News
SOCOM wants to train operators to build, wield FPV drones
Wielding drones in combat missions and being able to repair them on the spot could soon become a new standard among the skills fielded by the operators of U.S. Special Operations Command, per a solicitation released Wednesday. SOCOM wants a contractor to develop a 10-day course for six operators twice a year to train them in all aspects of building and flying first-person view drones, according to...[Read More]
Solar-powered unmanned surface vessel sets new speed crossing Atlantic
A small unmanned surface vessel called the Lightfish made a new milestone for USVs when it arrived in Portugal just over two months after being launched by the U.S. Navy in June. The fully autonomous Lightfish is a small solar-powered craft manufactured by Seasats. Its solar panels operate and store energy even in cloudy weather, and the craft is equipped with a battery and generator that can exte...[Read More]
Solar-powered unmanned surface vessel sets new speed crossing Atlantic
A small unmanned surface vessel called the Lightfish made a new milestone for USVs when it arrived in Portugal just over two months after being launched by the U.S. Navy in June. The fully autonomous Lightfish is a small solar-powered craft manufactured by Seasats. Its solar panels operate and store energy even in cloudy weather, and the craft is equipped with a battery and generator that can exte...[Read More]
Soldier became the first Mexican national to earn the Medal of Honor
He landed on the beaches of Normandy and battled through the bitter European winter in the Hürtgen forest and yet, on Aug. 23, 1945, when President Harry S. Truman placed the Medal of Honor around the neck of U.S. Army, Staff Sgt. Marcario García, he was not yet a U.S. citizen. Born on Jan. 2, 1920 in Villa de Castaño, Mexico, Marcario was one of 10 children born to Luciano and Josefa García. The ...[Read More]
Soldier braved hypothermia, debris in nighttime water rescue
Staff Sgt. David Quay wasn’t a trained or experienced rescue swimmer. But he was ready and willing to go to any lengths to save a fellow soldier, and that made him the best man for the job. Quay, 29, a standardization instructor with 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was on deployment and conducting a routine training flight over the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 10, 2023, when his MH-47 Chi...[Read More]
Soldier regains sense of touch through neural-enabled prosthetic limb
A U.S. soldier participating in a clinical trial at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is testing a neural-enabled prosthetic arm designed to restore the sense of touch through nerve stimulation, the Maryland hospital recently announced. The concept for the device originated with Drs. Ranu Jung and James Abbas of the University of Arkansas, who are conducting a study and contacted Walter...[Read More]
Soldier regains sense of touch through neural-enabled prosthetic limb
A U.S. soldier participating in a clinical trial at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is testing a neural-enabled prosthetic arm designed to restore the sense of touch through nerve stimulation, the Maryland hospital recently announced. The concept for the device originated with Drs. Ranu Jung and James Abbas of the University of Arkansas, who are conducting a study and contacted Walter...[Read More]
Soldier sacrificed to save troops from being buried alive in WWII
The Villa Verde Trail, a 27-mile path in northern Luzon, Manila, was a narrow, densely vegetated mountain path. Deeply entrenched along this trail was elements of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita’s Shobu fighting force — 8,000 well-trained, disciplined and fanatical soldiers of within the Japanese army. The trail intersected Highway 5, a major Japanese highway and supply route. To eliminate the Japanese fr...[Read More]
Soldier who died shielding Polish ally to receive Medal of Honor
The last act of Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, 24, was to step between an Afghan suicide bomber and a Polish army officer — taking the force of the blast and sacrificing his own life to save another. Now, 13 years later, he’ll receive the military’s highest award for his valor, according to his parents. Robert Ollis, Michael’s father, confirmed to Military Times via phone that he and Michael’s mot...[Read More]
Some military barracks ‘chronically neglected’ due to $285 billion in maintenance backlogs, GAO finds
The Department of Defense does not request enough funding to fully meet its installation maintenance and major improvement needs, a Government Accountability Office report found. The department sought to fund 90% of its maintenance needs, but the GAO found that the services continue to request funding for only about 80% of their needs, according to the report released Friday. The funding shortfall...[Read More]
Some Navy families see delays in child care assistance payments
Some U.S. Navy families are experiencing delays of up to 45 days in processing their claims for child care fee assistance — aid that offsets the cost of child care in civilian communities when care isn’t available on military installations. Temporary staffing shortages in the service are causing the delays, said Destiny Sibert, a spokesperson for Navy Installations Command. Navy officials are work...[Read More]
Some Navy families see delays in child care assistance payments
Some U.S. Navy families are experiencing delays of up to 45 days in processing their claims for child care fee assistance — aid that offsets the cost of child care in civilian communities when care isn’t available on military installations. Temporary staffing shortages in the service are causing the delays, said Destiny Sibert, a spokesperson for Navy Installations Command. Navy officials are work...[Read More]