Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
A former soldier has been convicted of sexually abusing children at Fort Stewart while he was on active duty. Austin Michael Burak, 32, Oak Harbor, WA, was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child, or Attempt and Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child, or Attempt following jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia…
By Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Kohrs As I drive through Verdun, France, on my way to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial to cover the Memorial Day ceremony, I am overcome with emotion. More than 100 years ago, a battle raged in this area, shaping the world I live in today. My brothers-in-arms gave their…
An Australian woman says she was detained, searched, jailed, and deported from Hawaii last week while attempting to visit her U.S. Army husband — a case that raises questions about border enforcement practices, marriage-based visa scrutiny, and the limits of the visa waiver program. Sick of all the Ads?! Read this article and all other…
The wife of Sergeant Joseph B. Vitela, the Fort Gregg-Adams-based military police officer convicted in March of domestic violence and lying to Army investigators, has broken her silence in a public statement challenging the Army’s handling of the case. In a message shared on The Salty Soldier Uncensored, Cynthia Vitela described her struggle with alcoholism…
18 Ranger Instructors from the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Camp Rudder have been decertified pending an investigation after videos surfaced showing them firing weapons into the air at Crab Island during the weekend of the 69th annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival. Tired of ADs and Censorship? So are we. See what we really have…
For the first time since 1998, the U.S. Army is increasing monthly jump pay for paratroopers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the pay raise during the 82nd Airborne Division’s annual All American Week, held at Fort Bragg. The event brings together current and former paratroopers for four days of competitions, ceremonies, and camaraderie. Effective immediately,…
In a sweeping directive obtained by Reuters, the U.S. Army has begun ordering the reversal of transgender service members’ official records to reflect their sex assigned at birth. The memo, issued in the wake of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14183 and a recent Supreme Court ruling clearing the way for a military-wide transgender service…
New revelations have emerged in the chilling case of a Fort Drum soldier accused of murdering his roommate with a hammer—an incident that has stunned the Army community and raised questions about safety and support within the ranks. Specialist Riley F. Birbilas, 22, of Kodiak, Alaska, formally pleaded not guilty this week to charges of…
The Army’s long-awaited replacement for the M4A1 and M249 SAW is no longer a prototype or testbed concept. As of May 20th, 2025, Project Manager Soldier Lethality (PM SL) officially confirmed that both the M7 Rifle and M250 Automatic Rifle have received Type Classification – Standard (TC-STD), clearing the path for full-scale fielding across the…
As the Pentagon begins enforcing a new policy separating transgender service members from the military, internal criticism is growing within the ranks—this time from a fellow soldier in the same unit as a transgender National Guard member who has gone viral on social media. A soldier in the Pennsylvania National Guard, who requested anonymity due…