Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 74)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - MARCH 17: Eugene Simpson, 29, from Dale City, Virginia goes through physical therapy at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C. with Michael Minor, a kinesiotherapist with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on March 17, 2006 in Washington, D.C., USA. Simpson, was left paralyzed after an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) wounded him while on patrol outside of Tikrit, Iraq on while serving as a United States soldier on April 7, 2004. Prior to his injury, Simpson had been a standout athlete, playing both football and basketball in college. (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images)
Opinion

Without swift action, the VA will continue ‘eliminating choice for millions of veterans’

Air Force Lt. Col. Brent P Byng
Air Force

Air Force special ops commander fired after domestic violence arrest

Air Force Lt. Col. Brent P. Byng was arrested in Florida. He had led the 19th Special Operations Squadron for little more than a month.

Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021
Army

New Army rules target extremists and gang activity

The new directives released Wednesday are aimed at defining the often-murky ties to violent groups and activity.

Troops caught up by anti-gay UCMJ rules will get White House pardons
United States

Troops caught up by anti-gay UCMJ rules will get White House pardons

The former UCMJ Article 125 prohibited "consensual sodomy."

2024 U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Best Combat Diver Team Competition
Air Force

Green Berets pay tribute to fallen Combat Diver students at 2024 competition

As 12 Combat Diver teams competed for top honors, the Green Berets paid tribute to divers killed in training.

Army Sgt. Lauren Shalabi andSpc. Heather Tarasewicz
Army

Soldiers in Syria save man whose arm got stuck in a generator

Army Sgt. Lauren Shalabi freed a man stuck in a generator and Spc. Heather Tarasewicz treated his gnarled arm.

JBLM soldier arrested for killing 8-month pregnant wife and another soldier after high-speed chase
Army

JBLM soldier arrested for killing 8-month pregnant wife and another soldier after high-speed chase

After leading police on a high speed chase, John Maupin was arrested and charged in the death of his wife and a fellow soldier.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart, 19th Air Force commander, speaks to the audience after receiving the unit guidon during the 19th Air Force change of command ceremony Aug. 19, 2022, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Stewart is responsible for monitoring production and oversees top level instruction and flying operations, manning, contracts, logistics and maintenance trends. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jonathan Mallard)
Air Force

Air Force general pleads guilty to inappropriate relationship, still faces court martial

Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart still faces a court martial after pleading guilty to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate officer and adultery.

Marines revive historic ‘Sledge’ airfield on Peleliu in Pacific pivot
World War II

Marines revive historic ‘Sledge’ airfield on Peleliu in Pacific pivot

Eight decades after the U.S. military took the small island in ferocious fighting, the aged airstrip is back in service.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Luis Fernando Tello and Airman 1st Class Kameron Lee, 768 Expeditionary Air Base Squadron Security Forces Flight Response Force Airmen, at Air Base 101, Niamey, Niger, March 1, 2022. The 768th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, plays a key role in counter-violent extremism operations in the Sahel by providing infrastructure, sustainment, operational mission generation, and base defense. Security Forces Airmen provide defense-in-depth while strengthening relationships with Nigerien security forces, primarily the Forces Armées Nigériennes (FAN), in support of more stable, prosperous Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Byers)
Africa

After Niger exit, list of possible US allies includes Libya, general says

The AFRICOM commander's comments come after the announced Niger withdrawal and ahead of an African defense conference.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, alongside Philippine Soldiers from the Philippine Army's 7th Infantry Division conduct a live fire exercise during Salaknib 24 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, May 13, 2024. The Soldiers conducted an iteration with blank rounds and then conducted the live fire portion of the range. Salaknib is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. Military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Army photos by Spc. Benjamin Anderson)
Army

Top general in ISIS fight’s advice to junior officers: Be ‘humble enough to listen’

Army Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, who leads all US troops in Iraq and Syria, advises junior officers to listen to noncommissioned officers.

Carrier USS Nimitz back at sea following months of maintenance
Carriers

Carrier USS Nimitz back at sea following months of maintenance

The Navy's oldest active aircraft carrier spent seven months undergoing planned repairs and upgrades after deployment in the Pacific.

USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
Around the World

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group leaves the Middle East

The Ike and its ships are heading home after months of fighting against Yemen’s Houthis.

Navy eases career ending rules for sailors who fail two consecutive fitness tests
Active Duty

Navy eases career ending rules for sailors who fail two consecutive fitness tests

Now individual commanders are to evaluate sailors’ overall physical readiness.

Air Force Col. Mark Sletten readies a F-16 in 2015. (photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Nickel/U.S. Air Force)
Air Force

Alaskan Command Director of Operations killed in plane crash

Air Force Col. Mark "Tyson" Sletten and a civilian instructor died this week after their two-seater aircraft went down into a lake in Alaska.

vowell sit down interview
Army

Top U.S. General in Iraq looks back on the legacy and lessons of the attack on ‘Tower 22’

The commanding general of Operation Inherent Resolve, Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, talked to Task & Purpose about the January attack in Jordan that killed three soldiers.

Travis Bell, XVIII Airborne Corps barber, poses for a photo in his barbershop at Fort Liberty, N.C., June 20, 2024. In recognition for providing a lifetime of consistent, quality haircuts for Soldiers at Fort Liberty, Travis Bell, XVIII Airborne Corps barber, will be inducted into The National Barber Museum and Hall of Fame, September 2024. (U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Jason Sessions)
Army

Army barber’s 57 year legacy with the Airborne leads to haircutting hall of fame 

Travis Bell has been cutting the hair of every kind of soldier at Fort Liberty, from new privates to four-star generals, for 57 years.

U.S. Army Nuclear Disablement Team Soldiers and Army Rangers seized and exploited an underground nuclear facility during a training exercise.
Army

One of the Army’s top Nuclear teams trained with Rangers and Green Berets

Rangers, Green Berets, and Nuclear Disablement Team 1 trained together in two different states for a rare opportunity to hone their skills together for real-world scenarios.

women in draft
United States

Should women be drafted? Congress weighs the question yet again

The issue of adding women to a military draft has come up multiple times over the last decade.

The DPAA announced the identification and accounting for 16 service members from both WW II and Korean War.
Air Force

Soldiers missing from Chosin Reservoir and Bataan identified for return home

A military laboratory identified the remains of 16 missing soldiers, many of whom were last seen as POWs.