Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
A U.S. Air Force airman believed to be assigned to Dyess Air Force Base was arrested on an assault charge in late December, weeks after resolving a separate drunken-driving case through a court-ordered probation program, according to public records reviewed by The Salty Soldier. The airman, Zeb Lee Howze V, was arrested by the Abilene…
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — An active-duty U.S. Air Force airman who has been missing for nearly six months is now being investigated as a possible desertion case, according to Air Force officials. Staff Sgt. Isaiah Morningstar, 28, assigned to Holloman Air Force Base, was last seen in the Alamogordo area in July 2025 before departing southern…
Federal authorities have confirmed that a Texas man arrested alongside his wife during a nationwide FBI crackdown targeting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenses was serving on active duty in the U.S. Air Force at the time the alleged crimes occurred. In a statement provided to The Salty Soldier, the Department of Justice confirmed that…
An active-duty U.S. Air Force noncommissioned officer is facing scrutiny over her online activity and outside income streams, raising questions about military regulations, use of social media, and standards enforcement. The Salty Soldier has identified Air Force Staff Sergeant Hannah Kaipat Smith, an E-5 currently residing in South Carolina, as operating multiple public-facing social media…
Federal authorities arrested a Lubbock, Texas couple during a nationwide FBI-led crackdown targeting child sexual abuse offenders, an operation that has raised questions about the male suspect’s reported ties to the U.S. Air Force and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The arrests stem from Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort announced by…
WICHITA, Kan. — Newly unsealed court records are providing a clearer picture of the insurance fraud case involving a senior airman already facing a pending general court-martial on child sex-related charges, revealing how state prosecutors allege he submitted false claims to multiple insurers and highlighting a timeline that overlaps with his own admissions of financial…
WICHITA, Kan. — A senior airman assigned to McConnell Air Force Base is facing a widening set of legal troubles that span a pending general court-martial, multiple civil lawsuits, and a recent county jail booking, according to military case listings, court filings, and jail records reviewed by The Salty Soldier. Randall Race Thomas Moore Jr.,…
The U.S. Air Force will invalidate a large number of existing shaving waivers beginning next year, a move that is already drawing concern from Airmen who rely on medical profiles to avoid daily shaving. According to a newly issued memorandum from Headquarters Air Force, all shaving profiles issued before March 1, 2025, will become invalid…
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…
