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More than 150 fighters, bombers and other aircraft took part in Venezuela strike
The force of Navy, Air Force and Marine F-22s, F/A-18s, F-35s and drones struck several sites in Caracas as the Army captured Nicolás Maduro.
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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.
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Coast Guard halts search for survivors of US strikes on boats in the Pacific
The effort, which lasted four days, is the most extensive one conducted by the U.S. since it began attacks on alleged drug ships in September.
Army creates new AI-focused career field for officers
The new 49B area of concentration will get its first cadre of officers who are tasked with integrating AI into logistics, robotics and combat.
When the military tried to give soldiers personal flying platforms
In the 1950s the Navy and Army worked on small VTOL machines to make troops go airborne. They worked, just not well enough.
Lack of supervision contributed to Alaska airman’s death, report finds
A new Air Force review of Staff Sgt. Charles Crumlett’s death in March 2024 noted failures in supervision, communication and procedures while working on a F-22.
Navy rolls out twice-a-year fitness tests
The new system goes into effect in the new year, with all active-duty sailors required to complete a fitness assessment every six months.
Army changes course, decides to keep horses at two bases
The Army previously planned to phase out its Military Working Equid program at five different bases to focus on “warfighting priorities.”
Trump says US took out a ‘big facility’ in Venezuela
The president would not say if the U.S. military was involved in the operation on Christmas Eve.
US targets ISIS in Somalia with multiple airstrikes over four days
The wave of attacks comes as American forces bombed ISIS for the first time in Nigeria.
Appeals court upholds order for the VA to build 2,550 housing units in Los Angeles
The Department of Veterans Affairs “has strayed from its mission,” the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found, and must build 1,800 permanent and 750 temporary housing units on its West Los Angeles campus.
US targets ISIS with multiple strikes in Nigeria
The Christmas day attacks in the country’s northwestern Sokoto state are the first direct strike against militants in Nigeria by the U.S.
Space Force guardians graduate basic training in their own uniforms for the first time
“This milestone reflects more than a uniform change. It represents the strength of a shared training foundation and the future focused mission these guardians are stepping into.”
How US troops in World War II celebrated Christmas dinner on the front
Fighting was brutal, rationing was strict, but turkey was never in short supply.
Happy holidays from Task & Purpose
It’s been quite a year, and we’re glad we got to share it with you.
The Navy’s railgun may be back from the dead — for now
President Donald Trump announced that the Navy’s new “battleships” will each be armed with “state-of-the-art electric railguns.”
Marines may finally get landing ships for modern-day island hopping
The Navy plans to buy between 18 and 35 Medium Landing Ships, which each can carry more than 200 Marines ashore along with helicopters and vehicles.
Have you served on the US-Mexico border in the last year? We want to hear from you.
In the new year, we’ll continue to report on challenges facing deployed troops, whether abroad or at home. But to do that, we need your help.
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.
