Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
Editor’s Note: This version of the article has been edited for advertiser and platform standards. The full investigative report is available to subscribers. The Salty Soldier has identified the woman behind the online pornography account previously reported on by this publication as Jessica Verdeja, who publicly identifies herself online as the spouse of MSG Anthony…
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina judge has denied a request to release the wife accused of killing retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Clinton “Clint” Bonnell, rejecting defense arguments that prosecutors lack physical evidence tying her to the crime. During a bond review hearing held May 5 in Cumberland Superior Court, Judge Keith O….
Davy Cleon Spencer Jr., the 47 year old Wilmington man charged in the April 5, 2026 fatal stabbing of 21 year old Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, was not a stranger to North Carolina courts. Court records reviewed by The Salty Soldier show Spencer’s criminal history stretches back more than 30 years, including prior convictions,…
Four active-duty Fort Hood soldiers were among 11 men arrested during a Central Texas child exploitation sting operation targeting individuals accused of attempting to solicit sex from minors online, according to Texas authorities and court records reviewed by The Salty Soldier. The operation was conducted in Bell County by the Texas Department of Public Safety…
An armed security guard working at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon following an hours-long standoff that prompted a shelter-in-place order and a large-scale response from local and state law enforcement, including the Massachusetts State Police SWAT Team. Authorities say the incident unfolded around 9:15 a.m. after officers…
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that the service member arrested in a North Dakota undercover sting operation targeting alleged online child predators is a commissioned officer assigned to Grand Forks Air Force Base. In a statement provided to The Salty Soldier, the Air Force identified the accused as 2nd Lt….
A U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who was acquitted in a Texas civilian court is now scheduled to face a General Court-Martial stemming from related allegations, highlighting the differences between civilian and military justice systems. Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Painter is set to stand trial at Fort Hood beginning August 10, 2026. The proceedings are expected…
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — An active-duty U.S. Air Force service member is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say he attempted to meet with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl following sexually explicit online communications. Christopher Adrian Nunez, 31, of Grand Forks, has been charged with luring a minor by computer or electronic…
An Army sergeant first class who once opened his home to a teenage foreign exchange student will spend the rest of his life in federal prison, after court records revealed a prolonged pattern of misconduct, manipulation, and lasting harm that extended far beyond what was initially disclosed by federal prosecutors. Anthony George Ruggiero, 42, of…
The largest U.S. military exercise on the African continent has taken a serious turn, as two American soldiers remain missing following an incident off the coast of Morocco. According to United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), the soldiers were reported missing on May 2, 2026, near the Cap Draa Training Area outside the coastal city of…
