An Army soldier in Kansas pleaded not guilty last week to charges in connection with the April shooting death of his infant son. Spc. Peyton D. Creel, assigned to the Combined Arms Command Law Enforcement Activity, Special Troops Battalion, at Fort Leavenworth, is facing a court-martial after his child was shot in the head with a rifle. “SPC Peyton Creel is charged with one specification of murder and one specification of involuntary manslaughter for the murder of his infant child on April 28, 2026, at his residence on Fort Leavenworth,” said Michelle McCaskill, the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial…

Editor’s note: This report contains discussion of suicide. Troops, veterans and family members experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 and dial 1, text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.Ryan Hendrickson spent 22 years in uniform learning to find the things buried in the dirt that are meant to kill people. When the U.S. left Afghanistan, he discovered he no longer knew who he was without that work.“I had no identity anymore, because my entire military career had been wrapped up in Afghanistan or Iraq,” the retired Green Beret told Military Times.That void, and what he…

Twenty-nine sailors and 9 Marines were wounded in action in September in Middle East military operations, according to a Pentagon database.The Defense Casualty Analysis System updated its “Overseas Operations” category, which tracks injuries and deaths for troops involved in Middle East operations.In its updated accounting method, the Pentagon moved deaths that were previously listed under the “Operation Epic Fury” category into the “Overseas Operations” umbrella.The reclassification aligned with the Pentagon’s stance that Operation Epic Fury ended May 5. “Since Operation Epic Fury concluded, the department classifies casualties as having occurred in Overseas Operations in the [U.S. Central Command] area of…

Lawmakers are turning directly to Oracle for answers about why the Department of Veterans Affairs increased the ceiling on its electronic health record modernization contract by roughly $17 billion after VA officials could not offer reasoning at a congressional hearing in September.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., ranking member of the Senate Veterans’Affairs Committee, and six other Democrats on the committee sent a letter Sept. 23 to Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison and CEO Mike Sicilia demanding documents and detailed explanations for the increase. The lawmakers gave Oracle until Oct. 23 to respond.The request comes weeks after VA increased the ceiling on…

Sign up for the On The Gun Newsletter The latest for gun hunters and competitive shooters. This story, “An Autoloading Saga,” appeared in the December/January 2006 issue of Outdoor Life. Although Winchester Arms has a history of innovations and consumer loyalty perhaps unmatched by any other gunmaker, its experience with autoloading shotguns has not always been rosy. The sad tale begins in 1899, when John Browning brought Winchester a plan for a self-loading shotgun. Until then the two had enjoyed a mutually beneficial working agreement, with Browning’s patents being used in some of Winchester’s most successful guns. This time, however,…

CUT RATES NOW! A patriotic Federal Reserve should put the United States first and cut rates. The Federal Reserve’s job is maximum employment and price stability. That mandate was written for the American people, not for foreign bondholders, not for the convenience of governments that fund themselves in dollars, and not for a global audience that likes high U.S. rates when it is convenient and complains when it is not. When public debt sits near 100% of GDP—the first time that debt held by the public has reached that wartime scale since the aftermath of World War II—and when net…

A Texas man has been found guilty of defrauding the federal government of $26 million in a scheme that involved money laundering, kickbacks and a $100,000 gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck.Licensed Professional Counselor Kevin Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, was convicted last week for his role in health care fraud involving Tricare, the Defense Department’s health program.According to the Justice Department, Curry, who ran three purported mental health clinics in Texas and Florida, billed Tricare for transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, therapy services for troops and their families that they either never received or were ineligible for.Curry falsely portrayed himself as a…

I moved to Bozeman, Montana, in the summer of 2010. I was just one of many out-of-staters resettling here, one hunter in an influx that’s gained steam ever since. When I arrived, many local friends — themselves transplants for the most part — suggested I shut the door behind me. Clearly that didn’t happen. Bozeman’s population grew by 43 percent between 2010 and 2020 and has continued to grow during the pandemic. (Strangely, one friend insisted I was too redneck for Montana, an accusation I’ve never been able to wrap my head around.) I chose this beautiful mountain town because…

