Soldiers in units participating in the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness program returned to duty faster after musculoskeletal injuries than troops not involved in the program, according to a study published this week.The study found that soldiers in brigades with the program spent 5.9% less time on limited duty after an injury.The Army started implementing the fitness program — which is in some ways similar to methods used in other high-level athletics — in 2021. More than 50 brigades were scheduled to receive physical therapists, athletic trainers, dietitians, occupational therapists and strength and conditioning coaches. The first brigades were slated…

The Department of Defense on Thursday released clinical guidelines for testing and treating low testosterone in male service members.The initiative, first announced in a July memo by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is part of the agency’s Warfighter Performance Optimization program, which Hegseth announced in May.On Sept. 3, the Pentagon temporarily rescinded its published clinical guidance for a new, mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening policy, with an official telling Reuters, “The draft [document] published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates.”The Defense Health Agency’s latest guideline indicates that every male service member over 30 — and some under…

The U.S. Coast Guard is taking steps to address sexual assault in the ranks but continues to fall short in implementing its plans and reporting to Congress — shortcomings that hamper the “long-term cultural and procedural changes” needed to address the problem, a federal watchdog has warned.The Government Accountability Office released a two-page brief Friday criticizing the service for failing to provide timely updates to Congress on sexual assaults as well as some information that is required by law.The watchdog also said the service has not developed a performance plan to assess its progress in addressing sexual misconduct, an oversight…

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is seeking to exhume and identify the remains of the Korean War service member buried as one of the Unknowns next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The reason: advances in DNA technology. During a Sept. 1 webinar, Kelly McKeague, the director of the DPAA, told Stars and Stripes that “We will petition Arlington National Cemetery to disinter the remains at the Tomb of the Unknown simply because the probability is high that we will be able to identify that unknown,” he said. According to McKeague, the agency now possesses…

Sign up for the On The Gun Newsletter The latest for gun hunters and competitive shooters. There’s been plenty of excitement, and some skepticism, around Federal Premium Ammunition’s new Peak Alloy case technology, which allows for higher chamber pressures and turbo-charged muzzle velocities. This week, I was among the first to ever hunt elk with their brand-new 155-grain Fusion Tipped Plus Peak ammo in 6.5 Creedmoor.  Outdoor Life shooting editor John B. Snow first covered the introduction of this new case material in January 2025, when Federal dropped the 7mm Backcountry. With this new cartridge, Snow was able to drive…

The Army has identified the soldier killed during a rollover incident Monday at Fort Hood, Texas.Pfc. Ethan Brewer, a 20-year-old from Apex, North Carolina, was killed and another soldier wounded during a training exercise, which involved a Humvee modified to perform medical evacuations. The injured soldier has since been released from the hospital, according to a Fort Hood release. Brewer, who entered the Army in 2025 as a medic, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division Artillery Brigade. He arrived at Fort Hood in early 2026, per the release. His awards include the Army Achievement…

The system designed to assist sailors’ mental health aboard deployed U.S. Navy aircraft carriers is unable to meet the demand of prolonged combat deployments, according to current and former military personnel.Sailors and U.S. Navy mental health professionals told Military Times that long wait times to see a provider, along with an insurmountable caseload for therapists and misguided treatment, stressed a system that was never built to handle the mental toll of extended military operations in contested environments.Navy therapists are trained to provide consistent care, but that approach is often unattainable on a ship with so many sailors in need of…

In late August a Wyoming bowhunter was found not guilty of wasting a game animal after he killed a bull elk in September 2025. Upon discovering that a bear, likely a grizzly, had disturbed his elk, Ron Niziolek of Cody left the meat, took the skull, and backed out of the area.A tip from another hunter and a subsequent investigation by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ultimately resulted in two citations for Niziolek: one for wasting a game animal and a second for possessing the parts of a wasted animal (the skull and antlers).Niziolek, 63, says he was transparent…

The U.S. Department of State said on Thursday it had approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the U.S., potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining its ally Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to U.S. President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter.The estimated $24.3 billion sale,…

After doing the hard work of getting within bow range of a deer, we all want the same thing: a passthrough, good blood trail, and that magical combination of relief and excitement when you find your deer. There are a lot of things that will lead to shorter blood trails—most importantly the archer’s skill—but a quality broadhead is also important.In 2023 I tested 23 fixed and mechanical broadheads, and last month I tested nine new mechanical broadheads. All the broadheads were tested for sharpness, accuracy, durability, and wound channel. I chose the top options for deer hunting based on the…

An F-16 jet crashed Thursday afternoon during a routine training mission in northern Michigan, causing some emergency responders and community members to be treated for a toxic chemical exposure.A Texas Air National Guard F-16 assigned to the 149th Fighter Wing, housed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, crashed in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, during a routine training mission from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, according to a wing release shared with Military Times.The pilot successfully ejected from the Falcon, the statement says. The Michigan State Police directed all businesses and residences to evacuate around 4:30 p.m. local time within a…

As the Army faces queries for standing down its experimental drone battalion, service officials say the future of drone warfare is at every level of Army formations — not condensed into one designated unit. At a Thursday media roundtable, Army leaders told reporters that the service was working to distribute the technology across the force — down to the squad level — while maintaining that the trial unit, formed less than a year prior, was always meant to be temporary. The Army confirmed last month that it was shuttering the “Unmanned Assault Battalion,” a 600-member unit charged with learning from…

One of the hottest arguments in bowhunting these days revolves around heavy, slow arrow setups versus faster, lighter arrow setups. One of the sticking points in this discussion is the whitetail deer’s ability to “jump the string.” Many bowhunters believe that shooting a faster bow means that a deer will have less time to duck which results in better hits and quicker kills. However, a growing group of bowhunters is opting for heavy arrows which are designed for penetration, not speed. Their logic is that no bow can beat a whitetail’s reaction time, so an arrow that penetrates deeper will…

The U.S. Air Force has a $14 billion hole in supply for aircraft parts, affecting how the service acquires parts and looks at sustainment funding, service leaders said Wednesday.As the force grapples with supply chain and maintenance issues as well as long aircraft service lives, sustainment funding is becoming increasingly necessary to bridge the gap, service officials said in a panel at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.“If I can throw a number out there right now, we have a $14 billion hole in supply,” Commander of Air Force Materiel Command Lt. Gen. Linda…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. Even after peering through thousands of models, binoculars still amaze me with their magical capability to reveal hidden worlds. How else can you describe the knowledge you gain by viewing and identifying a distant bird, but also notice fine details in its plumage and expression? For hunters, a good binocular will save many miles of hiking, owing to its ability to compress distance and verify if that far-away buck is worth the walk. Binoculars belong in every pickup truck console, kitchen window sill, and around…

A new report revealing quality-control issues with Marine Corps-issued cold-weather boots highlights the potential consequences of limiting the number of suppliers for essential gear.According to a new report by Newsweek, an unspecified number of Marines had to have their brand-new boots replaced during cold-weather training ahead of a Norwegian-led NATO exercise earlier this year.Marines reportedly wore holes through the boots’ leather and saw the soles separate from the fabric, allowing freezing water to seep into the boots as they hiked and skied.The issue, according to the report, stems from a legal requirement that the Pentagon use its funds to buy…

Czech kit, laid out by men who carry it.

Drawing with a man right on top of you.

Russia, then North Korea. Two headlines in one day.

He thinks your grip could be better.

The phone in your pocket, and who already has it.

Iran on the move, our ships in it. Developing.

A Humvee kitted out by men who use them.

Skip the gym. Put on the pack and walk.