Mission Marge Brings Legacy of America's 'Ace of Aces' to Guam Airmen

July 24, 2026 | By Air Force Airman 1st Class Charline Ebreo, 36th Wing |

A recovered wingtip from "Marge," the legacy Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft flown by Army Air Forces Maj. Richard Bong, America's World War II "Ace of Aces" and Medal of Honor recipient, touched down on U.S. soil for the first time in over 80 years at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 13.  

The Wisconsin Air National Guard transported the historic artifact as part of Mission Marge, an effort to preserve a piece of World War II aviation history.

"The leading World War II ace, Richard Bong, was born and raised in Poplar, Wisconsin," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Adria Zuccaro, the Wisconsin Air National Guard chief of staff-air. "The Wisconsin Air National Guard, who's a state partner, joined in on this really exciting historical moment."  

Zuccaro and the aircrew participated in the wingtip's recovery, transporting it aboard an existing mission returning from Papua New Guinea through the War Department National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.  

The arrival marks a major milestone in Mission Marge, a collaborative preservation endeavor between the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Pacific Wrecks.

The plane, named after Bong's girlfriend and future wife — Marjorie Ann "Marge" Vattendahl — crashed in the jungles of Papua New Guinea in 1944 and remained undisturbed for decades. The return of this surviving segment bridges the legacy of America's "Ace of Aces" with the modern Air Force.  

The recovery effort brought together Bong's family, the Wisconsin Air National Guard, Pacific Wrecks, the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery and local communities, whose respective representatives made up the Mission Marge delegation that stopped by Andersen.  

Airmen gathered at the base's Sunrise Conference Center for a briefing led by Justin Taylan, founder of Pacific Wrecks, chronicling Bong's military legacy and the expedition that uncovered his aircraft.

Taylan explained how historical records, archival research and an expedition to Papua New Guinea led investigators to the crash site in May 2024. The team documented thousands of images of the wreckage before identifying distinctive P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft components, which ultimately confirmed its identity.  

"Where the red paint had faded away, below it, was a black stenciled '993,'" he said. "Finding the serial number on that wreckage was the sign that we had waited for, that this is Richard Bong's plane."  

Mitchell Erickson, Bong's nephew, answered questions from attendees at the end of the brief, detailing the significance of the recovery to his family and Air Force history.

"Seeing a piece of your history come through, especially the aircraft of the 'Ace of Aces,' is significant for airmen today," Erickson said. 

Andersen Air Force Base served as the first stop for the historic wingtip after departing from Papua New Guinea, and it continued its journey to Hawaii before arriving at its final destination in Wisconsin.  

The wingtip was unveiled during the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, before becoming part of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center's collection in Superior, Wisconsin, where it will preserve Bong's legacy and educate future generations about one of the nation's most celebrated pilots.  

"For us [who] are currently serving, I hope what you take from this is that people do remember that our service is important, and it's not only important for those who serve, but it's important to your families," Zuccaro said. "You can take this as a demonstration that 82 years later, there is still family that this is incredibly important to."

Historic Multinational Medical Team Integrates Aboard the USS Essex

July 24, 2026 | By Navy Chief Petty Officer Kathryn Macdonald, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet |

In a historic medical first, a multiservice, multinational team of American and Canadian military medical professionals successfully delivered seamless, life-saving trauma care afloat. 

Operating aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, this newly forged coalition of doctors, nurses, medics and combined operating room technicians proved they could run a fully functioning shipboard trauma center under the most intense combat and disaster conditions.

Traditionally, while multiservice and multinational hospitals have successfully operated on land during past conflicts, afloat environments have remained strictly isolated. The administrative intricacies of differing licensing, credentialing and clinical privileges across nations and branches have historically posed an insurmountable barrier. For this iteration of Exercise Rimpac, planners spent more than six months pushing paperwork up the chain of command to grant active clinical practice authority to Canadian and U.S. Army personnel aboard a Navy vessel, allowing them to physically treat patients for the first time.

"The medicine is pretty straightforward, and we all practice good, evidence-based medicine," said Navy Capt. David Foster, the USS Essex senior medical officer. "We didn't have to teach each other how to do medicine. What we did have to learn how to do was integrate and communicate as a team."

This unique integration allowed the Essex to fully flex its hospital capabilities, running all four of its onboard operating rooms simultaneously to manage a massive, simulated influx of critically injured casualties.

The combined force fused the organic crew of the Essex and the Navy's Fleet Surgical Team 5 with the Army's 147th Field Hospital and 105th Surgical Augmentation Detachment, alongside Canada's 1 Canadian Field Hospital and the Canadian Medical Emergency Response Team.

The joint team's capabilities were put to the ultimate test during a massive, two-phase casualty drill simulating the aftermath of a natural disaster. During the exercise, the integrated medical department managed a total of 17 simulated patients presenting with severe, life-threatening trauma — a fourfold increase from a smaller, four-patient trial run conducted days prior.

Casualties were transported from the point of injury by a diverse fleet of partner-nation aircraft and Army helicopters.

