Chad Garland

Marines with Weapons Training Battalion conduct the Annual Rifle Qualification train-the-trainer course on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Feb. 17, 2021. The ARQ is replacing Annual Rifle Training and aims to create a more operationally realistic training environment.

<br>Rachael A. Treon/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines aim for more variety, realism in new marksmanship course

Marines will soon take a new annual marksmanship test designed to more closely resemble battlefield shooting, but fewer may qualify as expert riflemen, at least at first.

Trainees with 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment do yoga as part of a pilot program, Dec. 8. 2020. The Army is evaluating whether a the program, incorporating yoga and mindfulness meditation, affected factors such as physical performance and stress management.

<br>Josephine Carlson/U.S. Army

Army tests fitness benefits of yoga and meditation in basic training

The Army is studying whether the warrior pose could make better warriors after putting hundreds of new recruits through daily yoga and meditation regimens in basic training.

This photo seized from an iCloud account belonging to Army Pvt. Ethan Melzer by the Justice Department displays personal effects, including paraphernalia associated with the extremist group Order of the Nine Angles. Melzer is seeking to have federal charges based on him conspiring with extremist groups to ambush his unit dismissed.

<br>Department of Justice

Soldier indicted for conspiring with neo-Nazi group seeks dismissal because grand jury wasn't racially diverse

A soldier indicted on federal charges of conspiring with neo-Nazis to ambush his own unit wants his case dismissed because the grand jury didn’t include enough Black and Hispanic members.

Marine Pvt. Francesco Baffa, a student with Alpha Company, Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry-West, aligns the optics on his rifle as part of the first week of the infantry course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 27, 2021.

<br>Andrew Cortez/U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Corps seeks to make 'smarter' infantry force with new course

The Marine Corps is ditching some of its formation marches and adding board games to a new, longer entry-level infantry training course aimed at creating Marines who can better think and act for themselves.

Tech. Sgt. Michael Wayne Morris, a maintainer at Aviano Air Base, Italy, died Jan. 12, 2021, after contracting the coronavirus. More than a month later, the Air Force has not released the cause of his death.

<br>Facebook

Family awaits answers more than a month after Aviano airman's death

The Air Force and the family of Tech. Sgt. Michael W. Morris still don’t know what caused his death last month while quarantining at home alone, hours after calling to wish his youngest daughter a happy 5th birthday.

Service members from the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill board a stateless dhow off the coast of Somalia and interdict an illicit shipment of weapons and weapon components, Feb. 12, 2021.

<br>Louis Thompson Staats IV/U.S. Navy

US Navy destroyer intercepts weapons cache off Somali coast

Members of the Navy, Army and Coast Guard aboard the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill seized weapons in international waters.

The Irbil International Airport in the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region is pictured here on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Contractor killed, nine injured in rocket attack on US base in Kurdistan’s capital

A civilian contractor was killed and a U.S. service member was injured when rockets fell on the airfield where U.S. and coalition forces are based in the capital of Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region Monday, the military said.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle on Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 2, 2021. The Marine Corps is fielding long-range precision weapons that can be fired from mobile platforms like the JLTV as the service divests its heavy armor units.

<br> Zachary Zephir/U.S. Marine Corps

Light vehicles with long-range punch give Marines a better tank killer, general says

Marine Corps experiments show lightweight vehicles mounted with long-range weapons can take out enemy tanks at a distance 15 to 20 times greater than a Marine tank could, Lt. Gen. Eric Smith said this week.

The service was established Dec. 20 with a force of 16,000 military and civilian personnel, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.<br>U.S. Space Force

Skywalkers, Wookies and FloatyBois: Here are the names Space Force rejected

About 380 possible names, from Aces to Zero-gees, were suggested for members of the Space Force.

An avocado chicken bowl with Mexican salsa from dean & david, featuring cilantro, tomatoes, sweet corn and greens with a base of quinoa and brown rice.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Dean & david in Kaiserslautern hits the spot for a light, quick afternoon bite

My go-to meal when ordering out is rarely much better than fast food, usually a burger. But a few times in January, when I tried to turn over a new leaf for the new year, I found myself craving something lighter or more exotic.

In this National Guard historic painting by H. Charles McBarron, soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment go into action near Sechault, France, on September 29, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The unit was dubbed the Hellfighters by the Germans, and while the nickname has been used for more than 100 years, it was only officially recognized by the Army in September 2020.

