NCC Harsh

Families of students attending Department of Defense Education Activity schools can apply for free or reduced price school meals during the shutdown, which has affected the income of many military and DOD civilian families. The eligibility is based on income and family size, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eligibility continues as long as the household income qualifies under the...[Read More]

Families of students attending Department of Defense Education Activity schools can apply for free or reduced price school meals during the shutdown, which has affected the income of many military and DOD civilian families. The eligibility is based on income and family size, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eligibility continues as long as the household income qualifies under the...[Read More]

With the federal government shutdown in its second month, commissaries and exchanges are offering some additional relief to the military community. The interest-free offer for those making commissary purchases with their Military Star credit card has been extended through Nov. 30. New and existing cardholders receive 90 days of zero interest, and no payments required. The Military Star card is par...[Read More]

From leadership training for military youth caregivers to training veterans to be baseball umpires, this year’s five Fisher Service Award winners have found innovative ways to fill gaps to meet the needs of those in the military and veteran communities. The top winner, with a grant of $100,000, is the Caregiving Youth Student Leadership Program, which is part of the Military Child Education Coalit...[Read More]

In an era of hypersonic missiles, stealth fighters, and nuclear subs, it’s hard to picture sailors going toe-to-toe with the enemy on a ship’s deck. Yet during World War II, the crew of a brand-new destroyer escort, USS Buckley, did just that by slugging it out in hand-to-hand combat with German sailors from U-66 in the middle of the Atlantic.

Two months after an IT hiccup at the Department of Veterans Affairs left a significant portion of GI Bill recipients without their anticipated payments for school and housing, some advocates have a message for the VA: Turn the GI Bill hotline back on. Those missing payments in the wake of the rollout of a new processing system are spouses or children of veterans who have died, are missing, or have...[Read More]

The Blue Angels’ 2025 Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola has been cancelled, marking the latest casualty of the federal shutdown and defense budget strain. Base officials cited funding shortfalls and contracting delays, while locals lamented the loss of a beloved tradition that typically draws hundreds of thousands to the Gulf Coast. The cancellation echoes past disruptions in 2013 and 2020, rem...[Read More]

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that Washington and Beijing would establish military-to-military communications channels, adding that bilateral ties between the countries have “never been better.” Hegseth said he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, late Saturday on the sidelines of a regional security meeting and that they agreed that “peace, stability and good re...[Read More]

The U.S. military has carried out another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday. Hegseth in a social media posting said the vessel was operated by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization but did not name which group was targeted. He said three people were killed in the strike. It’s at least the 15th such strike carried out ...[Read More]