Significantly, the Canadian Medical Emergency Response Team acted as the en route care asset, picking up casualties from the point of injury and treating them in the air aboard a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook. The Canadian team inside the cabin included emergency physician Capt. Richard Lee, flight nurse Maj. Nadine Verwey and paramedic Sgt. Nickolas Petuhoff performed aggressive, mid-flight resuscitations.

"The one that I was most involved in the care of was a patient who sustained facial trauma where they had a compromised airway," Petuhoff said. "They required some aggressive airway management ... so they had a surgical airway."

The team also had to contend with aircraft variations that disrupted their standard operating procedures. Verwey noted that the U.S. Army Chinook had a large internal fuel tank, which reduced cabin space compared to Canadian aircraft.

"We weren't able to just do what we normally do," she said. "We had to adjust our plan, which helps to build flexibility and resilience in the team."

Once the casualties crossed the threshold into the ship's medical bay, they were met by a unified trauma team that spent the preceding days actively ironing out communication and process bottlenecks.

"Somebody might call a piece of equipment a widget and somebody else might call it a thingamabob," Foster said. "As soon as we got underway together, we got the team leaders together, and we paired up and grouped up the folks of the same skill types together to clarify and level-set all of those communications."

The team also implemented a radical, bottom-up process improvement suggested by a junior crew member to reverse the physical flow of patients through the triage spaces. By replacing standard hand-carried stretchers with rolling gurneys and establishing a strict, one-way directional flow, the team drastically reduced transit time between the flight deck, triage area and operating rooms.

"As small a difference as that might seem on the outside, it is actually a really significant change that really improves patient flow," said Lt. Cmdr. Sebastian Vuong, a Canadian anesthesiologist and transfusion medicine specialist.

Inside the operating suites, the realism of the training was elevated by hyper-realistic cut suits.

"The surgeon can actually cut through with a real scalpel. There [are] actual organs inside that actually bleed," said Navy Cmdr. Jesse Bandle, FST 5 officer in charge and commander of the Amphibious Task Force-Surgeon, Amphibious Squadron 5. "It really increases the level of fidelity of this surgical simulation."

Vuong, alongside an Army general surgeon, performed an emergency thoracotomy on a cut suit to open a patient's chest, control massive lung bleeding and administer blood transfusions. To manage resources efficiently, Vuong also provided intensive care unit sedation for a bilateral leg fasciotomy on an electrical burn patient to save the limb, freeing up the operating rooms for other critical cases.

"It's really not about the medical clinical care; it's about how to streamline the processes," she said. "Medicine really has no uniform."

The drill also forced the medical staff to navigate the grim realities of mass casualty triage and resource limitations. Facing a patient with an unsalvageable head injury and exposed brain matter, providers pivoted to expectant care, administering pain medications for comfort while bringing in the ship's chaplain to ensure a dignified death.

For veteran land-based providers like Army Col. Dennis Turner, a nurse anesthetist with 25 years of service, practicing medicine afloat introduced unique, eye-opening challenges. 

"I learned that I can do resuscitative immersion care pretty much in any environment now, even aboard ship," Turner said. 

He noted that, unlike a land-based Army field hospital, where supply replenishment is constant, shipboard medicine is far more isolated. 

"It seems like it's more resource-constrained here out in the middle of the ocean than we are on land," Turner said. "We don't have to worry about whether we're close enough to land to be able to receive more supplies and send away casualties."

While surgeons operated, the ship's dental crew activated a "walking blood bank," drawing fresh whole blood from the crew to sustain the trauma bay. Other teams managed complex abdominal laparotomies, packed open wounds and stabilized severe pelvic fractures.

"I learned how to be a bit more fluent, control the chaos, both outside and on the inside, a little bit better," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Cole Krablin, search and rescue medical technician. "Stay ready, be ready."

Beyond the clinical success, the exercise highlighted the strategic advantages of using an amphibious assault ship like the USS Essex for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. While dedicated hospital ships like the USNS Mercy offer extensive clinical space, they are slower to transit and rely heavily on civilian hospital staffing. The Essex offers a highly mobile, tactically flexible alternative, combining robust Role 2 surgical suites with the organic heavy-lift capabilities of the Marine Corps.

"The Essex provides a unique ability to really incorporate the extra assets from the Marine Corps as far as airlift, transport and being able to put the Marines ashore to clear obstacles, restore operations at airfields, purify water and transport food," Bandle said.

By the end of the exercise, the multiservice, multinational team successfully rewritten the playbook for shipboard trauma care. At the patient's bedside, the boundaries between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and Canadian Armed Forces dissolved entirely, leaving behind a highly capable, unified force ready to face the world's next crisis.

"Medicine is a language that all of us speak with the same goal of providing excellent patient care," Verwey said.

Thirty nations, 30 surface ships, 5 submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 190 aircraft and more than 30,000 personnel participated in Exercise Rimpac 2026 in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 24-31. The world's largest international maritime exercise provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. The exercise is the 30th in the series that began in 1971.

