Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 62)

Vehicles

The CV90 is a great vehicle, so why doesn’t the US buy it?

Foreign weapons like the CV90 are ready, able, and affordable, but U.S. policy and Pentagon preferences keep us from buying them.

World War II

Missing bow of World War II cruiser found after 83 years

The USS New Orleans took heavy damage off of Guadalcanal. It avoided sinking thanks to the brave sacrifices of three sailors and then a clever use of coconut trees.

Iran

More damage sustained than previously revealed in Iran missile attack on Qatar base

Pentagon officials had not previously acknowledged any damage at the base from an Iranian missile attack and had said that U.S. forces there "successfully defended against the attack."

United States

Retired lieutenant colonel pleads guilty in Ukrainian ‘honeypot’ spy case

David Slater worked as a civilian Air Force employee at U.S. Strategic Command where he attended top secret meetings on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Army

The Army and Navy want the ‘right to repair’ their own equipment

Service members can often not fix a variety of equipment because of terms in the warranty under which it is used, or when defense contractors retain the intellectual property rights to the gear.

Air Force

Air Force updates uniform standards including new rules for boots

Shorter, sneaker-style boots are out, as are eyelash extensions. All officers will now have to maintain a set of OCPs, even if they rarely wear them on the job, like pilots.

Navy

Toxic water on base made her family sick. Then her command tried to silence her.

“Had I remained silent, I would have been a lieutenant colonel two years ago,” Maj. Amanda Feindt said. A watchdog found that her senior rater restricted her speech during the Red Hill water crisis.

News

Legislation would allow VA doctors to talk to veteran patients about medicinal cannabis

Florida Congressman Brian Mast has introduced legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients in states where it is legal.

Coast Guard

Coast Guard ‘looking into’ aircrew that drew remarkably detailed genitals in the sky

It happens every now and then, and it may have happened again Monday. A military aircrew on a long flight appears to have passed the time by sketching genitals across the sky.

Navy

The Navy wants more ships, but can it get them built?

The Navy wants to order more ships than it has in decades. But with aging shipyards and program delays, is that realistic?

Army

Army lays out policy to search deceased soldiers’ phones for classified info

The policy was issued to “keep up with the pace” of evolving technology and the “understanding that these devices have capability to transfer sensitive information.”

Army

Army will look for false accusations, consider ‘credibility’ in misconduct cases

New rules will send misconduct complaints to a “credibility assessment” before a full investigation is launched, and removes negative flags from personnel records during investigations.

Marine Corps

A Marine veteran recreated a hell house from the Battle of Fallujah on canvas

Kristopher Battles interviewed veterans of Operation Phantom Fury to capture their experiences in his painting of house-to-house combat in Fallujah.

Army

The Army has realized that horses are no longer good for ‘warfighting’

Most of the Army’s horses, donkeys and mules are being donated “to align more resources with warfighting capability and readiness.”

News

Veterans disaster relief group rushes to Texas after floods

Team Rubicon, a veterans-led disaster response organization, has volunteers in Texas assessing the damage from flooding as it plans its response.

Marine Corps

Here is every rifle Marines have used in the last 250 years

The Marine Corps posted a new website that reviews every standard rifle issued to Marines in the service's 250 year history, from muskets to M4s.

World War II

The Army Air Forces tried to use remote-controlled bombers as attack drones in World War II

The 8th Air Force converted B-17 bombers into early drones, packed with explosives and intended to use to take out fortified targets.

Drones

Pentagon sets up interservice counter-drone task force

The Army will lead the new group, which will try to coordinate the different service branches' efforts to develop ways to take out enemy uncrewed vehicles.

Army

Army authorizes combat patches for soldiers in parts of Africa, the Middle East

Soldiers who deployed in 14 countries between October 2023 and June 2025 are eligible to wear the patches on their uniform sleeves.

Navy

Navy sailor pleads guilty to paying bribe for fraudulent military IDs

Raymond Zumba attempted to pay $3,500 for a former Navy shipmate in exchange for “real but unauthorized” identification cards.