Read the latest articles from Task & Purpose (Page 96)

Army

The Army is creating a new mountaineering badge, but it won’t be the ‘Ram’s Head’

The old badge was only authorized for the Vermont National Guardsmen, and all soldiers who earned it will wear the new badge.

Navy

Naval aviators killed in Mount Rainier crash flew dozens of combat missions over Red Sea

Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay "Miley" Evans and Lt. Serena "Dug" Wileman both flew dozens of combat missions against Houthi rebels in Yemen from aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Air Force

How a parked F-16 suffered $30 million in damage

A munitions technician confused a tractor's gas and brake pedals, sending the 'jammer' speeding into a parked jet, sparking a fire.

World War II

John Kinsel Sr., one of the last Navajo code talkers, dies at 107

Kinsel fought as a Marine throughout some of the toughest battlefields in World War II, using code derived from the Navajo language to create an unbreakable communication tool for the military.

Navy

Growler crew dead at crash site, Navy says

The EA-18G aircraft crashed on Tuesday, Oct. 15 near Mount Rainier. Search and rescue teams have been scouring the area looking for the crew.

Navy

Navy relieves commanding, executive officers of Naval Repair Station Japan

The two were simultaneously removed for a “loss of confidence."

Army

The Army’s watercraft fleet is slipping in readiness even as the need for it grows

A new report finds that the Army cut the amount of vessels it has as well, even as mission capability dropped.

Navy

Crew still missing as Special Forces and search teams reach Navy Growler crash site

Search teams reached the remote crash site on Mount Rainier, Washington Friday, but could not immediately account for the 2-man crew.

Army

Army PT uniform isn’t going away, but more options coming, service says

The Army is clarifying that it is not replacing its current PT gear. Rather, it is developing new optional items for soldiers to wear.

Army

Army revamps basic training to simulate battlefield stalked by drone swarms

The capstone event of Army basic training now includes lessons on how soldiers can conceal themselves from drones.

Air Force

B-2 bombers strike Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen

The Air Force and Navy launched a coordinated set of airstrikes on five locations inside Yemen.

Navy

Growler crew still missing as Navy searchers locate crash site near Mount Rainier

Navy spy planes and sub hunters were among the searchers who spotted the Growler wreckage Wednesday afternoon in remote mountains. The crew remains unaccounted for.

Army

Army more than doubled soldiers re-assigned to its ‘most deployed formation’

Over 170 soldiers transferred to air defense from other fields, as the Army looks to meet increased deployments for air defenders among growing conflicts.

Army

Army announces ‘Master Combat Badge’ to combine CIB and EIB for infantry soldiers

Equivalent awards will be issued for medics and other soldiers who have earned both a combat and expert badge in their field.

Army

The Army is redesigning its PT uniform: ‘If we’re going to be fit, then we’re also going to look good’

The Army’s top enlisted leader said the current PT gear does not “represent who we are as warfighters.”

Army

With new bullets, the Army wants to turn Apaches and Bradleys into drone killers

The new rounds will be built to take-down drones with timed fuses.

Army

The Army is giving all soldiers a $240 special pay while deployed

All soldiers on "operational" deployments will get the pay bump, regardless of rank. Training deployments will not count.

Army

Army ups recruiting goal to 61,000 soldiers in 2025, an 11% jump

After meeting its 2024 recruiting goals, the Army wants to recruit 6,000 more soldiers in 2025.

News

Drones swarmed a military base for days. The Pentagon still doesn’t know why.

The military and the Pentagon’s UFO investigating arm have tried to determine the source of the drones that flew over Langley Air Force Base.

Middle East

Pentagon to send anti-air battery, dozens of troops to Israel

The THAAD anti-ballistic missile system is being sent to bolster the country’s defenses against rockets and drones.