Boys Nation Delegates Visit Pentagon, Lay Wreath at 9/11 Memorial

July 24, 2026 | By Army Maj. Wes Shinego, Pentagon News |

Just months ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, about 100 high school students from the American Legion Boys Nation program visited the Pentagon July 21. 

The trip included laying a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial before touring the building and hearing remarks on service, character and the responsibilities of leaders. 

Joined by about 30 Legionnaires, counselors and staff, the delegates began at the memorial to see the 184 benches honoring those killed aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and inside the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. 

Jared Harrison, a Boys Nation counselor who was a White House intern on the day of the attacks, described the uncertainty in Washington that morning and the unity that followed. He told the delegates that the country needs their leadership now. 

"You have been told several times this week that you're the leaders of tomorrow," Harrison said. "I want to impress upon you: you're the leaders of now; we need you today." 

Brady Pace, Boys Nation's president pro tempore, connected the ceremony to the oath each delegate took as a senator. 

"When we as senators took our oaths of office, we swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Pace said. "These souls made the ultimate sacrifice in both support and defense of our Constitution." 

John Alley, the program's senate secretary, spoke about the resolve Americans displayed after the attack. 

"In the face of unspeakable tragedy, we did not fracture as our enemies intended," Alley said. "Rather, we came together in a way the world never imagined that we could." 

After two delegates placed the wreath, the group toured the Pentagon and gathered in the Hall of Heroes, where the names of Medal of Honor recipients line the walls. 

"It was a powerful experience," said Thomas Farrell, a delegate from Huntington, West Virginia. "The military has always seemed so abstract to me, and the Pentagon seemed like an unreachable place, but actually going and seeing where our freedoms are defended was incredibly informative." 

Before the formal briefing, delegates discussed their own ambitions — service academies, ROTC, aviation, intelligence, explosive ordnance disposal and other fields — and learned there is no single route into military service. They were encouraged to keep their options open and, once entrusted to lead, to listen to the noncommissioned officers and enlisted experts who have mastered their crafts. 

Navy Vice Adm. Paul Spedero Jr., director of the Joint Staff, told the delegates that the republic prospers because of leadership and service. Speaking during the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence, Spedero focused on four attributes he said effective leaders share: integrity, resilience, decisiveness and humility. 

"Your integrity is a currency," Spedero said. "Every time you tell the truth, even when it's inconvenient, every time you take responsibility for a failure instead of passing the blame, you make a deposit into that account. When you lie, cheat or deflect, you bankrupt it. Without integrity, you cannot build trust. And without trust, you cannot lead." 

The questions ranged from combat decisions and command to servant leadership, drone warfare and artificial intelligence. Asked how leaders develop, Spedero said experience matters most. 

"But the best contributor to your leadership development is experience," he said. "So, every opportunity that you have to be out there leading, don't miss it." 

The annual Pentagon visit is part of Boys Nation's weeklong program in Washington, during which delegates study representative government and public service. 

When asked about servant leadership, Spedero explained motive matters more than rank or status. 

"If you're here for rank, if you're here for stature, if you're here for money, you're in the wrong place," he said. "If you're here because you want to make a difference, and you want to make a difference with other people that want to make a difference, then servant leadership is easy."

DOW Identifies Army Casualty

July 25, 2026 |

The Department of War has confirmed the identity of an active‑duty Soldier who was killed in action supporting overseas operations in Jordan, following positive identification by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.

Staff Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, N.Y., died on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. The incident remains under investigation.

Staff Sgt. Rampersad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.

For more information regarding Staff Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, members of the media may contact U.S. Army Europe and Africa at media@army.mil.

Maintainers Work Quietly Behind Scenes Ensuring Global Power

July 23, 2026 | By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Wirth, 171st Air Refueling Wing |

Every successful flight begins well before it takes off. As the sun rises over the 171st Air Refueling Wing, near Pittsburgh, long before a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling tanker aircraft can leave the ground, the crew chiefs are already hard at work.

Hidden behind a large hangar door, the crew chiefs are just one of the many quiet constants on base at the Pittsburgh International Airport in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The public rarely sees their work, and they never fly in the cockpit, but their fingerprints are on every takeoff and every safe return home.

For approximately 100 crew chiefs who call the 171st home, their work goes far beyond routine maintenance and preflight inspections. Every takeoff is backed by hours of training, working in year-round weather conditions and nonstop troubleshooting to keep the nearly 70-year-old KC-135 tankers flying.

"Yes, it's an older airplane, but it's [kind of] like working on an older car; everything we touch is mechanical," said Air Force Master Sgt. Justin Hughes, full-time crew chief mechanic assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing. "We fly with cables and pulleys, so whenever there is something wrong, there is something physical for us to fix, a puzzle to solve. It's something I can put a wrench to and work to fix."

For Hughes and the rest of the maintenance team, solving those puzzles comes twice as often. The 171st is the only Air National Guard unit that operates two aerial refueling flying squadrons. This unique structure has earned the wing the unofficial designation of a "super wing."

