, say something.”

Army

Soldiers at border lived with ‘leaking raw sewage,’ broken toilets, no AC, watchdog finds

An Inspector General report found leaking sewage, broken AC, and fire hazards in housing for soldiers deployed to the southern border in July.

Marine Corps

Marine Corps’ top drill instructor explains the correct way to yell at recruits

“Screaming through your diaphragm, you pretty much save your vocal cords,” the Marine Corps’ Drill Instructor of the Year for 2025 said.

Iran

Inside Venezuela’s growing arsenal of Iranian weapons

Iranian-made attack boats, missiles, drones, and Hezbollah-linked networks have given Venezuela a small but real combat capability in the Caribbean - and a new way for Tehran to poke at the United States.

Army

Army wants to overhaul dining at basic training

The Army is calling for proposals to privatize and modernize how basic training recruits and advanced individual trainees go to chow.

Navy

Sailors may have to fix their own barracks rooms, says Navy’s top enlisted leader

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman said he foresees enlisted sailors making barracks repairs “kind of how you would normally do if it was your own house.”

Air Force

Medical shaving waivers will be invalid under Air Force grooming policy

All medical shaving waivers issued to airmen and Space Force guardians before March 1 will be invalid as of Jan. 31, 2026

Navy

Privatizing galleys is an ‘open question,’ says Navy’s top enlisted leader

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman said the service may follow Army efforts at privatization, but must consider the impact on culinary specialists, the Navy’s cooks.

History

The Army once considered a nuclear-powered tank built by Chrysler

The Chrysler TV-8 was meant to be an amphibious, futuristic armored vehicle capable of fighting in — and powered by — the Atomic Age.

Army

Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack

Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar were killed on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria.

Culture

Air Force A-10 patch marks an ‘end of an errrrra’

The 357th Fighter Squadron is saying goodbye to the “last of the dragons” as the A-10 Warthog winds down its time in service.

Tech & Tactics

Why (and how) the US military wants to resupply troops from space

Drones

Congress wants to screen drone operators for PTSD, depression

The new defense policy bill calls for a study on how directly or indirectly working with drones impacts crews' mental health, including the impact of watching lethal strikes.

News

Space Force rolls out new themes for naming its weapons and space systems

Space Force wants to give its tools familiar, identifiable nicknames. It unveiled the themes for weapons and satellite names with bright, colorful playing card-like graphics.

Mandatory Fun

5 questions only a veteran would ask the top generals at West Point and the Naval Academy

Task & Purpose grilled Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland and Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte about MREs, no-gos and their mental happy places ahead of the Army-Navy game.

Air Force

Air Force relieves security squadron commander at FE Warren

Lt. Col. Tyler Hiatt was removed from the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron following disagreements with his commander and several deaths involving members of the unit.

Army

Two US soldiers killed in ambush in Syria

An ISIS gunman attacked an American delegation in Palmyra, Syria, killing the soldiers and an American interpreter and leaving more injured.

Mandatory Fun

5 questions only a veteran would ask a Green Beret and former NFL player

Nate Boyer, a Special Forces veteran, NFL player and actor, talked football, MREs and more ahead of the Army-Navy game.

Navy

Sailors can expect to do fitness tests twice a year, says Navy’s top enlisted leader

“For the majority of our sailors outside of our combat arms ratings, it will be the PT test we take now. It will just be given twice a year.”