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D-Day vet who moved to Normandy in final years dies at 101
Charles Norman Shay earned a Silver Star on Omaha Beach. He is thought to be the last of roughly 500 Native American soldiers who fought on D-Day.
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How military families remember the fallen with tattoos
From recreated handwriting to portraits and landscapes to tiny birthmarks, tattoos preserve memories of the lost.
Army pilots face low morale and ‘survivor remorse’ amid massive cuts
One pilot said “it feels like we are designing a force that looks like Ukraine with drones and robots, forgetting that our primary thing is maneuver. We do that very well.”
This is why the top Marine general doesn’t wear the commandant’s cover
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith requested a waiver from the Marine Corps Uniform Board to not wear the commandant’s official cover.
A veteran’s service in Panama isn’t covered by the VA. There are hundreds like him.
Hundreds of U.S. troops have been denied VA claims linked to 1980s duty in Panama amid toxic chemicals and Agent Orange remnants.
The Navy’s original island hopping strategy
In the years between World War I and II, the U.S. military had ambitious and prescient ideas for war in the Pacific.
Pentagon pledges $400 million for ‘immediate’ barracks renovation
Another $800 million is being directed towards “critical” repairs in military housing.
Space Force trainees will get the service’s new dress uniform
The new formal wear will be widely available in 2026. The current class of Space Force trainees will be the first to graduate with the uniforms.
The Army’s latest PSYOP recruiting ad reminds you: ‘We are everywhere’
“Words are weapons.”
Marine Corps reaches retention goal in just a month
As the Corps turns 250, plenty of Marines want to stay in the service.
Air Force F-16 pilot awarded Silver Star for actions in the Middle East
Lt. Col. William “Skate” Parks led the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to a total 108 aerial kills, and personally defended the USS Harry S. Truman from attack.
Suspect to be charged with murder after National Guard soldier dies in DC
Troops lined the streets of the capital for a fallen soldier procession for Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, following Wednesday’s shooting.
Happy Thanksgiving from Task & Purpose
We couldn’t do this without you, and we sure as hell wouldn’t want to.
2 National Guardsmen shot while deployed to Washington, DC
The shooting took place outside the Farragut West Metro station in downtown D.C., near the White House.
Marines fire Okinawa logistics squadron commander amid investigation
Lt. Col. Calischaran G. James was fired as commander of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36 as “an active investigation is underway,” Corps officials said.
National Guardsman who died on DC mission remembered as ‘down-to-earth’ and ‘almost like Superman’
Staff Sgt. Jacob Hill, who was sent to Washington, D.C., with the Alabama National Guard, died from a medical emergency earlier this month.
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.