Despite the difficulty of maintaining a force twice the size, the wing does so with roughly the same number of maintenance personnel as other tanker units that only have one flying squadron.

While the 171st crew chiefs continue to maintain the wing's 16 KC-135 tankers, much of their work happens behind the scenes. Like the cables and pulleys that work together to lift a heavy load, crew chiefs are just one part of a larger puzzle that keeps all of the aircraft mission ready.

"The specialized issues that we find during the inspection go to the other specific shops in maintenance," Hughes said. "We [the crew chiefs] work together with the rest of maintenance to get the planes ready to fly so we can ensure the plane takes off safely. It's a group effort."

That group effort is visible every time a tanker takes to the skies and plays a major part in the 171st successfully offloading millions of pounds of fuel every year to U.S. and NATO aircraft. In doing so, the 171st ensures that the broader military force can project power, defend national security interests and respond to crises anywhere on the globe at a moment's notice.

But for Hughes, along with the mission's success, he finds that one of the most rewarding parts of the job comes after the work is done and the aircraft has landed somewhere new.

"Traveling is definitely my favorite part of the job," Hughes said. "Going to different places and meeting new people, you never realize how big the world is until you land and get to see something new."

Navy Nurse Awarded for Pediatric Trauma Care Research, Improvements

July 23, 2026 | By Riley Eversull, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune |

A nurse assigned to the Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune in North Carolina is being recognized for her research and process improvement efforts in pediatric trauma care.

Navy Cmdr. Emily Latimer, an emergency clinical nurse specialist, was recently awarded the Defense Health Agency Nursing Award for Evidence-Based Practice. Latimer spearheaded a project to examine methods for administering blood specifically to pediatric trauma patients. 
 
According to Latimer, giving blood to a pediatric patient requires a different volume, specific needles or a smaller IV — meaning that blood systems used for adult patients don't always transition well for children. Latimer said she was inspired to pursue this project by past cases of critically ill children.

"In a military treatment facility, a huge portion of our patients are pediatrics. For example, at our emergency department here, 25% of our patients are pediatrics. Being able to provide the care and, hopefully, be a source of trust and stability for their families – that's taking care of our military community," she said. 
 
Latimer and her team procured grant funding to purchase a manual blood infusion system for pediatric trauma patients, and nurses and paramedics tested the system for several weeks. Findings showed that a system designed to administer blood to pediatric patients was easier and faster for users and should be a component that trauma centers consider obtaining to ensure pediatric readiness capabilities. 
 
"Our job is to take care of vulnerable patients, and if we're finding ways to make improvements, we are doing our job to make things better for our patients," Latimer said. "Ultimately, if we are getting recognized for this work, that means the work we are doing is meaningful. It gives us an opportunity and a venue to share what we learned, so that maybe other people can implement similar solutions." 
 
Latimer noted that research on pediatric care is vital to the readiness component of military medicine.

"As much as our deployment training is focused on preparing to receive adult patients, in many deployed settings, we do take care of sick kids. Having the skills, the comfort and the experience with sick children in a military treatment facility prepares our healthcare workers for deployment medicine," she said.

Latimer was also awarded the Pediatric Readiness Improvement Award through the Emergency Nurses Association, recognizing her work on the blood project and other improvements for critically ill pediatric patients, such as medication and safety audits.  

However, Latimer does not take credit for the accolades; instead, she proudly attributes the success to her research team. 
 
"So much of this was a group effort," she said. "I feel really lucky that I was able to work with people that have such expertise and care and were willing to take time out of their day-to-day tasks to spend time dedicated to these projects." 
 
Latimer, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has served 16 years in the Navy and will soon embark on her next journey as the department head for corpsman trauma training at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland.

Army Contracting Support Enables Marine Operations Along Southern Border

July 21, 2026 | By U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command |

Contracting officers assigned to the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command Southern Border Contract Team provided contract support to Marines assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment supporting Operation Ardent Vanguard. 

The MICC Southern Border Contracting Team is part of the Forward Contracting Element – West, Theatre Contracting Center – Americas, 410th Contracting Support Brigade, aligned under the MICC.

For the southern border mission and area of operation, the Marines do not have organic contracting units, making Army contracting support essential to their mission success.

The Army and Marine Corps maintain fluid communication channels and continuously reach out for mutual support in joint operations. With just under 100 service members maintaining patrols around the clock across demanding terrain, Company A depends on a steady stream of support services to stay in the fight.

"The Army contracting team has been instrumental to our mission success along the southern border," said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Martin Hlinovsky III, a maintenance chief assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. "Their responsiveness in securing hotel arrangements that meet force protection requirements while reducing commute times has directly enhanced our operational readiness. We are extremely grateful for their contracting expertise and partnership in enabling our mission." 

The MICC Southern Border Contracting Team does not operate from a fixed Army post or camp. Instead, the contracting team deploys along the southern border and commutes to different locations to conduct site visits and reconnaissance for potential contracting needs. This mobile approach allows the team to be responsive to the dynamic operational environment. 

