Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
FORT BENNING, GA — The U.S. Army and Southern California surf community are mourning the loss of Private First Class Jake Chandler, a 20-year-old Army Ranger and former professional surfer who died in a skydiving accident on October 26, 2025. Chandler had recently graduated from Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) Class 05-25, officially earning…
WASHINGTON – A newly released Pentagon memorandum outlines updated administrative separation procedures for service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria, reinforcing uniform and grooming requirements and clarifying the process by which commanders and boards determine retention or separation. The memo, issued October 8 by Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata, implements provisions of President Trump’s…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Halloween night gathering in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood escalated into chaos as hundreds of juveniles clashed in the streets, prompting a multi-agency law enforcement response that included National Guard members. According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), First District officers began monitoring the crowd around 7:30 p.m. near the park between…
A Kansas National Guardsman arrested for allegedly trying to aid a Russian intelligence service had been working as a long-haul tanker truck driver, The Salty Soldier has confirmed. According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, Canyon Anthony Amarys, 28, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was arrested on October 28 and charged with attempting to…
Before she ever wore the uniform, Specialist Malarie Veillon was a young college student just trying to find her footing in life. She was attending Southeastern Louisiana University, like many others her age—chasing classes, friends, and weekend escapes. But when tragedy struck in 2022, her life spiraled into a darkness she wasn’t sure she could…
Commanders don’t tense up because she’s bringing tanks. They tense up because she’s bringing questions. Sergeant Major Delia Quintero is the Army’s Inspector General Sergeant Major—the senior enlisted backbone of an enterprise built to check standards, surface problems, and make sure leaders aren’t hiding mold under a fresh coat of paint. She took the job…
Army Sergeant Kayla Thomas grew up in the rough streets of Baltimore, but she’s turned her Army uniform into a ticket to opportunity—and a platform to speak her mind. Known online as @1realmash, Thomas has built a strong social media following, runs a podcast called The Mashup, and uses her experience in uniform to inspire…
An FBI agent who once investigated Americans for the January 6th Capitol riot has now avoided jail himself—after shooting and killing a U.S. Army veteran in the middle of a Virginia street. Special Agent Benjamin Spinale, a 13-year FBI veteran, was convicted of two misdemeanors this month in Stafford County, Virginia. Despite killing Army veteran…
The U.S. Army is tightening eligibility for its Future Soldier Preparatory Course (FSPC) — a program once hailed as the service’s answer to historic recruiting shortfalls — limiting new participants to focus on either academics or fitness, but not both. An Army spokesman confirmed the change this week, noting that implementation has been delayed due…
HINESVILLE, Ga. — Private First Class Zachary Kyle Cunning, a 21-year-old U.S. Army military police officer stationed at Fort Stewart, has bonded out of jail less than three weeks after being charged in connection with the death of his 3-month-old son. Cunning was arrested on September 18, 2025, by the Hinesville Police Department’s Criminal Investigations…
