Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 52)

Space Force Boot Camp
Space Force

Space Force wants its own boot camp

Space Force recruits currently attend Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where they have their own curriculum.

Gen. Eric Smith, commandant of the Marine Corps,
Marine Corps

Top Marine says combat experience gives US the edge over China’s military

"Our experience in the cauldron of combat will give us an advantage in any future fight,” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith told Task & Purpose.

Navy boot camp 9 weeks
Navy

Navy cuts length of boot camp for new recruits from 10 weeks to 9 weeks

Recruits will still undergo the 12-hour Battle Stations 21 training event and the "Sailor for Life" curriculum.

Eleven officers from the Naval Academy and Military Academy, West Point have played football for their respective teams and earned the Medal of Honor.
History

Here are the Army-Navy football game players who later earned the Medal of Honor

Less than a dozen cadets and midshipman who faced off in the Army-Navy football game have later received the nation's highest award for combat bravery.

Army Gen. Charles Hamilton
Army

Army fires 4-star general for improper influence in subordinate’s selection for command

Gen. Charles Hamilton has been relieved of command after an Army investigation found he used undue influence to help an officer get selected for command.

Sgt. Joseph Peter LaJennessee and Pfc. Amado Garcia, both WWI Native American soldiers who were denied Medal of Honors because of their race and ethnicity.
History

World War I Native American soldiers could be in line for Medals of Honor

Many were given different names during their service, making their identities much harder to trace.

On Dec. 8, Air Force warplanes, including B-52s, A-10s, and F-15s struck 75 ISIS targets across Syria.
Air Force

US warplanes strike 75 ISIS targets in Syria: ‘We saw the opportunity and we took it’

Air Force planes dropped roughly 140 munitions on a “very broad” gathering of ISIS fighters early Sunday morning.

Maj. Caitlin Oviatt, 55th Logistics Readiness commander, inspects a shaving waiver during an open ranks inspection on July 9, 2024. Open ranks was being conducted as part of an Air Combat Command initiative to boost troop readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Chad Watkins)
Active Duty

Beards in the Air Force and Space Force will be debated in Congress

The service will have to brief Congress on a pilot program that would allow service members to grow beards.

Formation
Veterans

What is a ‘100% disability’ rating and what does that actually mean for veterans

Amid an ongoing debate about veterans benefits, here’s how the disability rating system works and what veterans deal with as they navigate it.

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Middle East

US to ‘remain vigilant,’ support stability after fall of Assad in Syria

President Joe Biden called Assad's defeat a "fundamental act of justice" and pledged to continue to fight against ISIS inside Syria after rebels took Damascus.

A service member thumbs through a stack of cash.
Benefits & Pay

Junior enlisted troops set to receive major pay increase in 2025

Service members are likely to receive thousands of dollars more per year.

Men stand on the damaged wreck of a warship.
World War II

Sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified, laid to rest

Seaman 2nd Class John C. Auld was given a final burial 83 years after the sinking of the USS Oklahoma.

The gate sign for Fort Liberty, home to the Army's airborne.
Army

82nd Airborne soldier turns himself in at Canadian border for desertion

Sgt. Christopher Vassey deserted from the Army in 2008.

USS Carney battle
Navy

Sailors on USS Carney recall tense night of combat in fierce Red Sea fight

Navy sailors were expecting a typical deployment in late 2023 when the USS Carney left Florida. Instead, they fought "the most intense combat engagement by a U.S. Navy warship since World War II."

A Texas man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for pretending to be a former member of an Army Delta Force unit and offering to protect families from Mexican drug cartels, Department of Justice officials said.
News

Man claiming to be Delta Force veteran defrauded 32 people out of $12 million

Saint Jovite Youngblood’s scheme dates back to at least 2010 and involved a number of families he knew from his son’s soccer team, according to court documents.

Pentagon Rundown
The Pentagon Rundown

Hegseth nomination in question, Syria in flames, veterans benefits threatened and more news

There’s been an avalanche of news, from an escalation in fighting in Syria, short-lived martial law in South Korea, and some unpopular opinions about veterans benefits. Here’s your weekly rundown.

WWII Medal of Honor recipients John Finn and Melvin Mayfield.
World War II

The first and last Medals of Honor of World War II

From start to finish, American service members went above and beyond the call of duty during World War II.

military survey confidence
News

Americans trust the military a bit more now, but much less than during war years, survey finds

After several years of declining trust, Americans confidence in the military went up in 2024, a national poll found.

Sgt. Aneska S. Holness was presented the Purple Heart award during a ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas for helping pull soldiers out of rubble after the Tower 22 attack while injured.
Army

Soldier who pulled others from rubble after Tower 22 attack awarded Purple Heart

Sgt. Aneska S. Holness received the award Wednesday at Fort Bliss, Texas prior to her transition out of the military due to injuries from the attack.

The office manager holds onto a resume.

13 Important things for transitioning veterans to remember in job interviews

Do’s and don’ts for interviewing success.