Chad Garland

Screenshots of encrypted messages included in a criminal complaint against New Jersey woman Maria Bell, 53, show a conversation federal prosecutors say occurred between the U.S. Army veteran and a militant believed to be Abdullah Flayes. Bell tells him to make a list of his three favorite weapons so they can select one, the complaint says, and she indicated later that she would help pay for the firearm.
<br>JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Army veteran in love with a terrorist is accused of supporting al-Qaida affiliate in Syria

Holiday travel can be stressful, especially for a New Jersey woman arrested this week on charges she provided material support to a member of an al-Qaida affiliate in Syria whom she said she loved, but found too controlling.

Airmen from the 325th Maintenance Squadron perform maintenance on an F-22 Raptor at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, July 18, 2019. The F-22 fleet failed to meet target goals for mission capability readiness from 2011 to 2019, a Government Accountability Office report in November 2020 said.<br>Emily Smallwood/U.S. Air Force

Most military aircraft fleets missed readiness targets over nine years, GAO says

More than half of 46 types of military aircraft failed to meet mission capability readiness goals in any year from 2011 through 2019, including most fighter jets, a government review has found.

A screenshot from a Missile Defense Agency video shows an animation of U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System-equipped destroyer launching a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missile to intercept and destroy an intercontinental ballistic missile target. A flight test demonstration in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 16, 2020, was successful.<br> Missile Defense Agency

Navy destroys ICBM using new interceptor missile for first time

The destroyer USS John Finn shot down an ICBM on Monday.

The Navy SEAL Foundation has pledged $50,000 to support a major post-traumatic stress disorder study involving the use of MDMA, commonly known as molly or ecstasy.<br>Drug Enforcement Agency

Navy SEAL Foundation backs study of ecstasy component for PTSD treatment

A grant made by the Navy SEAL Foundation is expected to assist with large-scale trials of the psychoactive drug MDMA, also known as molly, coupled with psychotherapy.

Top from left: Capt. Seth Vernon Vandekamp; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dallas Gearld Garza; Staff Sgt. Kyle Robert McKee. Bottom from left: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Sameh Ghabour; and Sgt. Jeremy Cain Sherman.<br>

Pentagon identifies five Americans killed in Black Hawk crash in Egypt

An Army doctor on his first overseas assignment and three veterans of the Afghanistan War were among the five Americans killed in a helicopter crash in Egypt, the Pentagon said Saturday.

Samantha Elhassani was sentenced in U.S. district court Nov. 9, 2020, to 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty last year to financing terrorism.<br>

Indiana mom captured in Syria is sentenced to prison for supporting ISIS

An American woman who helped her husband and brother-in-law join the Islamic State in Syria by smuggling cash and gold overseas has been sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to financing terrorism.

Capt. Brett DeVries, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 107th Fighter Squadron, Selfridge Air National Guard base, Mich., poses next to the aircraft he safely landed after damage forced him to make an emergency landing July 20, 2017. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on Friday for his actions.<br>Terry Atwell/U.S. Air Force

Air Force pilot earns Distinguished Flying Cross after landing A-10 with damaged gear, no canopy

During a 2017 training flight, Maj. Brett DeVries flew for 25 minutes after a misfire in the aircraft’s 30 mm cannon caused the canopy and several panels to blow off.

Iraqi counterterrorism troops raid a compound in Fallujah during the last week of October. They captured a suspected member of an Islamic State group child recruitment ring, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.<br>Twitter

US-trained Iraqi counterterrorism forces capture ISIS child recruiter in independent operation

An Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service raid in Fallujah that captured a suspected Islamic State child recruitment ringleader without firing a shot last week was one of many successful recent Iraqi operations, coalition officials said.

Lt. Col. Nicholas Morgans, commander of the 38th Rescue Squadron, speaks to attendees during a ceremony at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., on Oct. 29, 2020. During the ceremony, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brunetto, a pararescueman with the squadron, received a Silver Star Medal for his actions in Afghanistan.<br>Taryn Butler/U.S. Air Force

Pararescueman awarded Silver Star for treating Green Berets during Afghan firefight

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brunetto never expected to receive an award for his actions in combat with a Special Forces team ambushed in Afghanistan earlier this year.

