News
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]
Ending weight-loss med coverage for some military retirees is unlawful
At 69 years old, after decades in uniform and a promise of lifetime health care, I never thought I would have to fight the Pentagon for medications my doctor deems essential. Yet the Defense Health Agency has terminated coverage of weight-loss medications for 2.5 million Medicare-eligible veterans in Tricare for Life — the Tricare plan for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their Medicare-eli...[Read More]
Ending weight-loss med coverage for some military retirees is unlawful
At 69 years old, after decades in uniform and a promise of lifetime health care, I never thought I would have to fight the Pentagon for medications my doctor deems essential. Yet the Defense Health Agency has terminated coverage of weight-loss medications for 2.5 million Medicare-eligible veterans in Tricare for Life — the Tricare plan for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their Medicare-eli...[Read More]
Energy secretary: Iran ‘frighteningly close’ to nuclear weapon despite Operation Epic Fury
Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned on Wednesday that Iran is “frighteningly close” to obtaining a nuclear weapon, nearly three months after the United States launched a war to irrevocably halt the Islamic Republic from crossing that ominous Rubicon. Wright, referring to Iran’s current stock of nuclear material, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, “They are weeks — a small number of weeks —...[Read More]
Engineer acquitted of charges in probe into fatal 2017 Marine plane crash
A former Air Force engineer who was charged with making false statements and obstructing justice during a criminal investigation into a 2017 military plane crash in Mississippi that killed 16 service members was acquitted Thursday. James Michael Fisher, a former Robins Air Force base employee, was found not guilty on all charges at trial last week, according to court records. The 2017 Marine Corps...[Read More]
![Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 1 of 7]](https://www.navycrf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/250w_q95-3i2d89-810x300.jpg)
![Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 1 of 7]](https://www.navycrf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/250w_q95-3i2d89-80x80.jpg)
Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 1 of 7]
U.S. Marines with Engineer Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, participate in the sword detail during the Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee, Nov. 22, 2025. Founded Nov. 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps has served our nation honorably in every climate and place for 250 years. Throughout 2025, Marines across ...[Read More]
![Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 7 of 7]](https://www.navycrf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/250w_q95-y8RKGL-810x300.jpg)
![Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 7 of 7]](https://www.navycrf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/250w_q95-y8RKGL-80x80.jpg)
Engineer Company C hosts the Marine Corps 250th Birthday Ball [Image 7 of 7]
U.S. Marines with Engineer Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, pose for a group photo during the Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee, Nov. 22, 2025. Founded Nov. 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps has served our nation honorably in every climate and place for 250 years. Throughout 2025, Marines across the globe...[Read More]
Epic Fury has Navy rethinking carrier deployment tempo
With the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford en route home from what has become the longest U.S. Navy float since Vietnam, the service is reconsidering how to sustain a wartime fighting force. That’s according to Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman, who addressed service needs and quality of life concerns at a forum hosted by Military Officers Association of America this month. Wi...[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]
Even $500 could make a difference for military childcare workers, researchers find
Low pay is the leading reason childcare providers leave their jobs — both military and civilian — but even a $500 retention bonus could keep many of these providers at risk of leaving, new research has found. Across the board, childcare providers struggle with financial issues, with about one in five reporting food insecurity, and about one-third struggling with debt. Childcare providers across th...[Read More]
Events Marking 80th Commemoration of End of World War II Offer Time for Reflection, Gratitude
Access to Ford Island and other areas on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman are usually off limits to the general public, but from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, Hawaii residents had an opportunity to visit the base to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The open base event included ceremonies and activities on Ford Island, at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and on the Battleship Misso...[Read More]
Every Venezuelan drug boat leads to 25,000 deaths, Trump claims
President Donald Trump delivered remarks quantifying the dangers Venezuelan drug-carrying vessels pose to the U.S. during a publicly televised military gathering on Tuesday. At Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Trump provided purported figures for the number of deaths the alleged drug boats are responsible for. “Every boat kills about 25,000 people,” Trump claimed during his speech, noting aft...[Read More]