Independent military reporting for those who’ve served — and won’t stay silent.
Updated on January 29, 2026 A U.S. Army sergeant assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, appeared to insult a commissioned officer, engage in a monetized TikTok livestream, and use profane language while on duty and in uniform, according to a video livestreamed Monday afternoon. The livestream, which aired on Monday,…
PALMYRA, SYRIA — Both Iowa Army National Guard soldiers killed in a terrorist ambush in Syria have now been identified, along with the civilian interpreter who died alongside them, as state and military officials continue to investigate the attack and support the affected families. The soldiers were Sgt. William “Nate” Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, and…
Two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed Saturday during a targeted ambush by a suspected ISIS gunman in central Syria, U.S. and state officials confirmed. Three additional Iowa Guard soldiers were wounded in the attack, which occurred near the historic city of Palmyra. U.S. Central Command said the deaths and…
A U.S. Army master sergeant who appears in online content that has drawn widespread attention and criticism has been identified as a senior Army public affairs noncommissioned officer who appears to remain on active duty. The material, which has circulated across social media platforms and private messaging channels, involves a fetish-themed persona using imagery that…
Two Marines accused of raping a woman in Surf City, North Carolina, are no longer in jail after spending more than a year in custody, according to court records, and are now awaiting trial as the case continues to face repeated delays in Pender County Superior Court. Rylie Tate Petrosky and Ted Arthur Davis, both…
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Newly released court documents from Rock Island County, Illinois, reveal additional details in the criminal case against former Army Sergeant First Class Namon L. Bledsoe, 30, who was convicted in August at a general court-martial for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Salty Soldier obtained and reviewed more than 20…
A video of an Army brigade commander delivering a short, high-energy address to his troops went viral after being shared publicly on Monday, resonating across social media with soldiers and veterans alike. The speech itself was simple and direct — a commander setting standards and building momentum ahead of Tropic Lightning Week 2025. The response…
FORT HOOD, Texas — Capt. Adam W. Martin spent more than two decades in uniform portraying himself as an officer who mitigated risk to people, organizations and the environment. On Nov. 25, the Army determined he was the risk. According to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, Martin, 40, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and…
A Russian-controlled court in eastern Ukraine has sentenced four Russian soldiers for brutally torturing and killing an American who had spent a decade fighting and propagandizing on behalf of Moscow’s war effort. Russell Bentley, a 63-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas, was a well-known figure in Donetsk, where he lived, fought with pro-Russian separatists, and…
A Space Force guardian stationed in Colorado has ignited serious buzz—and concern—after cultivating an unusually revealing online persona that openly intertwines her personal fantasies, emotional vulnerabilities, and self-identified military background. Though she never appears in uniform, she repeatedly references her service, location, and lifestyle in ways that have caught the attention of observers who say…