<br>New York National Guard

Army makes 'Harlem Hellfighters' nickname official after more than a century

They called themselves the “Black Rattlers” and the French dubbed them “Men of Bronze,” but the Army now officially recognizes a historic Harlem unit by what the enemy called them in World War I — the “Hellfighters.”

Maj. Gen. Miguel Correa, right, presents the Silver Star Medal to Staff Sgt. James ''Jimmy" Moriarty's mother, Cynthia Moriarty, left, and sister, Becky Moriarty Davis, center, in Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.

<br>Erin Powers

Fallen Green Beret is awarded Silver Star for actions during 2016 Jordan terror attack

On the day he would have celebrated his 32nd birthday, Staff Sgt. Jimmy Moriarty’s family accepted a Silver Star Medal awarded for the fallen Army Green Beret's courageous last stand in 2016.

Marine Corps Cpl. Thomas Wilson with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, conducts close-quarters battle training at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, on Jan. 26, 2021. The Marine Corps wants an improved combat uniform with fire protection, without sacrificing the durability and comfort of the existing digital-pattern combat utility uniform.

<br>David Staten/U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Corps looks to add fire protection to combat utility uniform

Marine Corps Systems Command is looking for a uniform that would combine the benefits of the flame-resistant organizational gear, known as FROG, with the durability and comfort of the existing digital-pattern combat utility uniform, and at a price point closer to the latter.

Staff Sgt. Timothy Luke Manchester<br>texas.gov

Soldier who died in Kuwait was Texas guardsman, Marine Corps veteran

Staff Sgt. Timothy Luke Manchester, 34, died Wednesday in a noncombat incident at Camp Arifjan, the Defense Department said in a statement.

Warrant Officer John Wirka, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died from a non-combat related incident, Jan. 14, 2021.
<br>U.S. Army

Tributes pour in after Green Beret's noncombat death

Dozens of people paid homage online to Warrant Officer John Wirka, who died last week in a noncombat incident, and hundreds of people have raised more than $50,000 for the wife and young daughter he left behind.

U.S. Army Spc. Nick Giovannelli from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, fights the current as he crosses a river while on a dismount patrol mission near Forward Operation Base Baylough, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, on March 17, 2009. Giovanelli is suing to prevent retailers from selling Defense Department-released images of him.

<br>Adam Mancini/U.S. Army

Veteran sues retailers after finding image of him in Afghanistan for sale on posters

Army veteran Nicholas Giovannelli is suing to stop several companies from “exploiting his image for profit” after he found them selling posters featuring photos of him taken in Afghanistan many years ago.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kyle Deconnick, 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, shows U.S. Air Force Col. David C. Epperson, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, an M4 rifle once it has been cleaned using an ultrasonic weapons cleaner at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Nov. 9, 2020.
<br>Chanceler Nardone/U.S. Air Force

Spangdahlem Air Base’s rifle-cleaning system does ‘too good a job’ for the Army

A U.S. Air Force base in Germany has slashed the time and cost of a common chore after thousands of M4 rifles failed an inspection — but the Army says the cleaning method they used may do “too good a job.”

Tech. Sgt. Michael Wayne Morris, a maintainer at Aviano Air Base, Italy, died Jan. 12, 2021 from the coronavirus, his friends and family said in Facebook posts.

<br>Facebook

Aviano airman's death was from coronavirus, family and friends say

Tech. Sgt. Michael Morris, an airman based in Italy, died Tuesday.

Gen. Richard D. Clarke, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, presents Lt. Col. Larry Wyatt, USSOCOM clinic director, with a Soldier’s Medal at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 22, 2020. Wyatt was awarded the medal for delivering lifesaving care to two people after a motorcycle collided with bicyclists April 7, 2019, despite being injured himself.

<br>Barry Loo/U.S. Air Force

Green Beret earns Soldier’s Medal for aiding retired Army Ranger

Lt. Col. Larry Wyatt, an Army physician assistant, earned the Soldier’s Medal for his bravery and decisiveness when he strapped a makeshift tourniquet on his own mangled arm and treated his badly wounded mentor after motorcyclists slammed into them at high speed.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Bermudez died in a vehicle accident in Kuwait, officials said. <br>U.S. Army

Soldier who died in Kuwait in vehicle accident was on first overseas deployment

Staff Sgt. Anthony Bermudez, 28, from Dallas, Texas, died after being injured in a vehicle accident in Kuwait.

