New Partnership Between PODS and Operation Healing Forces
A new partnership between PODS based in Clearwater, FL and Tampa Bay nonprofit Operation Healing Forces launched this year. PODS now serves as OHF’s exclusive moving and storage provider.
Area municipal leaders visit FRCE to discuss future growth
Local leaders from Carteret County communities visited Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently to learn more about the depot’s current operations and plans for future expansion.
US Navy taps Gecko Robotics to help remedy maintenance headaches
The U.S. Navy is taking steps toward remedying ongoing maintenance delays by enlisting the help of artificial intelligence and robotic systems, the service announced. The sea service reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics, the company confirmed Tuesday, to deploy tech capable of streamlining repairs and reducing maintenance delays for a surface fleet that continues to be str...[Read More]
European allies tell Trump ‘nein,’ ‘non’ and ‘no’ on help to force open Hormuz Strait
PARIS — European NATO allies pushed back against demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, weeks after Iran shut down the majority of shipping through the critical trade artery in response to the American-Israeli war against the country. British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said on Monday the United Kingdom “will not be drawn into the wider war,” while Ger...[Read More]
VA’s review of disability claims for fraud won’t include past filings, officials say
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans’ disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims, a concern that arose recently among veterans following a congressional hearing that divulged the progra...[Read More]
Sailors aboard USS Gerald R. Ford reportedly lost their beds amid fire
More than 600 service members and crew members aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford are without a bed after a fire aboard the ship Thursday, The New York Times reported. The fire took upwards of 30 hours to douse, according to the publication, and it damaged sailors’ sleeping arrangements so badly that they’re having to sleep on floors and tables. The Navy announced Thursday that the world’s largest airc...[Read More]
Top Trump official resigns over Iran, blaming Israel for march to war
Joe Kent, one of the United States’ top counterterrorism officials, announced his immediate resignation on Tuesday, arguing that President Donald Trump had been led into an unnecessary war with Iran — in part by undue influence from Israel. In a letter addressed to the president and posted to social media, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center claimed that the Islamic Republic “pose...[Read More]
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star completes Operation Deep Freeze 2026 mission, departs Antarctica
SOUTHERN OCEAN — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) departed McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, on March 1, after operating for 55 days below the Antarctic Circle and traveling 14,000 miles in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2026.
Marines approve red dot optics for pistol qualification — under one condition
Marines can now complete their handgun qualification using a pistol equipped with a red dot optic, according to a policy change announced in a Marine Administrative Message last week. However, there is a caveat: the optic — an M17 Romeo red dot — must be purchased and issued by the Marine’s unit. Exactly how many Marines will receive the optics remains unclear. Military Times requested comment fro...[Read More]
Serving the US Doesn’t Guarantee Citizenship. Some Veterans Still Face Deportation
Immigrants have long served in the U.S. military, expecting a path to citizenship. But recent cases show some veterans still face deportation years after service.
An Afghan man who worked with the US military dies in ICE custody
HOUSTON — An Afghan immigrant whose family said he had been evacuated from his home country after working for years with U.S. forces died at a Texas hospital after immigration authorities detained him, according to authorities. Federal immigration officials called Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal a “criminal” who had been arrested for alleged fraudulent use of food stamps and for theft. Officials also sa...[Read More]