Task & Purpose. News, culture, and analysis by and for the military community.
Top Story
Reserve officer in fight with Army for owning marijuana dispensary
“Being involved in some sort of commercial enterprise in my state — that maybe some still find morally reprehensible — is still legal in my state, and I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Task & Purpose Video
Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays our team will bring you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine delivered from a rank-and-file perspective.
More from Task & Purpose
US troops downed ‘2 million’ energy drinks during Iran war, top general says
Troops in Epic Fury did some epic chugging of nearly a million gallons of coffee and two million energy drinks. “I am not saying that we have a problem,” said Gen. Dan Caine.
Army plans to host new commercial data centers on at least 4 bases
Commercial data centers have been confirmed for Fort Bliss, Texas, and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and the Army recently put out a contracting request for centers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Hood, Texas.
Military’s new budget could give 7% pay raise to most junior troops
Service members at the lowest five ranks will receive the largest of a three-tiered pay raise included in the White House’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.
Pentagon calls Individual Ready Reserve a ‘mobilization asset’ in new policy
The new Pentagon policy was likely in the works before the Iran war began, but it still holds relevance as the military plans for any future mass mobilization, experts say.
General confirms A-10 lost, helicopter damaged during F-15 rescue in Iran
The pilot of an A-10 Warthog had to eject due to damage sustained during an operation to rescue one of the two downed F-15 crew members.
VA staffing shortages led to failure to refer veterans to supportive housing, investigators find
As many as 174,000 veterans were not referred to a federal housing program between 2020 to 2024.
Army lets soldiers deployed for Operation Epic Fury reenlist two years early
The Army aims to “maximize benefits for personnel who are serving deployed in support” of the war with Iran.
What we know about the commando raid to recover the F-15 crew member in Iran
Special operations teams raced against Iran to locate the missing airman, setting up a temporary airstrip to extract U.S. forces.
Former airman pleads guilty to defrauding Air Force of $37 million
A former master sergeant who called himself “Al Capone” inflated costs of IT contracts to enrich himself and others.
What we know about a downed US F-15 and its crew in Iran
Several reports indicate one of the two flyers on board was rescued in a large-scale rescue operation.
Right to repair: Why the US military can’t fix much of its own equipment
Restrictive agreements with defense contractors leave service members unable to fix the expensive ships, fighter jets, and ground vehicles they depend on.
Hegseth asks top Army officer to step down
A Pentagon official confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down.
How does the Iran war end?
One month into the Iran war, the U.S. military finds itself in a familiar position: Despite apparent battlefield successes, it’s not clear how the conflict will end.
82nd Airborne Division cancels All American Week amid Iran war deployments
Officials said the event was cancelled “due to competing requirements.”
Army ‘pauses’ plan to close more than 20 base museums
The Army has 45 facilities in its museum network, and planned to close about half. Now congress wants to see a plan for which should be kept open.
Infantry, artillery, other combat arms troops had highest suicide risk in 2024
For the first time, the Pentagon’s annual suicide report broke down rates based on military job fields.
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.
