News
Dozens of military commissaries now offering doorstep delivery
As of Wednesday, 32 commissaries have rolled out the new doorstep delivery benefit, with another 14 expected to come online by the end of the day, said Kevin Robinson, spokesman for the commissary agency. And by Sunday, eligible customers near another 24 military grocery stores will have the option of having their discounted groceries delivered to their doorstep, under a new contract to provide th...[Read More]
Drone warfare has dramatically changed the battlefield. Is the US medical corps ready?
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. On a serene Saturday afternoon, thousands of miles from conflict, soldiers with the California Air National Guard are scattered among stations, hunched over a buddy. Some apply tourniquets. Others practice life-saving ski...[Read More]
During his 78th mission, this pilot came up against an unexpected foe
Even in its formative years during World War I, military aviators became aware that their worst enemy was anti-aircraft fire. And if one made it through that gantlet, the next worst thing a pilot could do was to return to his designated target, where an aroused and ready enemy waited. In the case of Capt. Merlyn Dethlefsen, however, mission came first, even if it set him against all the surface-to...[Read More]
During the Meuse-Argonne campaign, this trench runner took initiative
One of the ironic tales to emerge retrospectively from World War I concerns a young Adolf Hitler, a regimental trench-runner in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. Allegedly, his commanding officer, Hugo Gutmann, while recommending him for the Iron Cross First Class for courage under fire, denied him a promotion on the grounds that he lacked the leadership qualities. That story, true or n...[Read More]
During WWI this sailor saved his fellow mate from noxious toilet fumes — earning him the Medal of Honor
Little is known of Wilhelm Smith’s background, save that he was born on April 10, 1870, in a German Empire that would formally unite in the following year. Since then, he emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. By January 1916, he was serving as a gunner’s mate third class aboard the battleship New York (BB-34), one of the most up-to-date and powerful warships of its kind. Fo...[Read More]
Ecuador and U.S. Navies Conduct Bilateral Maritime Engagement in Pacific Ocean
PACIFIC OCEAN – The Ecuadorian and U.S. Navies conducted a bilateral maritime engagement as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment in the Pacific Ocean, April 7-8.
Ecuador readies major offensive on criminal groups with US support
QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday. Speaking to a local radio station, Interior Minister John Reimberg urged citizens to observe an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from March 15-30 in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Dom...[Read More]
Ecuadorian Navy communicator shares global mission aboard BAE Guayas during SAIL250 Maryland
BALTIMORE (June 25, 2026) — As international tall ships gather in Baltimore for SAIL250 Maryland, sailors aboard the Ecuadorian navy sail training ship BAE Guayas are representing their nation while strengthening relationships with partner countries and communities through maritime exchange.
Efforts underway to preserve first WWII Devastator torpedo bomber
A team of maritime and naval conservation organizations are on a mission to save the last viable U.S. Navy Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber. “Of the 129 TBD-1 aircraft built for the service, none have been preserved in museums or private collections; all known examples rest on the ocean floor,” the Naval History and Heritage Command said in a press release. During World War II and postwar, ...[Read More]
Eighty Years Serving the Fleet: Supporting readiness, rhythm, and Navy life wherever duty calls
For 80 years, the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), has supported readiness in ways that feel familiar, dependable and steady. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, NEXCOM’s origins were shaped by a simple but essential challenge: how to reliably support the Navy on land and at sea.
Elmo and friends help military families build healthy habits
Rosita, the furry, turquoise Muppet, shared her recipe for mango salsa with military families during a virtual event Thursday, then cheered them on through the screen as they danced around to upbeat music with her. Parents, babies, toddlers and preschoolers joined in remotely from Camp Pendleton, California, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for a USO Military Virtual Programming session to experien...[Read More]
End of an era: The Dust Devils and one final homage to the Harrier
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, California — The “Dust Devils” of the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-31) brought the AV-8B Harrier’s decades-long testing era to an official close this fall with one final sortie flown by the squadron’s last remaining Harrier pilot, Technical Director James “Jimbo” Coppersmith. Warm desert winds drifted gently from the southwest as Coppersmith pre...[Read More]