Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
The Department of the Air Force has issued a sweeping update to its uniform and grooming regulations, significantly revising DAFI 36-2903 in a new guidance memorandum released July 11, 2025. The changes affect everything from facial hair and fingernail standards to uniform configuration and terminology—and mark a clear shift in the service’s appearance policies and…
Update: Since the original publication of this article, Army Captain Nicole Albertson has made her TikTok account private. However, screenshots and screen recordings of the content were captured beforehand. Two dual-military officers — an Air Force Major and an Army Captain — appear to be pushing the limits of Department of Defense social media policies…
A former U.S. Air Force member has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a fellow service member while stationed overseas at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. James Loubeau, 37, of Miami, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of abusive sexual contact related to a 2019…
At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, a quiet moment of concern became the difference between life and death—and earned one Airman the title of 2025 USO Airman of the Year. Air Force Senior Airman Anthony Palacios, 27, was just finishing up another day calibrating gear for the 86th Maintenance Squadron when he noticed something was…
A U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant deployed to Alaska for Red Flag training has died following a kayaking accident on the Chena River, according to multiple official sources. Staff Sgt. Christian Diaz, 24, was a member of the 35th Fighter Generation Squadron out of Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. He was in Fairbanks as part…
Over the past few days, a wave of social media posts across TikTok, Threads, and X (formerly Twitter) have identified Capt. Lauren Kram as one of the pilots who took part in this month’s B-2 stealth bomber strikes over Iran — a historic and high-risk mission shrouded in secrecy. The claim, often accompanied by a…
Most young airmen celebrate a promotion with a handshake and a proud photo in uniform. But one 19-year-old airman took a very different route to mark her promotion to Senior Airman (SrA), stirring controversy across military and social media circles. After winning Below The Zone (BTZ) early promotion, she announced her advancement on Instagram. But…
In a bold act of retaliation, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, just two days after President Donald Trump ordered coordinated strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The escalation marks a dramatic new chapter in the widening regional conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United…
The U.S. Air Force might not have publicly announced an official influencer program for active-duty Airmen just yet, but one southern sorority girl is certainly flying straight into that role—algorithm first. Meet Timber Williams, a 23-year-old Phi Mu sister, recent University of Tennessee grad, and private pilot who’s serving in the Air National Guard while…
If there’s one thing you’ve probably learned from reading The Salty Soldier, it’s that truth is almost always stranger than fiction—especially in the military. Seriously, you couldn’t make most of this sh*t up if you tried. From an OF star filming adult content in an Army barracks, to a Marine’s recovering meth addict girlfriend casually…