Author: Michael

On its face, a challenge coin is a small, custom-designed medallion that bears an organization’s insignia or emblem. They’re carried by the unit members to signify membership, honor achievements, support team building, or commemorate special events.
But that definition barely scratches the surface, because it might mean more to them than most people will ever understand.
Also Read: What happens to coins on military headstones
These coins are about a connection to something bigger than oneself.

Read More

When it comes to the production of the Army’s newest small arms, the priority has shifted from the M7 rifle to the lighter XM8 carbine, an Army spokesperson told Task & Purpose.
“The production line has changed to the XM8,” said David Patterson Jr., director of public affairs for the Army’s Capability Program Executive Ground, which oversees weapons development, helmets, sensors and other equipment for soldiers.
The M7 rifle and XM8 carbine are part of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program along with the M250, a machine gun variant. All three models fire the 6.

Read More

Washington — The Pentagon is conducting an operations security review following a significant data exposure at Dialog, a highly secretive private events organization co-founded by tech investor Peter Thiel, that compromised personal information of senior U.S. national security officials and active-duty special operations personnel.
The incident, first reported by WIRED, occurred after a misconfigured website left sensitive registrant files publicly accessible, prompting concerns over potential operational security risks for individuals involved in intelligence and military activities.

Read More

Overland AI has secured a production contract for autonomous ground vehicles that will provide resupply for Marine Air Defense Integrated System, the company announced Monday.
The $20 million deal was spurred by the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) initiative, which is run by the Pentagon’s Research and Engineering directorate, according to a press release.
During a media roundtable, Overland AI co-founder and CEO Byron Boots told DefenseScoop that initial deliveries of the AGVs are scheduled to begin about nine months after contract award.

Read More

Defense and intelligence agencies play a crucial role in supporting the military by detecting threats before they cause real harm.
The approach isn’t confined just to the military. National security, cybersecurity, and law enforcement organizations similarly focus resources “to the left of boom” — leveraging intelligence gathering, surveillance, and analysis of adversaries’ behavior to plan for potential disruptions or catastrophic events.  
For agencies like the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), however, those efforts have become increasingly challenging.

Read More

Men who went through the Army’s grueling Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, experienced greater hormonal changes than women who took part in the course, according to a recent study by the service.
The findings are from the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, whose researchers looked at men and women who participated in the 61-day leadership course. The study focused on how stressors impact the body’s physiological responses, like metabolic and sex hormones, iron levels and inflammation markers.

Read More

U.S. Transportation Command wants to partner with external stakeholders to explore integrating autonomous and remotely piloted drone boats into its global mobility network and military supply chains. 
Participants interested in entering new cooperative research and development agreements with the combatant command to study “the uses, limitations, and delivered value” of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) for moving military personnel and cargo are invited to submit white papers by July 6.

Read More

Oil crisis coming soon?: It was bad news for the global economy last weekend when commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz once again slowed after fresh attacks on merchant vessels and new U.S. strikes on Iran. The exchange of fire, which risks the fragile memorandum of understanding (MOU) ceasefire, has once again rattled global markets and left commercial shipping companies concerned about the strait’s safety.

Read More