During the visit to Company A's operating location — a repurposed facility that presents unique support challenges — the team conducted a full review of the unit's basic life support services to assess where contracting is delivered and where gaps remain.

A key part of the visit was educating the Marines on the acquisition process and the proper channels available to resolve ongoing support challenges. The MICC team walked leaders through the fundamentals of contracting support and how they become actionable contract solutions. 

While these Marine-driven solutions speak to the unit's resourcefulness, they also highlight an opportunity for contracting to step in earlier so that Marines can invest their energy in the mission rather than in building makeshift solutions. Identifying these gaps is exactly why the MICC Southern Border team walks the ground. 

The MICC's greatest contributions have been relocating service members to hotels that meet force protection standards, reducing commute time and lessening the demand to stay for long durations in centralized or isolated locations.

Specific contracting support for the southern border includes lodging and conference rooms for Task Force Leviathan across San Diego; Yuma, Arizona; El Centro, California; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. The support also includes sanitation services for Task Forces Forge, Mustang, Strike and the Army Reserve's 489th Engineer Battalion, as well as the Army National Guard's 168th Military Police Battalion and 941st Military Police Battalion units across Arizona and Texas locations. Infrastructure support includes portable office buildings, equipment rentals, wireless communications and battalion aid stations. Additionally, multilocation operations span the Rio Grande Valley, Del Rio, Brownsville and McAllen in Texas; and Nogales and Naco in Arizona.

Currently, the MICC Southern Border Contracting Team manages 19 active contracts valued at approximately $56 million in support of southern border operations. Through strategic contracting practices and effective negotiation, they have achieved $960,000 in cost savings in the past 30 days alone. 

Going forward, the MICC team is committed to anticipating requirements by staying engaged with the units on the ground rather than waiting for problems to surface, streamlining support for life-sustainment needs while empowering units with a working knowledge of the contracting process and the proper channels to use, and scaling infrastructure and support services to match the operational tempo and terrain. 

By walking the ground alongside the warfighters, the MICC team is better positioned to deliver the right capabilities, at the right time, in the right place.

DOW Identifies an Army Casualty

July 21, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the believed to be death of an active-duty Soldier who was supporting overseas operations in Jordan.

Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, is believed to have been killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. The incident is under investigation. U.S. Central Command previously announced this Soldier as missing. The Soldier status was updated to a Duty Status–Whereabouts Unknown and is believed to be deceased.

Sgt. Rampersad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.

For more information regarding Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, members of the media may contact U.S. Army Europe and Africa at media@army.mil.

New York Guardsmen, Greenland Airports Partner to Improve Lodging Facility

 July 21, 2026 | By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jocelyn Tuller, 109th Airlift Wing |

The New York Air National Guard, New York Army National Guard and Greenland Airports are working together to improve living conditions for airmen by repairing a long-standing roof issue at a lodging facility in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. 
 
The project adds a new pitched roof over the building's existing flat roof to stop water from leaking into the facility. There have been two rotations of 46 soldiers so far, and construction is expected to be completed in August, following three rotations of soldiers assigned to the New York Army National Guard's 1156th Engineer Company. 
 
The soldiers are vertical engineers who specialize in building construction, maintenance and upgrades. 
 
"We've known for years that there's problems with the roof," said Air Force Col. Eric Underhill, deputy commander of the 109th Airlift Wing. 
 
The 109th Airlift Wing conducts mission-essential training and provides remote resupply support across the Greenland ice sheet each year, beginning in April and running through August. 
 
Underhill began working with Greenland Airports two years ago to discuss facility improvements as part of a new operating agreement.

Greenland Airports, which owns the building, initially sought a contractor to complete the work. After no contractors accepted the project, Underhill proposed a partnership that would allow New York Army National Guard engineers to complete the construction during annual training.

Under the agreement, Greenland Airports designed the roof and purchased the construction materials, while the New York Army National Guard provided the labor. 
 
"This would not have happened if we didn't trust each other and we didn't have a good working relationship," Underhill said. 

 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Reid Duncan, an engineering technician assigned to the 1156th, worked with Underhill during multiple site visits to evaluate the project before construction began. 
 
The project builds on work completed by New York Army National Guard engineers during annual training last year. Underhill said the project demonstrated that the soldiers could successfully complete construction projects in Greenland's remote environment.  
 
Construction in Greenland requires months of planning, and the remote location creates additional challenges throughout construction. Underhill said logistics and sustainment make building in the region difficult. 
 
"If something breaks, or you are short on material, it is a long turnaround to get a replacement," Duncan said. 

 
Rather than removing the existing roof, the soldiers are building a new pitched roof over the original flat roof. The new design will direct water away from the building instead of through the interior drainage system that contributed to years of leaks. 
 
"Jobs like this really show them what real construction is like," Duncan said. "We're not just building a 10-by-10 shed; this is a big job." 
 
Underhill said the completed roof represents more than a construction project. The project gives soldiers valuable experience completing a large-scale construction project while improving living conditions for airmen supporting the 109th Airlift Wing's Arctic missions. 