The MQ-9A Reaper production line is closed and would take General Atomics two to three years to restart, according to a Congressional Research Service report as the Air Force ramps up its successor timeline amid inventory loss.The service’s Reaper inventory has decreased by more than half from fiscal year 2022 to around 135 aircraft in mid-May this year as the U.S. scaled operations against Iran in Epic Fury. While legislation on the future of the aircraft and its potential replacement has been proposed, Congress must weigh certain questions regarding cost, fleet size and operational capability ahead of approving budget requests.As…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. “Man, that deer is going to make some great candles!” …said no one ever. After a successful hunt, the backstraps, tenderloins, and juicy venison steaks all get careful consideration. The fat? Not so much. But utilizing as much of the animal as possible is a respectable goal for all hunters, and that includes the fat. The practice of rendering deer fat into tallow candles has been around for hundreds of years. My dad taught me how to make them when I was a kid. He…

The FED Hiked. It’s Trump’s Move Next Kevin Warsh raised rates a quarter point on Wednesday, to 3.75–4.00 percent, and he did it for the reason a grown-up central bank exists: inflation has been too high for too long, and a strong economy can take a small insurance payment without stalling. The vote was 12–0. The statement was short and unmistakable. Activity is expanding at a solid pace. Productivity is strong. Capital investment is robust. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce. Unemployment has barely moved. Then the line that matters: today’s action supports a timelier return to 2…

The U.S. Army has spent decades refining sustainment doctrine, modernizing combat systems and investing billions in readiness transformation. Yet, across installations, behind motor pools, inside storage yards and buried within disconnected property systems, a growing threat to operational readiness continues to expand unnoticed. The Army is quietly losing visibility of its own equipment. This loss of accountability is not the result of enemy action, theft or lack of resources. Instead, it stems from fragmented asset management practices, administrative disconnects and sustainment systems that no longer align with the complexity of modern warfare. Across the force, leaders routinely encounter equipment parked…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. A new study on trophy hunting in sub-Saharan Africa has found that “trophy” hunting has overall positive outcomes for both people and wildlife habitat. The study was published in the wake of France banning the importation of hunting trophies and amid wider calls for similar bans in places like the UK. In the most comprehensive meta-analysis of its kind, researchers analyzed 89 scientific articles in 13 African countries to evaluate how so-called trophy hunting affects wildlife, native habitat, and people.  The study, which was published…

Oil, Copper, the Dollar, Taiwan, AI and Space! You’re ABOUT to hear something that NO ONE has been able to TRULY capture and REPORT ON — It CHANGES everything! It’s all tied to Xi Jinping’s SUMMIT in 24 hours and literally NO ONE is covering this or ANALYZING the significance of this, so I wanted to make certain this gets to you TODAY! I have connected OVER 20 DIFFERENT PUZZLE PIECES to bring this one CRUCIAL takeaway for you: The DOLLAR reset is NOW in its 3rd week — it began on AUGUST 28th! In 24 HOURS, with Xi’s state…

The Marine Corps announced several incentives for personnel who are willing to extend their overseas tours by a year or longer, the service said in an administrative message published Monday. Marines who volunteer and are approved can choose between a monetary offer or a pair of separate leave incentives, according to the message, which was meant to clarify Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Program instructions. The financial incentive, according to the service, is $2,000 paid in 12 monthly installments of $166.66, which are taxable unless otherwise subject to an exception. Marines’ leave options comprise a 30-day period of nonchargeable special rest…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. Mechanical watches are technically archaic and inferior pieces of gear. Consider that a $50 G-Shock is more accurate and robust than mechanical watches costing many times more. And that a Garmin Fenix smartwatch has insane capabilities that six-figure, high-horology timepieces can’t beat. But when you buy a smartwatch you’re buying a piece of technology, and tech has a shelf life. There will always be a new Apple Watch and that means your current one will inevitably collect dust in a drawer. On the other hand,…