Marines with Marine Barracks Washington prepare for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration, Washington, D.C., Jan. 5, 2021. The Marines are wearing an unusual combination of a Vietnam-era field jacket in woodland camouflage with their khaki-and-olive green service dress uniforms.

<br>Tanner D. Lambert/U.S. Marine Corps

What kind of uniform is that? Marines drill for inauguration in unique style

The Marines preparing for Inauguration Day ceremonies wore black face masks, white gloves — and an unusual combination of a Vietnam-era field jacket in woodland camouflage with their khaki-and-olive green service dress uniforms.

'Highly driven' Marine silent drill platoon member shot and killed while home on leave

A 20-year-old Marine who was shot and killed while on leave in his Idaho hometown last week was a member of the service’s high profile silent drill platoon.

Col. Ann Brown, 459th Mission Support Group commander, pins the Bronze Star on Senior Master Sgt. Rick Johnson, 69th Aerial Port Squadron operations flight chief, during a ceremony Oct. 3rd, 2020, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Johnson was recently awarded the Bronze Star and Air Force Commendation Medal for his heroic efforts and meritorious achievement while deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

<br>Cierra Presentado/U.S. Air Force

'I did all I could do': NCO earns commendation for bravery in Camp Taji attack

Senior Master Sgt. Rick Johnson had deployed twice before to combat zones, but he never experienced the panic and confusion he saw in Iraq last March during a fatal rocket attack on Camp Taji.

Army Spc. Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubias, 27, of Hanford, Calif., was killed Wednesday, March 11, 2020, during a rocket attack in Iraq. He was with the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas.<br>U.S. Army

Remembering US troops who died in Iraq and Syria in 2020

The eight deaths last year bring to 99 the number of American troops who have died while taking part in the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS since it began a little over six years ago.

Jerry Garcia plays during the Grateful Dead's European tour stop at the Walter Koebel Halle, in Ruesselsheim, Germany, Oct. 1981. Garcia joined the Army in April 1960, but received a general discharge just nine months later.

<br>Stars and Stripes

'Irresponsible, immature … completely lacking in soldierly qualities': Why the Army booted Jerry Garcia 60 years ago

Army recruit Jerome J. Garcia’s staunch resistance to the strictures of military life six decades ago got him discharged just months into his enlistment. Five years later, he founded the Grateful Dead.

Two Iraqis who were detained in June by Poland's counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence service, the Internal Security Agency, or ABW, were charged with helping to fund the Islamic State terrorist group in a court in Wroclaw, in western Poland, Dec. 14, 2020.<br>Poland Special Services

Poland charges two Iraqis with supporting ISIS fighter and bride from Germany

Polish authorities have charged two Iraqi citizens with financing the Islamic State, following a yearslong investigation into money transfers to a German man who went to Syria to join the terror group.

Fritz, a military working dog, and his handler Sgt. Michael Ramirez received Army Commendation Medals in December for discovering a cache of unexploded bombs in Syria.

<br>Inherent Resolve/Twitter

Army K9 and handler honored for discovering IED cache in Syria

Fritz, a 4.5-year-old military working dog who joined the kennels at Fort Carson, Colo., in September 2018, was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with “C” device for the achievement under combat conditions.

A vehicle burns after Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kyle Wetter rescued an 18-month-old child from it in Fallbrook, Calif., Dec. 7, 2020.

<br>Stephen Beard/U.S. Marine Corps

Marine helps save toddler’s life in California car fire

Gunnery Sgt. Kyle Wetter credited his infantry training with conditioning him to quickly respond when an 18-month-old was trapped in a burning car.

Sarah Lewis, 34 and pregnant, died at a Fayetteville, N.C., hospital from multiple gunshot wounds after being found at home with Staff Sgt. Keith Lewis, 31, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Dec. 20, 2020, police and Army reports said. Keith Lewis was a special operations medic based at Fort Bragg, N.C.<br>Facebook

Army special operations medic, pregnant wife dead after domestic dispute

Sarah Lewis, who had served in the Army until the birth of her first child, was due to have her fourth child on Christmas.

Sgt. 1st Class Levi Presley, a special operations soldier, died Dec. 12, 2020, in Florida, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) said.