DOW Identifies an Army Casualty

July 21, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the death of an active-duty Soldier who was supporting overseas operations in Iraq.

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System on July 19, 2026, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq. The incident is under investigation.

Sgt. Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

For more information regarding Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, members of the media may contact the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command at usarmy.redstone.smdc.list.public-affairs@army.mil.

Minnesota National Guard, Croatia Celebrate 30 Years of Partnership

July 20, 2026 | By Army Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, Minnesota National Guard |

Minnesota and Croatia celebrated the 30th anniversary of their partnership through the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program during Exercise Combat Power 26, near Slunj, Croatia, June 29. 
 
"This partnership is best measured not only in years, exercises or official milestones, but in people," said Nicole McGraw, U.S. ambassador to Croatia. "It is measured in Croatian and American soldiers who have trained together, learned from one another and form a kind of trust that only comes from serving side by side."

The SPP joins a U.S. state with a NATO-allied nation to strengthen military capabilities, enhance interoperability and foster long-term institutional relationships. The celebration came just days after the 35th anniversary of Croatian independence, June 25. 
 
Over the years, members of the Minnesota National Guard and Croatian Armed Forces served together in Afghanistan, trained alongside one another in Minnesota and Croatia and exchanged expertise in areas including cyber defense, medical capabilities, explosive ordnance disposal, water purification and military modernization. 

Thirty years later, Exercise Combat Power 26 provided another opportunity for the two forces to train together. 
 
"This exercise is more than a training event," said Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the general staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, during the ceremony's opening remarks. "It is a good opportunity to exchange knowledge, share experiences and build professional relationships. Armed forces readiness has never been more important than today."

After the ceremony, the smell of grilled steaks filled the air at the Eugen Kvaternik Military Training Area as Minnesota volunteers served dinner to U.S., Croatian and allied service members participating in the exercise. 
 
"This gave me the chance to support and recognize this long-standing partnership between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Minnesota National Guard," said retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Wortham. "It was an awesome opportunity to share this taste of home with the service members and see NATO allies break bread together after a long day supporting Combat Power 26. 
 
Serving Our Troops, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization, traveled to Croatia to prepare and serve 1,000 steaks as service members and leaders commemorated the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the Minnesota National Guard and the Croatian Armed Forces. 

"A good meal may seem simple, but for those who serve, and for those families who support them, it can mean a great deal," McGraw said. "Tonight's dinner is a reminder that service is not only honored in ceremonies. It is honored in acts of gratitude, in communities that remember and in citizens that take the time to say thank you." 
 
For many of the Minnesota National Guard soldiers participating in the exercise, it marked their first time training in Croatia. For others, it continued the relationships built over years of exchanges and shared missions.

Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, said the trust built during exercises like Combat Power 26 can develop into relationships that last well after the training ends. 
 
"Over the last 30 years, we have built true friendship and trust," Manke said. "The trust that you built during this exercise is a seed that will flourish and bloom years down the road."

Medal of Honor Monday: Army 2nd Lt. Robert Craig

 

July 20, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

Army 2nd Lt. Robert Craig was an infantryman during World War II. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Sicily during Operation Husky. 

Craig was born in Scotland on June 7, 1919, to William Craig Sr. and Jane Montgomery Craig. He had an older brother, William, and a younger sister, Jane. 

When he was 4 years old, Craig's family left Scotland and eventually settled in Toledo, Ohio. Growing up, he played baseball, football and golf, and, according to a May 1944 press release from the War Department, "spent much of his time tinkering with cars and radios." 

After graduating from Libbey High School, Craig worked as a stock clerk at a grocery store in Toledo. He joined the Army in February 1941, and was commissioned Dec. 1, 1941, just six days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

In January 1942, Craig deployed to Europe with L Company, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and six months later, he was part of the July 1943 landings in Sicily, known as Operation Husky. 

On July 11, 1943, the 15th Infantry was advancing near Favarotta, Sicily, when it was stopped by enemy machine-gun fire. Despite failed attempts by three other soldiers, Craig and Army Cpl. James E. Hill volunteered to leave their position to locate and destroy the hidden gunner.  

Craig located the gun and came within 35 yards of the hostile position before being discovered. 

Hill said Craig "ran head-on through the machine-gun fire … reached the gun position miraculously unhurt, and, standing over the crew, killed all three of them with his carbine," according to the War Department press release. 

Now that the hidden machine-gunner was gone, the company moved forward. However, as it moved down the forward slope of a ridge, Craig and his platoon encountered approximately 100 enemy soldiers. With utter disregard for his own safety, Craig elected to sacrifice himself so that his platoon could continue. 

His Medal of Honor citation states, "He ordered his men to withdraw to the cover of the crest while he drew the enemy fire to himself. With no hope of survival, he charged toward the enemy until he was within 25 yards of them. He killed five and wounded three enemy soldiers. While the hostile force concentrated fire on him, his platoon reached the cover of the crest.  

"Craig was killed by enemy fire, but his intrepid action so inspired his men that they drove the enemy from the area, inflicting heavy casualties on the hostile force." 