A U.S. Marine Corps major with 4th Combat Engineer Battalion presents Lance Cpl. Corey Staten's mother, Nancy Staten, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during an award ceremony in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 24, 2020. Lance Cpl. Staten was awarded the medal for saving another Marine's life in 2018.<br>Dylon Grasso/U.S. Marine Corps

‘Finally getting that recognition’: Marine who died trying to save struggling swimmer honored over two years after death

Lance Cpl. Corey Staten, who was just 23 when he drowned in a Missouri river in 2018, was recently awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

During the XVIII Airborne Corps' ''Dragon's Lair'' innovation challenge on Oct. 27, 2020, Capt. Michael Stevnik of the 82nd Airborne Division pitches an idea for adding the option to reserve training ranges for smaller blocks of time in the Army's range management system.<br>U.S. Army

‘Nerds run the Army': 101st Airborne soldier wins innovation challenge with range app

Winning the XVIII Airborne Corps’ first “Dragon Innovation Challenge” with an idea to improve training range management by using mobile apps earned Maj. Evan Adams his choice of any Army school. He opted for something sensible, if less action-packed.

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Seth Gillen, left, Cpl. Jonathan Villanueva, middle, and Staff Sgt. Stephen Leon Guerrero, with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, hang a Marine Corps flag on the rear of an M1A1 Abrams tank on Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 27, 2020.<br>Patrick King/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines choosing Corps over tanks as service eliminates armor

Most Marine tankers have chosen to stay in the Corps rather than join the Army to keep on tanking in the months since the top Marine general called for the shuttering of heavy armor battalions earlier this year.

Marines with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, track through tank trails on Camp Lejeune, N.C., for the last time, July 27, 2020. After serving in the division for more than three quarters of a century, 2nd Tank Battalion, as well as all other Marine tank units, will deactivate in response to a future redesign of the Marine Corps.

<br>Patrick King/U.S. Marine Corps

‘Semper Tanks’: Marines hold on to tanker spirit as 100-year legacy ends

The Marine Corps is ditching tanks, but its tankers are working to preserve their unique subculture, some with hopes that their special breed may one day be called on again.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Salazar, a military working dog handler assigned to the K9 Task Force at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, prepares to draw blood from Bubo, a patrol explosive detector dog, at the veterinary clinic at Role II, Oct. 8, 2020.<br>Armando Vasquez/U.S. Army

Military working dogs in Iraq get a blood bank like their humans have

Military working dog handlers in Iraq have set up a “walking blood bank” for their four-legged partners who help secure bases, hunt explosives and assist in combat missions.

A TikTok video shows a soldier drinking Ocean Spray juice and lip-syncing Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" during a parachute jump.<br>TikTok

Paratrooper’s airborne TikTok video could be a safety violation, Army says

The Army is looking into a viral video showing a soldier drinking from an Ocean Spray juice bottle and lip-syncing the words of the Fleetwood Mac hit “Dreams” while on a daytime parachute jump.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz sits pier-side in Bahrain, Oct. 8, 2020. The ship was in Bahrain for a maintenance and logistics visit.<br>Kyle Merritt/U.S. Navy

USS Nimitz crew welcomed to COVID-free ‘bubble’ during Bahrain visit

The USS Nimitz was the first U.S. aircraft carrier to put the Navy’s coronavirus-related port call procedures to the test in Bahrain.

Hot Pockets in a cooler case at an AAFES Express store on Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Hot Pockets in short supply at AAFES, commissaries because of coronavirus

Nestle told the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and other retailers that it will have “severe inventory constraints” in its Hot Pockets product lines.

Mathias Moretti creates a tattoo for the first time at a shop on a U.S. military installation at American Tattoo Society on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Sept. 4, 2020.<br>American Tattoo Society of Nellis

Tattoo shop at US military base exchange could be first of a trend

Military Star Cards are accepted at the Nellis Air Force Base Exchange tattoo store, which opened last month.

A Marine who went on the lam from Camp Lejeune on Sept. 24, 2020 is one of four service members who have been charged in connection with an armed robbery in a church parking lot in Surf City, N.C.<br>U.S. Marine Coprs

Marine who fled Camp Lejeune, three others charged with armed robbery at church

Lance Cpl. Shawn M. Miller was initially thought to be a victim of a robbery in the parking lot of a Catholic church, but police said he conspired with three other suspects.

