Officials find debris from F-35 fighter jet that crashed in South Carolina after pilot ejected
The crash site for a stealth fighter jet that went missing during the weekend after its pilot ejected has been located in rural South Carolina after the military asked the public for help finding an aircraft built to elude detection.
US Army misses recruiting goal; other services squeak by
The Army fell about 15,000 soldiers โ or 25% โ short of its recruitment goal this year, despite a frantic effort to make up the widely expected gap in a year when all the military services struggled in a tight jobs market to find young people willing and fit to enlist.
The Deep Blue Ridge: Man who was once homeless is now thriving, working for organization that rescued him
A Roanoke man is hoping his testimony of turning his life around from homelessness will inspire others struggling in life to never stop fighting for better circumstances. Now, he is giving back to the very organization that rescued him from hitting rock bottom.
WWII hero, last Medal of Honor recipient Hershel โWoodyโ Williams dies at 98
On Wednesday, an American hero, the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient of World War II, passed away at 98 years old. Hershel โWoodyโ Williams dedicated his life to serving our country by serving in the Marines for 20 years, then going on to make a significant impact in the veteran community.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Remembering a veteran who made history with his passion for music
LYNCHBURG, Va. โ Loved ones gathered for a memorial service Tuesday to honor retired Master Sgt. Michael Diuguid, a 24-year veteran of the Marine Corps. โTo be the first at anything is huge; and obviously in his particular case, at such a grand event thatโs national, nationally televised, it was a huge event,โ said Henderson. โJust like he showed in the Marine Corps, he did everything 110% and he was a friend to everybody 110%. He gave his heart to everybody, and thatโs a special gift,โ said Nixon.
Historic horn leaving Lynchburg for the birthplace of โTapsโ
LYNCHBURG, Va. โ A historic horn is heading from the Hill City to a museum, to be put on display at Berkeley Plantation, the birthplace of the military bugle call โTaps.โFaye Madonia is donating the instrument because her late husband, Lou, played โโTapsโ at Berkeleyโs 100th-anniversary reenactment when he was just 21 years old. โIt is a part of history, and thatโs exactly where it should be and not at my home, since thatโs the bugle that he played there those many years ago,โ said Madonia. Lou served in the Marine Corps Band, playing in parades and ceremonies across the country. He even played at the White House for President John F. Kennedy.
Meet the Salem World War II veteran who survived Iwo Jima
SALEM, Va. โ Wednesday was Veterans Day, the day we as a nation give thanks to those who serve. In Salem, thereโs one World War II veteran still spending his days on his front porch overlooking the mountain views. Bob Craighead joined the Marines at just 16 years old, and on this Veterans Day in 2020, decades later, he hasnโt forgotten. He fought in Iwo Jima, coming home from the Pacific with a Purple Heart, just one of the few in his unit to survive. โI am sure am proud of the fact that I enlisted in the Marine Corps and I thoroughly enjoyed that," Craighead said.
Marine general has COVID after Pentagon meeting
Ray attended the Joint Chiefs meeting Friday in the so-called Tank โ the classified meeting room in the Pentagon. Officials said that is where most of the military leaders were exposed to him, but he also had other meetings with officials. The Marine Corps remains operationally ready to answer the Nationโs call.โThe news of the positive tests has stunned officials at the Pentagon. Overall, more than 47,000 service members have tested positive for the virus, as of Monday; 625 have been hospitalized and eight have died. According to officials, the military leaders were negative at that time, and they will continue to be tested in the coming days.
Masks on Leatherneck Square: Virus changes Marine training
Katheryn Hunter, a Marine drill instructor at Parris Island Recruit Depot in South Carolina, poses for a photo on May 27, 2020. In ways big and small, the virus is impacting training at the Marine Corps' Parris Island Recruit Depot and across the military. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor)PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. The booming shouts of the rain-soaked Marine recruits echo across Leatherneck Square training field, barely muffled by their masks. But in ways big and small, the virus is impacting training at the Marine Corps' Parris Island Recruit Depot and across the military. Marine recruits go to either Parris Island or to Camp Pendleton in southern California, for 13 weeks of training.
Army closing recruiting stations, moves effort online
WASHINGTON, D.C. โ The Army on Friday became the first military service to announce it is shutting down all of its recruiting stations around the country in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Navy and Marine Corps said that they are keeping their recruiting stations open, but the services will also follow state or local guidelines. The Marine Corps, meanwhile, said recruiters are taking steps to protect themselves and any recruits that come in. โIf a Navy Region directs teleworking in specific cities, counties, or states, we will switch those specific recruiting stations to 100% virtual recruiting," he said. Army leaders have increased the number of recruiters and beefed up efforts to connect with young people through online sports and similar events.