Trump vs. Xi: the confrontation is citizenship. Xi Jinping landed in Washington yesterday for a state visit built as spectacle: tarmac greeting at Joint Base Andrews, White House pageantry, a state dinner, and talks on tariffs, chips, rare earths, and artificial intelligence. The choreography matters less than the two civilizational operating systems sitting across the table. China is not merely bargaining. It is continuing an old project under a new brand. America is not merely hosting. It is being asked, again, whether its founding unit is still the citizen who chooses the Constitution, or the state that administers people. The…

In the span of two months this summer, U.S. naval aviation recorded three separate in-flight engine fires that caused millions in damage to the airframes and forced landings.That’s according to data recorded by the Naval Safety Center, which tracks Class A mishaps — those that cause at least $2.5 million in damage or lead to death or loss of life — in a publicly accessible dashboard. The Navy and Marine Corps did not publicly announce any of the in-flight fires when they happened. While the mishaps did result in aircraft damage, landings were completed safely in all three cases and…

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More › Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. I’ve tested and reviewed hundreds of EDC knives and I combed through all of Amazon’s Early Prime Day Deals looking for blades I’d recommend at great prices. Here are the top six deals I found. The Mardoc is usually $56 and it’s on sale for only $47.59. It has a great blade shape for EDC tasks, a D2 blade, and a crossbar lock — a proven…

The U.S. Air Force identified the body found in a burnt vehicle near Eglin Air Force Base last week as a service member assigned to a medical unit at the Florida base.Senior Airman Tamera Moniq Bolden-Cleckley, 26, was found last Wednesday morning in a burnt vehicle by base members on patrol. The vehicle was located at the edge of base at the intersection of Range Road 234 and Lewis Turney Boulevard. Bolden-Cleckley was identified by the Air Force Medical Examiner, according to a Saturday release. Bolden-Cleckley was from Boerne, Texas, and entered the Air Force in 2021. She was assigned…

A special operations noncommissioned officer died last week after he was injured in a Nevada training exercise, the U.S. Army said on Sunday. Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Frakes, 34, died Sept. 22 from injuries he sustained during an airborne training event. His death remains under investigation, according to the Army. “Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Frakes represented the finest qualities of our nation’s special operations forces and performed at the highest echelons of our military,” Lt. Gen. Lawrence Ferguson, commanding general of Special Operations Command, said in the release. “The loss of such an exceptional warrior is felt deeply across the…

The Army has kicked off an “M9s to Strykers” comprehensive evaluation of its weapons platforms as it pushes for greater organic repair capability and seeks to shore up logistics support in preparation for future conflicts.Lt. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, the deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command and senior commander of Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, told Army Times in an interview that these “sustainment night courts” began Sept. 25 and will continue over the next two months as Army leaders seek to secure a greater right to repair, prizing intellectual property protections away from manufacturers so soldiers can reset their own gear…

Sign up for the Deer Camp Newsletter Get everything from whitetail news and opinion pieces, to advanced hunting tactics and cutting-edge gear reviews. When cold and flu season arrives, it’s usually not a question of if you’re going to get sick, but when. The same holds true for deer. Even the healthiest deer live hard lives, and certain conditions — like food scarcity, brutal winter weather, drought, overpopulation, etc. — can make deer vulnerable to illness, parasites, and injury. That’s why deer disease is a major topic of discussion and study for wildlife experts, and the list of conditions, symptoms,…

The Army is now “pre-piloting” apps and dashboards for its popular holistic health system, and leaders are facing tough decisions about what performance data to show soldiers and leaders to motivate them without overwhelming them or turning information into noise.Holistic Health and Fitness, or H2F, launched as a pilot in 2018, aiming to equip combat brigades with specialized equipment and staff, including dietitians, occupational therapists and athletic trainers, to boost troops’ fitness, increase injury prevention, and promote overall warfighter health. The program proved so successful that in 2024 the Army announced it planned to eventually roll H2F out to all…