A pair of F/A-18F Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 17, USS Nimitz. For the first time in nearly 2 1/2 years, jets launched from an aircraft carrier conducted an airstrike against Islamic State targets in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the global coalition battling the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.<br>U.S. Navy/Twitter

Carrier-launched airstrikes hit ISIS targets in Iraq as USS Nimitz patrols Persian Gulf

For the first time in over two years, carrier-launched U.S. aircraft conducted an airstrike against Islamic State targets on Sept. 23 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the global coalition battling the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

Tech. Sgt. John Rodriguez, 321st Contingency Response Squadron security team, patrols with a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype during an exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Sept. 3, 2020. Air Force scientists are exploring how humans will interact with artificial intelligence systems when they behave independently.

<br>Cory D. Payne/U.S. Air Force

Air Force lab wants to find out how to get humans to trust robots

Researchers want to test how troops might react to artificial intelligence when it behaves independently, and in unexpected ways.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew O'Brien, attached to the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Naples, Italy earlier this year, was able to lose more than 90 pounds in 12 months.<br>Debra Thomas/U.S. Navy

Navy sailor in Naples drops 94 pounds to stay in the service

Dietitians at Naval Support Activity Naples helped Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew O’Brien change his eating habits.

In a screenshot from Instagram, Spc. Jessica Tang plays a song on a crutch she modified like a flute, after sustaining a serious injury during basic training.<br>Jessica Tang/Instagram

Injured Army musician turns crutches into flutes

Spc. Jessica Tang made crutches into flutes after a severe injury during Army basic training. Here's why.

U.S. Army soldiers and airmen unload Bradley fighting vehicles from a C-17 aircraft near northeastern Syria Sept. 18, 2020. <br>Jensen Guillory/U.S. Army

US deploys Bradleys, mechanized infantry to Syria to ensure 'freedom of movement' for coalition forces

The mechanized forces are from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, deployed to Kuwait from Fort Bliss, Texas, according to Operation Inherent Resolve .

Sgt. 1st Class Hector Delgado Ortiz, 35, pictured here in an official photo, was killed Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, when he was hit by a security vehicle outside the Navy Exchange at Naval Air Station Key West's Sigsbee Park Annex in Florida.<br>U.S. Army

Special operations soldier is killed in vehicle accident at Key West Navy base

A 17-year Army veteran and father of two was killed when he was hit by a security patrol truck that ran into the entrance of the Navy Exchange store at Naval Air Station Key West’s Sigsbee Park Annex this week.

More than three dozen former Marine reservists enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard on Sept. 13, 2020, at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. The service members all served in Company C, 4th Tank Battalion, which was deactivated in August as the Marine Corps divests its armor battalions.<br>Becky Vanshur/U.S. Army

‘Marines make excellent soldiers’: Over half a Marine tank company just joined the Army National Guard

When a Marine Corps tank company disbanded, 39 of its reservists transferred to the Idaho Army National Guard.

President Donald Trump, center, poses with two California National Guard helicopter crews he awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, for their heroic rescue of about 240 adults and children trapped by the Creek Fire near Fresno, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2020. In back, from left to right, are California's assistant adjutant general Maj. Gen. Matthew P. Beevers, Black Hawk crew chief Warrant Officer 1 Ge Xiong, pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Irvin Hernandez, pilot-in-command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kipp Goding, Chinook pilot-in-command Chief Warrant Offcier 5 Joseph Rosamond, pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brady Hlebain, flight engineer Sgt. Cameron Powell, flight engineer Sgt. George Esquivel.<br>White House/Facebook

Trump awards Distinguished Flying Cross to guardsmen who helped rescue hundreds from wildfires

“They flew into blazing flames, raging wind — and it was raging — and blinding smoke to rescue families who were trapped by the massive Creek Fire,” President Donald Trump said during an awards ceremony Monday.

Senior Airman Jason Khai Phan, seen in 2019 as an airman first class, of the 66th Security Forces Squadron, of Anaheim, Calif., died as a result of non-combat-related injuries while conducting a routine patrol outside the perimeter of Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020.<br>U.S. Air Force

Security Forces airman killed on noncombat patrol in Kuwait was slated to train as a dog handler

One U.S. airman was killed and two others were injured in a single-vehicle accident while conducting a routine patrol in Kuwait, the military said Sunday.

