Chad Garland

Chad is a Marine Corps veteran who covers the U.S. military in Vicenza, Italy, for Stars and Stripes. He previously covered military operations downrange in the Middle East and elsewhere. He has also reported for news outlets in Washington, D.C., Arizona, Oregon and California.

@chadgarland

garland.chad@stripes.com

A seal is displayed on the Veterans Affairs headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

Stolen valor case involving VA benefits fraud lands former inmate back in prison

Investigators found that during part of the time Michael Duane Dyson claimed to have served in the Army, he was instead in prison, according to prosecutors.

Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, run the final mile of the Col. Darby 40-Miler in Torbole, Italy, on April 30, 2025. The annual event honors then-Col. William O. Darby, the first commander of the Army Rangers, and 10th Mountain Division soldiers killed nearby during the final days of World War II. A group of six U.S. service members completed a do-it-yourself version of the 40-mile route on Independence Day.

Soldiers braved blisters, Independence Day heat for do-it-yourself Darby 40-miler in Italy

A Marine in full combat gear eats from a field ration pouch while leaning against a tree.

Former soldier found guilty in scheme to steal $1.12 million worth of MREs from Texas base

Uniformed troops check communication equipment.

Vicenza network outage won’t derail Independence Day celebration

Sailors prepare to move aircraft on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Arabian Sea, June 20, 2026. The U.S. and Iran agreed to stand down after trading strikes over the weekend that strained a ceasefire agreement, with both sides expected to meet in Qatar this week to negotiate a more lasting truce.
Sailors in yellow jerseys work around two F/A-18 jets parked on a carrier flight deck.
U.S. Navy

US, Iran to resume talks after weekend violence tests ceasefire

Washington and Tehran will continue technical talks on the 14-point memorandum agreed to June 17 for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

A two-star general in a beret speaks at a podium marked SETAF.

SETAF change of command keeps leadership within AFRICOM

Maj. Gen. Matthew Brown, who recently completed a one-year assignment in Djibouti, takes over SETAF from Maj. Gen. Andrew Gainey, who is bound for AFRICOM headquarters.

Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stand for the playing of the U.S. and Italian national anthems prior to a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon, June 15, 2026. The Italian Defense Ministry is refuting a statement from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that some 500 U.S. military flights took off from bases in Italy in support of the Iranian conflict.

Italy denies NATO chief’s claim about US flights during Iran war

Appearing on Fox News ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that some 500 U.S. flights had taken off from bases in Italy in support of the campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury.

The white Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico basilica atop a hill overlooking Vicenza, Italy.

Whether via stairs or path under portico arches, Vicenza’s Berico church is a literal high point

The trek up to Vicenza’s Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico offers a short, scenic climb past historic porticos, Renaissance art and sweeping city views to a centuries-old shrine.

Jammin’ Club, a popular bar in the Pedemura San Biagio neighborhood of Vicenza, Italy, is pictured June 18, 2026. An Army reservist helped subdue and disarm a man wielding a meat cleaver at the bar in early June.

Army reservist disarms knife-wielding man in Italy bar altercation

Master Sgt. Gary Lee Jr. is being considered for a medal for his actions, which may have prevented injury to the staff of a Vicenza bar popular with American service members and civilians from the nearby military bases.

President Donald Trump speaks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Italian officials skip US base celebrations amid Trump-Meloni spat

The announcements came in response to Trump’s comments in an interview in which he said he had agreed to a photo with Meloni at the G7 meeting in France only because he felt sorry for her after she “begged” him.

A chopstick holding a piece of salmon sushi.

Caviar wishes and California roll dreams at J-Home Sushi Experience near Vicenza

J-Home Sushi Experience in Nanto, Italy, offers an all-you-can-eat sushi menu and other delights.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stand at attention outside the Pentagon.

US doesn’t seek withdrawal from Italy, defense minister says after Hegseth meeting

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto met Monday with Hegseth and other U.S. officials for discussions that both sides say reinforced the partnership between the two countries.

Army recruits in tan shirts raise their right hands during a mass enlistment ceremony outdoors at Talladega Superspeedway, administered by a soldier in a camouflage uniform facing them.

Soldier admits to using Army recruits’ identities to defraud Navy credit union

Former Sgt. 1st Class Jane Crosby, 35, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department said Monday.

A copy of the Book of Mormon rests on a wooden surface in a chapel.

DOD nixes ‘Christian’ labels after Mormons decry new list of military religion codes

The Defense Department’s much-slimmed list of codes for tracking service members’ faith groups was revised just days after an earlier version drew the ire of Mormon lawmakers and others for excluding their church from Christianity.

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