Army Maj. Gen. Alan W. Jones, 106th Infantry Division commander, presented the Medal of Honor to Craig's father May 26, 1944, during a ceremony at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. 

In July 1946, the cargo ship Bowling Green Victory, operated by the War Shipping Administration, was transferred to the Army Transportation Service and renamed the Lt. Robert Craig. In 1950, the ship was transferred from the Maritime Commission to the Navy and remained in service until 1973. 

In 1957, Craig's hometown dedicated the Robert Craig Memorial Bridge to him. According to the Toledo Gazette, more than 2,000 people attended the ceremony on a cold January day, including Craig's parents and siblings. 

Craig is buried in Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery in Sylvania, Ohio, near his parents.   

DOW Identifies Army Casualties

July 20, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the death of two active-duty Soldiers who were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii was killed in action on July 18, 2026, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, was killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack on July 17, 2026, at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. The incident is under investigation.

1st Lt. Feehan was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Pvt. Gonzales was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.

For more information regarding 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, members of the media may contact U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command at media@army.mil.

U.S., Canadian, Thai Navies Sharpen Maritime Capabilities During Exercise CARAT Thailand

 July 17, 2026 | By Navy Chief Petty Officer Mike Wright, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 7 |

The United States concluded the landmark 32nd iteration of Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Thailand, July 15, in Sattahip, Thailand, reinforcing America's enduring commitment to a free, open and secure Pacific region.

Over 10 days of at-sea and shore-based training with the Royal Thai Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, U.S and partner forces sharpened the combined maritime capabilities that underpin regional security cooperation.  

This year, the United States expanded its contribution to the exercise, demonstrating the breadth and integration of American maritime power. U.S. forces participated with a multimission P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft assigned to the Commander, Task Force 72 and U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters the USCGC Emlen Tunnell and the USCGC Charles Moulthrope assigned to the Expeditionary Cutter Squadron. 

These units operated with a Royal Thai Navy surface force, including the frigate HTMS Taksin and the frigate HTMS Saiburi.

"It's been an honor to operate with our Royal Thai Navy partners for the 32nd iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Thailand," said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mike Ross, commodore of Expeditionary Cutter Squadron. "We were given the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coast Guard fast response cutters, which we plan to maximize to further partnerships and address shared maritime concerns." 

The at-sea phase in Sattahip and the Gulf of Thailand included complex training scenarios focused on antisubmarine warfare, air defense, surface action group coordination, mine countermeasures and search and rescue training. These exercises advanced the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian and Thai forces' abilities to refine their tactics, techniques and procedures in a dynamic maritime environment.

Beyond the at-sea exercises, CARAT Thailand fostered strong relationships through a variety of shore-based activities in Sattahip and Songkhla, including community service projects, sports days and cultural exchanges. 

Subject matter expert exchanges and practical education sessions covered crucial topics such as maritime domain awareness, medicine and at-sea explosive ordnance disposal, further enhancing interoperability and knowledge sharing. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Navy expanded the scope of the exercise by providing members of a visit, board, search and seizure team to participate in collaborative training events alongside regional partners.

CARAT Thailand is a long-standing exercise series designed to enhance U.S. and partner maritime forces' abilities to operate together in response to shared challenges in the region. 

As the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed destroyer squadron in Southeast Asia, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 7 remains committed to building partnerships and promoting maritime security throughout the region.

Readout of the 45th U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission

July 17, 2026 |

On July 15, Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs Daniel Zimmerman and Jordan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Al Hnaity co-chaired the 45th U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission (JMC) in Amman, Jordan, reaffirming the mutual commitment to the enduring strategic partnership between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The JMC serves as the premier bilateral forum for aligning U.S. and Jordanian defense policies and advancing mutual security objectives. Assistant Secretary Zimmerman underscored the National Defense Strategy imperative to empower allies and partners to take primary responsibility for their defense. He highlighted Jordan's indispensable leadership in advancing regional and international security and stability efforts and in protecting our people and our assets.

The delegations discussed a broad range of issues that are vital to both countries' shared strategic interests, to include enhancing interoperability between U.S. and Jordanian forces and fostering critical warfighting competencies to address mutual security challenges. They also discussed a range of regional policy priorities and opportunities for increased military cooperation, including on integrated air and missile defense and counterterrorism.

The 45th JMC concluded with both nations expressing a mutual commitment to strengthen the U.S.-Jordan defense partnership.

Medal of Honor Recipient Welcomes Newest Student Naval Aviators

July 17, 2026 | By Austen McClain, Naval Education and Training Command |

The oldest living Medal of Honor recipient returned to the base where he earned his gold wings July 15, joining Naval Aviation Schools Command in congratulating 29 student naval aviators who completed their introductory flight evaluation training, the first milestone on the path to those same wings.

Retired Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams, 101, enlisted during World War II and earned his wings at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in August 1945, going on to fly combat missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

He received the Medal of Honor Feb. 24, 2026, for a 1952 solo engagement against seven Soviet MiG-15 jets that remained classified for more than 50 years. He is the only living Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War.