A special tactics airman assigned to the 17th Special Tactics Squadron fires an M4 carbine during a Jaded Thunder exercise at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Aug. 20, 2018. The Air Force special operations unit has racked up more than 6,900 days of continuous deployments and combat operations since 9/11.<br>Sandra Welch/U.S. Air Force

Air Force special ops members ‘fight, bleed and laugh’ on nearly 7,000 days of deployments

The 17th Special Tactics Squadron has had no breaks in its rotations in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001.

A marijuana plant found during a patrol in Georgia by the state's Army National Guard in 2013. The Department of the Navy has banned sailors and Marines from using shampoos and other products containing hemp.<br>U.S. Army

Sailors, Marines can no longer use hemp products to fight frizz, soften skin, Navy says

The Army, Air Force and Coast Guard already have policies in place that forbid military members from using products made with hemp or hemp seed oil.

The Navy has ended the search for Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian McKnight, a missing U.S. sailor in the North Arabian Sea, more than 48 hours after a “man overboard” alert was sounded.<br>

Navy calls off search for US sailor reported overboard in Arabian Sea

The Navy ended the search for a missing U.S. sailor in the North Arabian Sea, officials said more than 48 hours after a “man overboard” alert was sounded aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, officials said Tuesday.

An E-2C Hawkeye launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Arabian Sea, Sept. 3, 2020. The Nimitz and U.S. navy ships were joined by Air Force aircraft in searching for a U.S. sailor missing in the North Arabian Sea since Sept. 6, 2020.<br>Cheyenne Geletka/U.S. Navy

Air Force joins Navy's search for US sailor reported overboard in Arabian Sea

Air Force aircraft joined a round-the-clock Navy search for a missing member of the USS Nimitz crew, officials said more than 36 hours after a “man overboard” alert was sounded.

Visitors to Aletejahtv.com and Aletejahtv.org see this message since Aug. 31, 2020, when the U.S. government seized the two websites because of ties to an Iran-backed terror group linked to attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in December 2019.<br>Capture from website

US blocks propaganda websites registered by Iran-backed militia

The United States this week seized two websites run by an Iran-backed terror group linked to dozens of rocket attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in December.

Photos in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Dallas show Omer Kuzu pictured here before an FBI interview in April 2019, left, and in a driver's license photo from before he left to join the Islamic State group with his brother in October 2014, right.<br>FBI

American who told parents he was camping pleads guilty after joining ISIS in Syria

A U.S. citizen pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism after spending five years handling communications for ISIS militants battling the U.S.-led coalition, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas said.

Left to right: Staff Sgt. Johnathan "Ben" Cox and Pfc. Tyler Rowland meet for the first time in almost 20 years on July 21, 2020, at Bagram Airfield. The two stepbrothers had not seen each other since around the time Cox enlisted and Rowland was a baby.<br>Tyler Rowland

Stepbrothers reunite on Afghanistan deployment for first time since 2001

The last time the soldier stepbrothers had seen each other was the year the war in Afghanistan started — and one of them was a baby.

Members of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) salute during a memorial and awards ceremony on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, at the group's compound on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where three stones were inscribed with the names of Green Berets from the unit's 1st Battalion who were killed in Afghanistan in 2019.<br>Demetrysean Lewis/U.S. Army

Silver Stars awarded to two Green Berets and a pararescueman for close-quarters Taliban battle

Two Green Berets and an Air Force pararescueman were awarded Silver Stars for their heroism during a nearly eight-hour firefight last year after the Special Forces team “stumbled upon” an elite Taliban force in a small Afghan village.

A May, 2020 reminder from the U.S. Army to its troops about the rules for social media.<br>U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee

Army policy changes focus on extremist activity and gun ownership by violent offenders

Soldiers can now face punishment for social media posts supporting extremist groups, under a major revision to the Army’s policy guidance to its commanders.

The chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force displays the service's uniform name tape in the Pentagon Jan. 17, 2020 in Arlington, Va. Will the next Space Force commander be a general or an admiral? Some people, including the original Capt. James T. Kirk, actor William Shatner, want the service to use Navy ranks and grades.<br>Robert Barnett/U.S. Air Force

Capt. Kirk to Space Force: Let’s debate rank names

William Shatner, the actor who played Kirk on “Star Trek,” may have characteristically beamed himself into an ongoing fray, as lawmakers have proposed requiring the Space Force to use Navy ranks and grades.

