Captain Kristin Shepherd
Captain Kristin Shepherd, a native of Leonardtown, Maryland graduated in 2006 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Foods and Exercise.
This US soldier tried to cover a retreat in Vietnam — and instead compelled the enemy to
On July 25, 1968, Leonard Louis Alvarado enlisted in the U.S. Army and by August 1969 he was a Specialist 4 and a rifleman in Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Barely a year later, the California native found himself part of a small reaction force advancing through thick jungle near Duc Phong in Phuoc Long Province, in response to Vietnamese communi...[Read More]
Commander Heather E. Davenport
Commander Davenport attended Officer Candidate School in Pensacola in 2001, after receiving her bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The Pentagon wants ‘decision advantage.’ Is that enough?
Pentagon leaders increasingly argue that future wars will be won by the force that can sense, decide and act faster than its enemy. Lessons from Ukraine and growing concerns about potential conflict with China have intensified the Defense Department’s focus on what officials call “information and decision advantage” — the ability to make informed decisions quicker and more accurately than an adver...[Read More]
Sailors with ‘unmanageable permanent’ razor bumps to face separation, Navy says
U.S. Navy service members with shaving waivers who are classified as having a permanent skin condition will face administrative separation, the service announced Tuesday. Active duty and reserve sailors granted facial hair accommodations will be allowed to receive medical treatment for up to 12 months under new Navy grooming standards, but if the irritation they face from shaving is incurable, the...[Read More]
Norfolk Naval Shipyard Welcomes USS Gerald R. Ford for its First Planned Incremental Availability
Ushering in a new era of aircraft carrier maintenance at America’s Shipyard, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) welcomed USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) July 7 in advance of its Planned Incremental Availability (PIA).
Squadron commanding officer identified as Navy aviator killed in downed helicopter
The U.S. Navy identified the missing sailor from an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1 as the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5. Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards vanished after the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter he was aboard went down at 3:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, along with three other sailors who were subsequently rescued. “Commander Gabe Edwards was the epito...[Read More]
US launches new strikes on Iran after reinstating oil sanctions over shipping attacks
The U.S. military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing the country to sell oil after three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on an already fragile ceasefire. After a day in which huge crowds mourned Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom, U.S. Central Command announced that it had begun a...[Read More]
VA’s top health administrator departs post, temporary replacement named
Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health John Bartrum left his job Monday after less than seven months on the job. Bartrum, who announced his resignation to staff June 30, did not provide a specific reason for leaving the VA’s top health job, other than saying he looked forward to “focusing on my family and my health” and supporting the administration’s efforts “in the private sector.” A retire...[Read More]
US Navy fears ballistic missile subs can be hit by drones, anti-tank rockets
When hidden deep in the vastness of the ocean, America’s ballistic missile subs are practically invulnerable. But berthed in port — or sailing on the surface while transiting to and from port — these powerful yet fragile boats can be sitting ducks for drones, mines and even anti-tank rockets. What once seemed the plot of thriller novels has become reality. Ukraine claims it successfully used an un...[Read More]
Largest Advanced Manufacturing Demonstration in Department of War History Set for RIMPAC 2026
The Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) is preparing to support Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 with what organizers describe as the largest advanced manufacturing demonstration ever conducted by the U.S. Department of War (DOW), bringing together military, government, academic, commercial and coalition partners to operation...[Read More]
Two retired warships to be sunk during Rim of the Pacific exercise
Two former U.S. warships are set to be sunk during the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise. The international maritime exercise, which kicked off on June 24, 2026, will see the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu and the cruiser USS Mobile Bay sent below the seas off the coast of Hawaii during a live sinking exercise, or SINKEX event, the San Diego Union-Tribune was first to confirm. RIMPAC, whic...[Read More]