For the student naval aviators seated in front of him, the medal was not the point; the wings were. Williams earned his at the end of the same training pipeline these students have entered, and, 81 years later, he came back to tell them what carried him through it.

"He is the living, breathing standard, the embodiment of what it means to be a United States naval aviator," said Navy Capt. Ron Rumfelt, NASC commanding officer. "This is the history and heritage you join today."

NASC, a subordinate command of Naval Education and Training Command, trains and develops future naval aviators, naval flight officers and aircrew for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The flight evaluation training is the entry point of that pipeline, combining aviation ground school and introductory flight instruction to screen and prepare students before they report to primary flight training.

Rumfelt told the graduates that the connection between Williams' era and theirs is the training itself.

"We are the best-trained aviators in the world. We do it better than anybody," he said. "It starts with preparation. It ends with debriefs. We call that the relentless pursuit of perfection, because you do not know when that training is going to be called upon, when you will be challenged like Capt. Williams was challenged."

After the ceremony, Williams took questions from the graduates. When asked what advice he would give a student naval aviator to be successful, he pointed to the same standard.

"You have to want it. The word that comes to mind is push. Be diligent," Williams said. "Each one of you is different, but you are all trying to attain the same goal, [be] the best you can. I took every activity as a challenge."

That approach, he told the students, never changed across a career that spanned three wars and ended with his retirement as a captain in 1980.

"It was not a game. It was business," he said. "I applied myself, and the rewards were good."

The graduates now report to primary flight training, where they will fly the T-6B Texan II or enter the helicopter training track on the way to their own wings.

DHA Partners With Marines to Refine Portable TBI Assessment Technology for Austere Battlefield

July 14, 2026 | By T. T. Parish, Defense Health Agency |

Team members assigned to the Defense Health Agency's Warfighter Readiness, Performance and Brain Health team hosted an end user touchpoint at the Tactical Medicine Training Center, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 30.

The event brought together Navy corpsmen and medical officers from across the II Marine Expeditionary Force to assess new capabilities for evaluating traumatic brain injuries on the battlefield. Participants evaluated Traumatic Brain Injury Field Assessment Program devices in a hands-on session, providing TBI-FAP developers with critical feedback directly from front-line medical providers who may one day use the equipment in austere environments.

The TBI-FAP program is managed by brain health experts within the WRPBH Project Management Office in collaboration with partners at the North Carolina Center for Optimizing Military Performance. This event, the latest in a series, was designed to gather feedback on TBI assessment technology prototypes being developed for use in a far-forward operational environment. Feedback from prospective end users is a vital step in the early development of any program, according to Damien Hoffman, a product manager with WRPBH.

"Collaborating with stakeholders across the military services and from key organizations in a systematic, routine way is imperative to our team's success," Hoffman said. "These touchpoints allow us to gather an array of feedback from end users with varying degrees of experience and expertise, an invaluable resource as we develop products for the warfighter."

During the assessment, Navy corpsmen and medical officers got hands-on experience with the candidate technologies to test usability, durability and integration into existing tactical combat casualty care workflows.

"It is great, for me as a corpsman, to see what types of technologies are being developed for medical providers who operate at the front lines," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Aspen Mitchell, a hospital corpsman assigned to the Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. "Because of our expeditionary mission, we could literally be deployed anywhere in the world, and healthcare is vital for mission success. It is important for us, as medical providers, to give input on technologies during the development process to make the candidate technologies better and ensure they meet our needs as possible end users."

As the War Department continues to prepare for possible large-scale combat operations in austere environments worldwide, ensuring that warfighters have immediate access to neurological assessments is a top priority for military health leaders within the DHA. In future conflicts, medical providers anticipate a high likelihood of prolonged field-care scenarios. Unlike operations over the last two decades, where aeromedical evacuation was often rapid and guaranteed, near-peer conflicts in austere, remote locations will likely feature highly contested airspace and limited aviation resources.

For the Navy-Marine Corps team, these challenges are compounded by their unique role as the nation's premier amphibious force. Marines and their embedded Navy medical providers frequently operate in distributed, maritime environments — moving from ship to shore or securing expeditionary advanced bases across vast littoral regions. In these decentralized operational areas, the "golden hour" for traditional medical evacuation is often unattainable.

Because of these unique amphibious and logistical constraints, Navy corpsmen must be equipped to hold, monitor and treat casualties at or near the point of injury for extended periods. The ability to accurately assess traumatic brain injuries on the front line using lightweight, organic tools — like those developed through the TBI-FAP — is critical. It empowers first responders to make vital triage decisions, manage complex neurological trauma while isolated on distant shores and prioritize limited maritime medical evacuation assets for the most critical cases.

"Our process is a continuum, with flexibility to evolve alongside emerging threats and meet the needs of front-line warfighters, combatant commands and joint staff," Hoffman said. "Our goal is to rapidly develop a TBI assessment capability at the speed of relevance and these touchpoints are imperative to achieving that goal."