A section of the ammunition supply point at Camp Taji, Iraq, Aug. 14, 2020.<br>Tescia Mims/U.S. Army

US-led coalition documents memorial murals before handing Camp Taji to Iraqis

Nearly $350 million in equipment and property from Camp Taji was transferred to the Iraqi security forces.

U.S. Africa Command said July 22, 2020, that it killed seven Islamic State group fighters in Somalia this week in retaliation for an attack not far from where American personnel were operating.

U.S. AFRICOM<br>U.S. AFRICOM

AFRICOM monitoring situation in Mali following military coup condemned by US

All U.S. service members in Mali were safe and accounted for, U.S. Africa Command said the day after Malian soldiers seized the country’s president and forced his resignation.

A 'cyborg' locust fitted with sensors to record its brain activity rests on a hand in an undated photo from the Raman Lab at Washington University's James McKelvey School of Engineering in St. Louis. Researchers have published a new study that says the insects can detect and distinguish between the scents of various explosive compounds.<br>Raman Lab

Bomb-sniffing ‘cyborg locusts’ advance under Navy-funded research

Navy-funded researchers have discovered that a locust’s sensitive “horns” can distinguish between the scents of TNT and other explosives — a development that one day could herald the deployment of bomb-sniffing, electronically augmented bug swarms.

The U.S.-backed anti-Islamic State coalition handed over an ammunition storage site at Camp Taji to the Iraqi security forces, Aug. 16, 2020. The coalition has delivered $11 million worth of ammunition to the Iraqis this year, they said in a statement.<br>Twitter

US-led site handover to Iraq proceeds after attacks by suspected Iran-allied fighters

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq transferred about 50 ammunition storage bunkers and facilities to Iraqi forces at Camp Taji, part of a continuing force consolidation as the Islamic State fight wanes and conflict with Iran-backed fighters ramps up.

In a September, 2019 photo, U.S. and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol in northeast Syria. U.S.-led coalition and partner forces returned fire after an attack on their convoy near a Syrian military checkpoint Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, a coalition statement said.<br>Alec Dionne/U.S. Army

Coalition denies airstrike on Syrian troops after fight involving US convoy

A convoy of U.S.-led coalition and partner forces returned fire after coming under attack near a Syrian military checkpoint in the country’s northeast, the alliance said, but it denied reports of an airstrike.

Sgt. Trevor Goldyn seen after he had been promoted to corporal.

<br>Erik Antorbeza/Facebook

Marine who died in Bahrain described as ‘respectful, driven and focused’

Sgt. Trevor Goldyn of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade was found dead in a noncombat-related incident Tuesday.

Lebanese and U.S. service members unload humanitarian aid supplies delivered by a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 6, 2020.<br>Justin Parsons/U.S. Air Force

US military delivers emergency food, medical aid to Beirut

U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Air Mobility Command delivered the more than a half-million pounds of food, water and medical supplies in four days following the Aug. 4 explosion, the military said.

Pictured on the set in early 2020 at March Air Force Base in Riverside, Calif., of video-on-demand channel VET-Tv's new documentary series "Veterans Laughing Together" are, left to right, Marine veteran Paul Gardner, Marine veteran and VET-Tv founder Donny O'Malley, Army veteran Joseph James and Army Special Forces veteran Nathan Smith.

<br>Scott Yoffe/VET-Tv

New VET-Tv documentary series on Purple Heart veterans seeks to inspire life changes

“Veterans Laughing Together” brings together Purple Heart recipients to share stories of how they were wounded and what happened next. It’s the first such nonfiction program for the 3-year-old comedy site.

President Donald Trump visits troops at Bagram Airfield, Afghaistan on November 28, 2019, during a surprise Thanksgiving stopover. Trump said in an interview with Axios that aired Aug. 3, 2020, that he expects fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan by November.<br>Shealah Craighead/White House

Trump says US forces in Afghanistan to be slashed to fewer than 5,000 this year

President Donald Trump said he expects fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops to be in Afghanistan by November and called America’s wars in the Middle East the “biggest mistake” in the country’s history during a television interview this week.

An SOS in the sand can be seen in this screenshot taken from a DVIDS video. Guardsmen locate three missing mariners on Pikelot Island during a search and rescue mission in the Federated States of Micronesia southwest of Guam, Aug. 2, 2020.<br>U.S. Air Force

Missing mariners rescued after Air Force crew spots ‘SOS’ on Pacific island

Three mariners who apparently sailed off course and ran out of fuel were rescued from an uninhabited island with the help of the U.S. Air Force.