<br>U.S. Army

‘Angry, sad, heartbroken, numb’: Soldier's sudden death stuns family

A memorial for 34-year old Sgt. 1st Class Levi Presley was held Friday at Eglin Air Force Base.

The Army's Combat Cloth Face Covering will be a 2-ply cloth covering made of 57% cotton and 43% nylon. It will have a pliable nose bridge and drawstring with a barrel lock.

<br>U.S. Army

Army 'expedited' rollout of camouflage masks arrives in less than a year

If it had taken the Army the typical 18 months to two years to roll out its official face mask, it would have been roasted on social media. It got roasted anyway this week for announcing it would be delivered in about half that time.

Golden fries and Boll Burger's signature sandwich, with a fried egg on top, on Dec. 8, 2020.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Boll Burger in Kaiserslautern beats fast-food competition with its simple menu options

There’s a storefront in downtown Kaiserslautern that I’ve seen go from a perpetually shuttered burrito shack, to a sausage shop that rarely showed signs of life, to a pizzeria that at least regularly opened its doors, to a burger joint now.

Sgt. 1st Class Levi Presley, a special operations soldier, died Dec. 12, 2020, in Florida, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) said this week.<br>U.S. Army

Special operations soldier in Florida dies suddenly after illness

A special operations soldier and father of six died from “unforeseen medical complications” in Florida last week, the military said Tuesday.

Marine Corps Pfc. Jackson Blackburn, a tank crewman with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, refuels an M1A1 Abrams tank at Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 10, 2020. Marines in tank-related fields could qualify to leave the service up to one year early as the Corps sheds its heavy armor to reshape its forces.

<br>Reine Whitaker/U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Corps to let armor Marines out early as it prepares for a tankless future

Eligible enlisted armor Marines, senior armor staff noncommissioned officers, tank officers and main battle tank repairer/technicians may be approved to separate up to 365 days before the end of their expiration of active service.

Staff Sgt. Alaxey Germanovich, 26th Special Tactics Squadron combat controller, leads U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army service members as they perform memorial pushups following an Air Force Cross ceremony Dec. 10, 2020, at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.<br>Michael Washburn/U.S. Air Force

Airman who protected fallen Green Beret during ISIS fight receives Air Force Cross

The actions Alaxey Germanovich were honored for came about a week into the mission, on April 8, 2017, when ambushed coalition forces fought a grueling 8-hour gun battle under machine gun and sniper fire from all sides, the award citation says.

Future soldier Kenny Oliver, right, poses with his recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Moe outside Arrowhead Recruiting Station in Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 3, 2020. Oliver, who helped write and produce the 2011 hit "Sexy and I Know It," enlisted in the U.S. Army in late 2020 and will ship out to basic combat training on Dec. 28.

<br>Alun Thomas/U.S. Army

Army and he knows it: Arizonan set to go from DJ to GI

DJ Kenny Oliver, who co-wrote and co-produced tracks on LMFAO’s 2011 album, is joining the Army.

Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne II, 37, was one of two men found dead Dec. 2, 2020, in a training area on Fort Bragg, N.C., the Army said in a statement.<br>U.S. Army

Soldier and veteran found dead at Fort Bragg had longtime ties to the base

Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne II, 37, with U.S. Army Special Operations Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran from Pinehurst, N.C., were found Wednesday in a training area on Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville.

Lt. Gen. Randy A. George, commanding general, I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., presents the Soldier’s Medal to Sgt. Alexander Jabin, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), on Dec. 1, 2020. Jabin was honored for rescuing a driver from a burning vehicle following a collision in March of 2019.

<br>Joshua Belser/U.S. Army

Soldier who risked his life to pull man from burning car gets award for bravery

Sgt. Alexander Jabin sprang into action last year when he heard a "bang" and looked outside his barracks to see figures running around flames.

Seaman Kate Kilroy stands aboard the USCGC Campbell off Greenland, Aug. 15, 2020. Kilroy served as a public affairs specialist covering Arctic operations.

<br>U.S. Coast Guard

A Coast Guardsman bought dinner for a stranger in Greenland; he turned out to be the prime minister

While the Coast Guard cutter Campbell was at port in Greenland’s capital city of Nuuk, Kate Kilroy visited a diner, where she saw a stranger sitting alone. She bought him a meal, just as she would have done in the small North Carolina town where she was raised.

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.