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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.”

Air Force bonus
Air Force

Air Force offers up to $50,000 annual bonuses to keep aviators in the service

Eligible aviators can receive up to $50,000 a year for a maximum of 12 years, or $600,000 total, to stay in the Air Force.

Team Fairchild Airmen congratulate U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Stallings, 93rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator, during a decoration ceremony at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 31, 2026. The receiving line following an official ceremony allows family, friends and supervisors to personally express their pride and congratulations for honorees. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emilee Seiler)
Air Force

A boom operator on an Air Force tanker earned two DFCs for combat flights

Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Stallings was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" device and a second with a "C" in a rare double-award of the military's top aviation medal.

Spc. Kyle Lauth, of Calverton, N.Y., sips an energy drink in preparation for a dismounted patrol through the Hussaniyah town of the Istaqlal Qada, Dec. 29, 2008. Lauth is an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, currently attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad.
Iran

US troops downed ‘2 million’ energy drinks during Iran war, top general says

Troops in Epic Fury did some epic chugging of nearly a million gallons of coffee and two million energy drinks. "I am not saying that we have a problem," said Gen. Dan Caine.

A Paratrooper playing the Opposing Force assigned to 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, receives a drone during Devil Avalanche, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, July 22, 2025. Devil Avalanche is a field training exercise where Paratroopers train to operate in periods of darkness, build proficiency on key weapon systems, and sustain the force throughout the exercise. (U.S. Army B-Roll package by Sgt. Dominick Smith)
Army

Army plans to host new commercial data centers on at least 4 bases

Commercial data centers have been confirmed for Fort Bliss, Texas, and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and the Army recently put out a contracting request for centers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Hood, Texas.

Military Pay Raise 2027
Benefits & Pay

Military’s new budget could give 7% pay raise to most junior troops

Service members at the lowest five ranks will receive the largest of a three-tiered pay raise included in the White House’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mordenti, representing the Public Health Command - Atlantic, low crawls under barbed wire during the Obstacle Course event for the Regional Health Command-Atlantic 2021 Best Medic Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Nov. 16, 2021. Eleven two-soldier teams competed at the RHC-A 2021 Best Medic Competition, and the winning team will move on to represent the region at the U.S. Army Medical Command’s 2022 Command Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark, Jr. U.S. Army Best Medic Competition at Fort Hood, Texas, Jan. 24-28, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rhianna Ballenger)
News

Pentagon calls Individual Ready Reserve a ‘mobilization asset’ in new policy

The new Pentagon policy was likely in the works before the Iran war began, but it still holds relevance as the military plans for any future mass mobilization, experts say.

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, flies over the 56th Fighter Wing, March 20, 2026, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Events that bring together service members and communities help reinforce support for the joint force mission. Sharing the capabilities of modern and historic aircraft helps connect communities with the legacy and future of American airpower. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay)
Iran

General confirms A-10 lost, helicopter damaged during F-15 rescue in Iran

The pilot of an A-10 Warthog had to eject due to damage sustained during an operation to rescue one of the two downed F-15 crew members.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 16: A military veteran leaves a Stand Down event designed to help veterans who are homeless or housing insecure on June 16, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The semi-annual event helps veterans who are experiencing homelessness connect with services to find them housing. The event also connects veterans with agencies to help with medical services, food, clothing, and also helps veterans navigate the VA benefits system. There are an estimated 500 homeless veterans in the Chicago area, and 38,000 nationwide. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Veterans

VA staffing shortages led to failure to refer veterans to supportive housing, investigators find

As many as 174,000 veterans were not referred to a federal housing program between 2020 to 2024.

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) conduct live-fire missions during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Army Photo)
Army

Army lets soldiers deployed for Operation Epic Fury reenlist two years early

The Army aims to “maximize benefits for personnel who are serving deployed in support” of the war with Iran.

U.S. Army MH-60M Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) fly in formation during a helicopter air-to-air refueling exercise above the Southeastern United States, Jan. 23, 2026. Air to air refueling extends a helicopter’s non-stop flight distance, a capability necessary for joint special operations missions far from established airfields and logistical support. These exercises demonstrate the 1 SOW’s ability to project specialized airpower whenever and wherever needed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isabel Tanner)
Air Force

What we know about the commando raid to recover the F-15 crew member in Iran

Special operations teams raced against Iran to locate the missing airman, setting up a temporary airstrip to extract U.S. forces.

Four U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs from the 466th Fighter Squadron and two French Dassault Rafales fly over the Balau Games, Palau, July 9, 2023. The fighter jets, in Palau for Northern Edge 23-2, a Pacific Air Forces led multilateral, joint field training exercise, showed their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region by performing this movement at the closing game of the annual local olympic tournament in which all 13 states of Palau participate. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Michelle Chang)
Air Force

Former airman pleads guilty to defrauding Air Force of $37 million

A former master sergeant who called himself “Al Capone” inflated costs of IT contracts to enrich himself and others.