Airman 1st Class Daniel Sanchez, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs broadcast journalist, coined the motto "Semper Supra" for the military's newest service branch, the Space Force.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

Meet the Ramstein airman who coined the Space Force motto

Airman 1st Class Daniel Sanchez came up with the Space Force motto, “Semper Supra,” which translates to “always above.”

The Marine Corps identified seven Marines and one sailor presumed dead, and another Marine whose body was recovered after an accident Thursday involving an assault amphibious vehicle in Southern California. They include, top row, Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, Pfc. Evan A. Bath, Navy Seaman Christopher Gnem and Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez (recovered); and bottom row, Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva and Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky. Not pictured is Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco.<br>

A new father, a ‘soulmate,’ ‘one of the good ones’ among eight Marines, one sailor lost in amphibious vehicle accident

The Marine Corps identified the seven Marines and one sailor presumed dead after Thursday's training accident involving an assault amphibious vehicle in Southern California.

A Bronze Star Medal is presented to an Air Force Special Tactics operator from The 21st Special Tactics Squadron assigned to Pope Field, N.C. The squadron held a ceremony July 24, 2020, to present over 90 awards for the squadron's most recent deployment in 2019.<br>Heather Britton/U.S. Air Force

Special Tactics airmen receive dozens of awards for overseas counterterrorism missions

An Air Force special operations unit received more than 90 awards after helping battle six extremist groups on recent deployments to the Middle East and Africa, the service said.

U.S. Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division are staged in a lot on Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 27, 2020. After serving 2nd MARDIV for more than three-quarters of a century, 2nd Tank Battalion will deactivate as part of the Marine Corps' modernization plan.<br>Patrick King/U.S. Marine Corps

A farewell to armor: Marine Corps shuts down tank units, hauls away M1A1s

The Marine Corps also plans to trim some 12,000 troops from its ranks by 2030, eliminate law enforcement units, slash the number of cannon artillery battalions, reduce and restructure infantry battalions, and disband many manned aviation units.

A Portuguese soldier teaches Iraqi Federal Police weapon safety with the AK-74 rifle at the Besmaya Range Complex in Iraq on Aug. 7, 2019. The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State is handing over the range and about $5 million in equipment to the Iraqi military as international forces draw down their presence in the country.<br>Brandon Best/U.S. Army

US-led coalition to turn over training base south of Baghdad to Iraq

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is due Saturday to hand over to Iraq some $5 million in facilities and equipment and a base south of Baghdad, where some 50,000 Iraqis have been trained as part of the global fight against the Islamic State.

Sgt. Bryan “Cooper” Mount, 25, of St. George, Utah, was killed Tuesday when his mine resistant ambush protected all-terrain vehicle rolled over while on a security patrol in northeastern Syria.<br>U.S. Army

video

‘Husband, son, brother and leader’: Soldier killed in Syria rollover accident was 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper

Sgt. Bryan “Cooper” Mount, 25, of St. George, Utah, was killed Tuesday when his mine resistant ambush protected all-terrain vehicle rolled over while on a security patrol in northeastern Syria.

Service member dies on patrol in Syria

The service member, whose nationality, service branch and unit were not released, will be identified after next of kin has been notified, according to a statement from Operation Inherent Resolve.

Rep. Chris Smith, left, presents Vietnam War veteran Bart ''Doc'' Fabian with his second Silver Star at a ceremony in Smith's office in Freehold, N.J., July 18, 2020. Fabian earned the medal for saving the lives of 10 fellow soldiers in a battle on April 13, 1969.<br>Dennis Symons Jr./MidJersey.News

Former Army medic gets second Silver Star over 50 years after saving 10 fellow soldiers in Vietnam

Bart “Doc” Fabian received his second Silver Star more than five decades after he earned it in a fierce battle at an enemy base camp in Vietnam during which he saved the lives of 10 other soldiers.

A silhouette of Hans and his goose leads diners to the outdoor patio at downtown Kaiserslautern's Hans im Glueck burger bar, Tuesday, July 7, 2020.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

No fairy tales, just good burgers at Hans im Glueck in Kaiserslautern

One of the first few times I meandered past a newly opened Hans im Glueck burger joint last winter in downtown Kaiserslautern, an inviting warm light poured out through the large front windows.

