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19-year-old soldier completes Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault and Pathfinder schools
On top of that, he passed all of Ranger School’s notoriously taxing phases on his first try.
AI in special operations will always have ‘a human in the loop,’ top officer says
“There’s no doubt that [AI is] changing and impacting and making us more efficient in many ways, but we have to also have a bit of a reality check,” said the head of U.S. Special Operations Command.
Drones could mean the end of sprawling bases seen during Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
“I think we need to make ourselves a smaller target. We have to be harder to be detected, hit.”
Special operators need to be ‘lethal but also technically fluent,’ commander says
“You can’t be brilliant with the modern basics on this muscle memory alone. You need the technical education and training to be able to master the electromagnetic spectrum in the virtual domain, as well.”
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More from Task & Purpose
Doctor recalls treating dozens after Tower 22 drone attack
After treating more than 70 patients in the hours after the attack, the Army National Guard major pushed for Purple Hearts for many of the soldiers who suffered TBIs.
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Navy Federal helps you take advantage of a powerful veteran’s benefit
Air Force now has 18 of its new Skyraider II ‘Swiss Army Knife’ aircraft, official says
The OA-1K Skyraider II is designed to support special operations forces by flying armed reconnaissance, close air support, and precision strike missions.
Fighter pilots say Growler crews’ safe ejections were a ‘miracle’
All four crew members of two Navy E/A-18G Growlers survived ejecting, three without injury, after their planes became lodged together in a midair collision
SOCOM wants to move fast on new tech: ‘We’re not building aircraft carriers here’
U.S. Special Operations Command’s strategy for fielding new technology to special operators emphasizes speed, a top acquisitions official with the command said.
Air Force Reserve Command chief honored with massive sword
Lt. Gen. John Healy is the latest inductee into the Air Force’s blade friendly Order of the Sword.
Aircrews safely eject after two Navy jets collide during air show
Two jets from the Navy’s EA-18G Growler Demonstration Team collided in midair during a demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Navy commissions the USS Cleveland, the last littoral combat ship
The final Freedom-class ship entered service on Saturday in its namesake city.
Ford Carrier Strike Group awarded rare Presidential Unit Citation for Iran War
The honor was given as the USS Gerald R. Ford returned home after 326 days away, including taking part in two major combat operations.
US, Nigerian troops kill ISIS second in command
The attack near the Lake Chad Basin is the largest U.S. operation in Nigeria since American troops deployed in February.
Pentagon cancels planned deployment of long-range missile unit to Germany
The 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment is the latest unit to see its orders to Europe reversed.
Army orders rifle-mounted smart scopes to down small drones
The Army confirmed a large order of SMASH 2000LE drone-tracking smart scopes. Mounted on a soldier’s rifle, the device can track and target drones as they fly.
Sailor wins $60k after false eviction left him ‘functionally homeless’
A sailor assigned to the USS Nimitz was wrongfully named in an eviction, forcing him to live with friends while his wife moved out of state.
Soldiers at Ranger School will now fix bayonets in test of grit
Officials at the Army’s top infantry training course say a new bayonet training course builds aggression for “the last 100 yards” of battle.
A VA system paid out millions in ‘improper’ claims
A VA computer system used to review death certificates and medical information incorrectly approved $2.7 million in payments to families.
Army identifies second soldier who went missing in Morocco
Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, was one of two soldiers who fell into the Atlantic Ocean on May 2.
Task & Purpose was founded in 2014 to cover the military and veteran community from a rank-and-file perspective, and continues to do so with accurate reporting and great storytelling to this day. Our journalists have reported on the front lines of the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota and the war in Afghanistan. We’ve uncovered American veterans being abused in Kuwaiti prisons, deported veterans being forced to work for Mexican cartels, and drawn national attention to a longstanding legal rule barring service members from suing the government — even in the face of gross negligence.
