Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 76)

Mandatory Fun

‘100% OPSEC’ apparently means texting military plans to a reporter

Defense officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed the plans and intelligence sources behind a U.S. airstrike on Houthi rebels in a group chat that included a reporter.

Army

Here’s the origin of the Army’s ‘Red Wing’ design on the Mariner Badges

The design of the Mariner Badge signifies that the soldiers fall under the Transportation Corps. The “winged wheel” symbolizes rail transportation.

Aircraft

How the Union took to the skies in the Civil War

The short-lived Union Army Balloon Corps was in a way the U.S. military's first air force. It ended up paving the way for aerial reconnaissance and tactics.

Army

The Army wants to make it easier to call Lyft and Uber on base

The Army has launched a pilot program at six major bases intended to make it easier for soldiers and military families to get picked up and dropped off by ride-sharing companies.

World War II

Soldiers sail across the Rhine to mark 80th anniversary of the invasion of Germany

Troops and dignitaries gathered at the Rhine to commemorate a major breakthrough by the Third Army against the Nazis.

Navy

Pentagon orders second Navy carrier group to the Middle East

The USS Carl Vinson will join the USS Harry S. Truman as the U.S. military's fight against the Houthis in Yemen continues.

Culture

National Guard appeals to anti-corporate Gen Z in new commercial

The new commercial series “Uncommon is Calling” gets at the heart of Gen Zers who hate the 9-to-5 corporate life but also want careers with flexibility and meaning.

Air Force

Air Force kicks off exercise named [checks notes] ‘Turbo Weasel’

“Turbo Weasel” was named to pay tribute to the 480th Fighter Squadron, which is tasked with suppressing enemy air defenses, also known as “Wild Weasel” missions.

The Pentagon Rundown

Campaign against the Houthis will not be ‘an endless offensive,’ Pentagon says

The U.S. military has resumed air and missile strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The strikes are going after “a much broader set of targets” in Yemen than before.

Culture

‘Saving Private Ryan’ didn’t make the Army’s list of most accurate movie portrayals

An Army historian felt that while the film's iconic and terrifying D-Day landing scenes were realistic, the rest of the film's action and plot made it a “typical World War II movie.”

Why Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza wants to make sure he gets it right with ‘Warfare’

For Mendoza, the film is deeply personal.

Space Force

2 West Point grads think it’s time for a military academy for cyber, space, and robotics

Elon Musk called the idea "Starfleet Academy," as two former Army officers think a new academy should bring elite high-tech focused high school students together, close to the brainpower of Silicon Valley.

Army

Army reveals designs for Mountaineering and Mariner Badges

The Army has unveiled the designs for the service’s new Mountaineering and Mariner Badges, which soldiers should be able to buy later this year.

News

Medal of Honor recipient depicted in movie ‘Glory’ erased from Pentagon website

Denzel Washington reenacted the heroics of Sgt. William Carney. Senate Democrats called recent removals from a Pentagon website a "middle finger to veterans."

Army

A new Army manual lays out the ‘arctic determination’ at the heart of fighting in extreme cold

The Army's new arctic and extreme cold weather operations manual covers everything from ambushes and evacuations to how chaplains can keep wine warm for services in extreme cold.

Getting ahead of your retirement planning

The earlier you start the better.

News

Thousands of veterans could lose their jobs in massive Pentagon layoffs

The Pentagon may soon cut up to 8% of its civilian workforce. Over 330,000 veterans work for Department of Defense, close to half of the total workforce.

World War II

This WWII soldier knocked out 6 German pillboxes and took 18 prisoners by himself

A certified badass.

History

WWII troops took hammers to mosquitoes to battle pests and malaria

WWII introduced service members to rampant malaria, and they got creative with how to counter the insectoid enemy that carried the disease. 

News

Military recruiting test sites re-open after DOGE-driven cuts

Cuts to travel recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency left remote ASVAB testing sites shuttered without staffs to administer tests.