A Marine Raider, whose face was blurred in this photo by the service, was awarded the Silver Star Medal for heroic actions while deployed to Afghanistan in 2019, at a ceremony at Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 10, 2020.<br>Lynn Kinney/U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Raider teammates earn Silver Star, Bronze Stars for heroism in Afghanistan

A special operations Marine was awarded the Silver Star for assaulting a bunker and recovering a wounded Afghan soldier during a four-hour gun battle in Afghanistan last year.

Sgt. James Jayqon Parker, right, is promoted to sergeant in this image posted May 7, 2020, in what he called a surprise ceremony on his Facebook page. Parker died after drowning off Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Pyramid Rock Beach on June 28. Loved ones remembered Parker's sense of humor and kinship during a recent memorial service.<br>James Parker/Facebook

‘A brother that could never be replaced’: Loved ones mourn Marine who drowned at Hawaii base

Sgt. James Jayqon Parker was pronounced dead after being pulled unresponsive from the water at Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Pyramid Rock Beach on June 28.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee presents Sgt.1st Class Patrick Shields with the Soldier's Medal, July 10, 2020, in Brownsville, Tenn. Shields, a member of the Tennessee National Guard's 1175th Transportation Company, disarmed and restrained a shooter after shots were fired in a parking lot following a high school football game in October 2018.

<br>Timothy Cordeiro/Tennessee National Guard

Tennessee Guardsman is awarded Soldier's Medal for stopping shooter at football game

A 24-year veteran of the Tennessee Army National Guard who disarmed and restrained a gunman at a high school homecoming game nearly two years ago has been presented the Army’s highest award for noncombat bravery.

Student naval aviator Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron (VT) 21 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, stands by a T-45C Goshawk training aircraft following her final flight to complete the undergraduate Tactical Air (Strike) pilot training syllabus, July 7, 2020. Swegle is the Navy's first known Black female strike aviator and will receive her wings during a ceremony July 31.<br>Luke Redito/U.S. Navy

'Go forth and kick butt': Navy's first Black female fighter pilot earns her wings

Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle completed a tactical air program whose graduates generally go on to fly F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers or F-35C Joint Strike Fighters.

This photo provided by the Justice Department seized from an iCloud account belonging to Army Pvt. Ethan Melzer, displays personal effects, including paraphernalia associated with the extremist group Order of the Nine Angles. Melzer pleaded not guilty on Monday, July 6, 2020, to charges he conspired with the satanic neo-Nazi group to plot an ambush on his unit during a planned deployment to Turkey.<br>Justice Department

Paratrooper pleads not guilty to charges he plotted with satanic Neo-Nazis to ambush his unit

Ethan Melzer faces charges including onspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. service members, which each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Kassebaum, 159th Fighter Squadron F-15 Eagle pilot, watches his wingmen park their planes, Aug. 30, 2019, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio<br>R.J. Oriez/U.S. Air Force

Air Force pilot to resume flying after being electrocuted

Lt. Col. Jonathan Kassebaum is set to return to the skies for the first time Monday since an accidental electrocution in his backyard pool just over eight months ago caused his heart to stop for 12 minutes.

Chief Petty Officer Justin Calderone observes flight operations on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt while participating in Exercise Northern Edge in May 2019. Calderone died July 2, 2020, following a medical emergency aboard the ship.<br>USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

Navy chief who died aboard Theodore Roosevelt leaves behind wife and three children

Chief Petty Officer Justin Calderone died after a medical emergency aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Howard Berry sits among rows of American flags. The ''Flags for Forgotten Soldiers'' initiative was a brainchild of Berry, a Cincinnati, Ohio, man who lost his son, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Berry, to suicide. Berry died last month after a battle with cancer.<br>GoFundMe

Father who pushed for son’s Purple Heart and championed veteran suicide awareness has died

Howard Berry, 64, had sought unsuccessfully for the medal to recognize his son for wounds he received during the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 dead and 33 wounded.

A screenshot from a U.S. Space Force recruiting ad, released in May. Space Force announced Tuesday, June 30, 2020, details of its structure, with three echelons of command.<br>U.S. Space Force

‘Deltas’ are in as Space Force develops command structure

The new Space Force has streamlined its structure by going without wings. Instead, the intermediate echelons above squadrons in the country’s newest military branch will be known as “deltas,” and they will be led by whatever the service decides to call its equivalent of a colonel.