Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
A former Fort Jackson Drill Sergeant of the Year has been sentenced to 40 months in confinement and reduced to the rank of private after pleading guilty to domestic violence at a court-martial in Texas. The punishment comes as the Soldier continues to face separate felony charges in El Paso County for an alleged 2024…
A week after two National Guard members were ambushed near the White House, the Pentagon has ordered every Guard member deployed in Washington, D.C., to carry live weapons — a move that has drawn scrutiny from The Guardian, which questioned whether all Guardsmen are professionally trained enough for street-level patrols. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson…
A former staff sergeant assigned to an elite Army intelligence unit is continuing to accuse the service of targeting her, even after documents she posted show she received an honorable discharge and was never punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe she launched shortly after leaving the Army has drawn more…
A Marine Corps recruiter from Michigan will spend decades in prison after a horrifying 2024 home invasion in which he stabbed an 11-year-old girl during a sleepover and told investigators he intended to “kill the entire family.” Cpl. Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and…
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — A Grand Forks Air Force Base Security Forces Airman has been charged with felony reckless endangerment after police say he accidentally shot a fellow defender during a late-night gathering marked by heavy drinking and unsafe handling of firearms. Gerald Hugh Barran Jr., 31, was arrested Saturday night after authorities say he…
Some stories coming out of the military aren’t clean, polished, or ready for a recruitment brochure. They’re messy, human, complicated, and painfully real. This is one of those stories. The woman at the center of it has lived multiple lives: a struggling teenager looking for direction, a young Soldier stationed overseas, a new mother fighting…
An alleged U.S. Army officer is drawing attention after a series of publicly posted social media and subscription-based platform activities suggested she may have been creating adult content while wearing her military uniform and identifying herself as a service member. The online postings, which circulated across multiple platforms, appear to show a pattern of self-promotion…
A West Virginia National Guard soldier has died after she and another Guardsman were shot Wednesday afternoon while serving on a mission in Washington, D.C. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, West Virginia, was pronounced dead after the attack, officials confirmed Thursday. Beckstrom was serving with the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, and…
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are piecing together what led to the ambush-style shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen just steps from the White House on Wednesday. Both soldiers remained in critical condition late into the night as officials confirmed the attack appeared to be targeted. Authorities have not formally identified either service member, but…
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Newly obtained police and court records reveal significant inconsistencies in the events leading up to the February 2025 arrest of Army Sapper NCO Joshua Alexander King, raising questions about when his wife, Darcy King, first became aware of an alleged explosive found in their former home—and what led investigators to the…