Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 438)

Air Force

We salute the Air National Guard chief master sergeant who pulled passengers from a fiery B-17 crash

"He is very familiar with the back of an aircraft," Army Maj. Gen. Francis J. Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard, said in a statement on Thursday. "[It was] very lucky that he had gloves on. Our understanding is he popped the hatch and was able to extract some individuals"

Navy

Whistleblower accuses largest US military shipbuilder of putting ‘American lives at risk’ by falsifying tests on submarine stealth coating

America's largest military shipbuilding company has been accused of falsifying tests and certifications on stealth coatings of its submarines "that put American lives at risk," according to a complaint filed in federal court last month.

Army

10 years ago, a handful of American soldiers held the line as hundreds of Taliban insurgents attacked a tiny US outpost

It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and resulted in two Medal of Honor recipients.

Air Force

Change from the inside: How this Air Force vet is paving the way for veteran employees at Bayer

Rusty Thomas knows the value of veteran employees. A vet himself, he recognizes the specific benefits that military experience lends to the civilian workforce. Today, through his work at Bayer, Rusty is using that knowledge to serve veteran and military employees and to educate the civilian workforce on the myriad benefits that these employees bring to the table.

History

This video captures the ‘catastrophic impact’ that kicked off the fierce ‘Black Hawk Down’ mission 29 years ago

On Oct. 3, 1993, a contingent of U.S. special operations forces launched what was supposed to be a relatively simple mission. It ended up being a total disaster.

Army

At least 18 Army paratroopers reported injured during night training jump

Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.

Mandatory Fun

If you love Scotch whisky, you’d better start stocking up

The long relationship between whiskey and the U.S. armed forces may have evolved well beyond the liquor rations of the Revolutionary War over the last 250 years, but thirsty troops may have a new problem on their hands when it comes to a fine glass of Scotch

United States

Ex-Pentagon official says he was pushed out for saying defense companies were ripping off DoD

Former Defense Department contract negotiator Shay Assad said he was blamed for a failed effort to rein in the money the Defense Department pays contractors.

Analysis

Ernest Hemingway’s fiery rant against stolen valor is still relevant almost a century later

Shortly after World War I, Ernest Hemingway tore into stolen valor as only Ernest Hemingway could.

Marine Corps

The Marine Corps is eyeing these stackable stun grenades that can double as breaching charges

"Scalable grenades are more likely to be on hand, precluding the need to call up a breaching team"

Marine Corps

‘We have to go on a diet’ — the Marine Corps is slimming down to successfully fight China and Russia, commandant says

"We will absolutely fight combined arms, but will not take them on in a symmetrical fashion," said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger. "That would be stupid. That would be dumb."

News

‘It was like time stood still’ — 77 years after his death, a WWII soldier finally comes home

A Wisconsin National Guard soldier who was killed in 1942 has finally been buried in Wisconsin by his family.

Mexico

Trump reportedly wants some real Dr. Evil sh*t at the US-Mexico border

President Donald Trump reportedly discussed fortifying the U.S.-Mexico border with a moat populated by snakes and alligators, among other lethal ideas for stemming the flow of migrants across the southern border, according to a batshit insane new report in the New York Times

United States

More than 2,000 awesome human beings showed up to a funeral for a veteran with no immediate family

Thousands of people attending the memorial service for Edward K. Pearson, an Army veteran who died in August with no immediate family.

Afghanistan War

One special ops deployment resulted in 21 Purple Hearts, 7 Bronze Stars, and 5 Silver Stars for combat heroism

Career

The Army may have hit this year’s recruiting goal, but the service still has a long way to go

Despite touting new initiatives, digital platforms, and marketing techniques (and lowering its goal by 12,000 in 2019 amid a more modest growth plan in the next five years), the Army is not in the clear yet

Opinion

The Army has a new plan to win future wars. Here are 3 things it needs to do so it doesn’t fail

For senior Army leaders and national security analysts, one guiding question persists — Can the Army repeat the comprehensive AirLand Battle renaissance from the 1980s? The optimists and speechwriters want the answer to clearly be yes, however the reality of recent attempts at replicating AirLand Battle's success have not always matched the rhetoric.

News

This Purple Heart recipient sacrificed himself to save his 3-year-old granddaughter from a home explosion

A 69-year-old Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient died last Monday after saving his 3-year-old granddaughter when his home exploded two weeks ago

Career

A Marine vet’s best advice for post-military life: Don’t drop your pack

"You just can't give up after the military. A lot of veterans go that way, then they lose that sense of belonging"

United States

Intel Inspector General calls bullsh*t on a bunch of whistleblower conspiracy theories

The Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community called bullshit on a whole bunch of conspiracy theories regarding the CIA whistleblower at the center of a Trump impeachment inquiry.