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An Army Ranger assigned to 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, conducts a squad live fire exercise at Fort Benning, Georgia, May 13, 2025.
Tactics

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.

Spc. Brandon Mack, a small unmanned aircraft system operator assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Combat Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, looks through his SMASH 2000L optic, a counter-sUAS tracking scope developed by SMARTSHOOTER, during rotation 26-02 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, Nov. 2, 2025. The rotation marks the first armored Transforming in Contact (TiC) 2.0 combat training center rotation, where new concepts and emerging capabilities were tested in realistic, contested scenarios. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Julian A. Winston)
Army

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.

Air Force HH-60
Air Force

Air Force rescue units awarded rare Presidential Unit Citation

“This will go down in Air Force history as one of the greatest accomplishments of the Air Force rescue community.”

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U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, is honored with the sword during an Order of the Sword ceremony at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, May 14, 2026. The Order of the Sword is the highest honor and tribute noncommissioned officers can bestow upon an individual. Healy becomes the 18th person to receive the Air Force Reserve honor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Erica Webster) 
Air Force

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.

The U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler Demonstration Team, from Naval Air Station Whidby Island, Wash., performs an aerobatic display during the Thunder Over Louisville air show in Louisville, Ky., April 20, 2024. This year’s event featured more than two-dozen military and civilian aircraft, including the Kentucky Air National Guard’s C130J Super Hercules. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
News

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.

CLEVELAND (May 9, 2026) – The future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) arrives in Cleveland, Ohio, May 9, 2026, ahead of its commissioning ceremony. Cleveland is the fourth warship to be named after Ohio’s second largest city and is the 16th and final Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) to be built and commissioned in the U.S. Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jasmin L. Aquino) 
Navy

Navy commissions the USS Cleveland, the last littoral combat ship

The final Freedom-class ship entered service on Saturday in its namesake city.

An F/A-18 taxis before flight aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) during Operation Epic Fury March 6, 2026. (U.S Navy Photo)
Navy

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.

Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service operators exit a rigid-hull inflatable boat to conduct a ground raid during exercise Flintlock 26 in Côte d'Ivoire, April 29, 2026. Integrating multidomain capabilities served as a cornerstone of Flintlock 26, leveraging ground, maritime and air capabilities during planning and tactical operations to improve collective readiness. Since 2005, Flintlock has served as U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual special operations exercise. This year’s exercise brought together more than 30 countries across Côte d’Ivoire and Libya to build lethality and readiness, strengthen counterterrorism skills and increase collaboration across borders. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kristina Randall) 
Africa

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.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zykee Allen, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, sits atop an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to receive a fire mission during a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration mission on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 27, 2025. The HIRAIN mission demonstrates NATO forces' capability to rapidly and jointly deploy the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System worldwide, enabling long-range precision fires to achieve maximum impact on the battlefield. The operation saw U.S., Norwegian, and Belgian forces working together to transport HIMARS from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to Norway, culminating in fully integrated fire missions. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Carlos Marquez)
Army

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.

Sailors man the rails on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Puget Sound after getting underway for a regularly scheduled Indo-Pacific deployment, March 21, 2025. An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic and relevant training to ensure the readiness necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s timeless role across the full spectrum of military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Japeth Carter)
Navy

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.

A U.S. Army Ranger Course student from Class 06-26 attacks an upright enemy target on the new Bayonet Assault Course during the Ranger Assessment Phase (RAP) April 21, 2026, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The quarter-mile course is a recent addition to the Malvesti Obstacle Course and was designed to rapidly instill grit and violence of action, preparing Rangers to close with and destroy the enemy in contested environments where modern technology may fail. (U.S. Army photo by Joey Rhodes II)
News

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.

The Patrick Space Force Base SLD 45 Base Honor Guard performs a demonstration of Military Funeral Honors Ceremony at Patrick Space Force Base on May 29, 2025. The Base Honor Guard is manned by volunteer Airmen and Guardians who perform this additional duty to honor the culture and history of the Air and Space Force and are often called upon for ceremonial demonstrations at retirement ceremonies, promotion ceremonies, military and veteran funerals, and other events and ceremonies where Air Force heritage and honor are paramount. (U.S. Space Force photo by DeAnna Murano)
Veterans

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.

Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington was found off the Moroccan coast on May 12.
Army

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.

Soldiers with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, shown in this January 2020 photo, were already in Poland when the Defense Department canceled their unit’s deployment.
Army

Pentagon cancels Army unit’s deployment to Europe with soldiers already in Poland

Approximately 4,000 troops from 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division were supposed to spend months in central and eastern Europe.

Demonstrators from the Taiwan Action Front for Palestine display a portrait of Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active duty member of the US Air Force who setting himself on fire outside the Israel Embassy in Washington, during a protest against US's policies to Israel and Palestine, outside the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP) (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
Air Force

Mental crisis didn’t cause airman to self-immolate in protest of Israel, Air Force found

The investigation reveals new details about Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, dating back to his years working for the National Security Agency.

Marine Corps AI Course 2026
Marine Corps

Marines must complete new course on the ‘practical application’ of AI

One of the course’s goals is to ensure that Marines are “committed to the ethical and effective employment of AI in complex operational environments.”

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, strap down a test dummy to a drone during an Autonomous Triage and Treatment Challenge taking place near Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, May 10, 2026. From April 27 to May 31, 2026, U.S. and Allied forces will exercise the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, demonstrating NATO’s ability to fight and win on the modern battlefield. Nearly 15,000 troops from eleven nations will train across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland. They will execute rapid maneuvers, air defense, counter-drone operations, and cyber defense to validate NATO’s regional defense plans in real time. This series of linked exercises includes Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. The exercises turn investment into capability. Soldiers integrate unmanned systems such as AI-enabled command and control and live data networks to move, decide, and fight more effectively across all domains. Sword 26 demonstrates how U.S. Army Europe and Africa drives transformation at scale while strengthening deterrence. Together with our allies, we are building a unified, lethal force ready to defend NATO territory and respond to any threat. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Thomas Madrzak)
Army

The Army is testing medevac drones that lift injured soldiers from battlefields

The drone can carry a 300 pound load for hours, opening the possibility of battlefield evacuations. The test will be during a NATO exercise in Poland.

Southern Border
Army

101st Airborne, 1st Armored division units latest heading to southern border

Soldiers from 101st Airborne and 1st Armored division units will deploy to the U.S-Mexico border this summer.

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Tech & Tactics

The LOCUST directed-energy system was deployed to the southern border earlier this year, and tested at White Sands Missile Range. AeroVironment Inc. photo.
United States

Pentagon names five bases that will get anti-drone energy weapons

Air Force

Air Force cargo hub stored weapons in unguarded building, IG finds

Marine Corps

The Marines may need 40 amphibious warfare ships, general says

News

Pentagon’s drone strategy calls for putting $54 billion DAWG in the fight

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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.

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