Gina Harkins

Gina Harkins previously covered the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard for Military.com. She has covered troops and their families for nearly a decade, reporting from the U.S., Central and South America, and at sea. Before joining Military.com, Gina was a longtime reporter and managing editor for the independent Marine Corps Times. Her story on two recruits trapped at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina was runner up for the 2013 Military Reporters and Editors award for domestic military coverage. She holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and studied political science and international relations in her undergrad at Northeastern Illinois University.

Latest Articles

Why the USS Cole's Commander Pushed to Keep His Crew Together After Deadly Bombing

On Oct. 12, 2000, two suicide bombers in a small boat laden with explosives targeted the guided-missile destroyer Cole.

Marines Send More Embassy Guards to Haiti as Riots Turn Deadly

A squad-sized Marine detachment arrived in Haiti to bolster security at the U.S. embassy there as protests turned violent.

Amazon, SpaceX Leaders Will Headline Major Air Force Conference

Two business executives leading space travel and technology advancements will speak at the Air Force Association conference.

Ronald Shurer, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Died of Cancer at 41, to Be Laid to Rest at Arlington

Shurer died in May at the age of 41 after a years-long lung cancer battle.

Troops and Military Families Call for Change After El Paso, Dayton Shootings

"My family shouldn't be the ones who feel like they are in a combat zone."

Commissaries Limit Toilet Paper, Other Sales as Shoppers Hoard Supplies

Limitations will change from store to store, but directors are authorized to place restrictions on certain products.

The Military Doesn't Bar Troops from Being Members of Hate Groups. That Could Change

"Active participation" in groups that advocate supremacist, extremist or criminal gang ideologies is prohibited.

Trump Says Fired Navy Captain 'Wanted to Be Ernest Hemingway' in Warning Letter

Trump declined to offer his thoughts on whether Crozier should be reinstated as commanding officer of the USS Roosevelt.

Sgt. 1st Class Reymund Transfiguracion, with 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), died Sunday following wounds sustained during an Aug. 7 patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province. (Army photo)

Army Special Forces Soldier Dies After IED Blast in Afghanistan

A Washington-based Special Forces soldier has died from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.

A CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 465, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flies back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration at the 2018 MCAS Miramar Air Show on MCAS Miramar, Calif., Sept. 29, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Julian Elliott-Drouin)

Four Marines Safe After Super Stallion Helicopter Catches Fire Mid-Flight

Four Marines were able to get out of a heavy lift helicopter safely after it made an emergency landing just miles from their...

Navy Esports Team to Resume Streaming on Twitch After Trolling Caused Weeklong Hiatus

The Navy is standing by its decision to block some users on its livestreaming channel.

U.S. Marines play a game of Memoir 44’ on Camp Schwab, Okinawa.

The Marines Are Pumping Millions into a High-Tech Wargaming Center. Here's Why

A new Marine Corps Wargaming and Analysis Center is expected to be up and running in Quantico, Virginia, by 2024.

A Navy esports team player holds a game controller.

Navy Kicks Sailor Off Esports Team After Racist Usernames Appear in Game Stream

A sailor has been kicked off Goats and Glory, the Navy's official esports team that streams on the video platform Twitch.

The fast-attack submarine Hampton surfaces through the ice in the Arctic. U.S. 2nd Fleet, which declared initial operational capability on Wednesday, now oversees all military missions and training on the East Coast and in the North Atlantic, where the Russians and Chinese have been active. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Thompson/Navy)

Navy's 2nd Fleet, Brought Back to Counter Russia, Is Now Officially Operational

The Navy's 2nd Fleet has reached initial operational capacity, its commander announced Wednesday.

Thomas Webster at a barricade line at on the west front of the U.S. Capitol

Marines, Infantry Most Highly Represented Among Veterans Arrested After Capitol Riot

More than 40% of the 32 veterans arrested after the Capitol riot are affiliated with the Marines.

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Most Popular Military News

The Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, D.C.

VA Crisis Line Employees Among Those Fired Amid Federal Workforce Purge

Of the 1,000 employees fired last week from the Department of Veterans Affairs, some were employees who had worked for the...

Director of Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought

What's in Store for VA Disability Benefits with New Office of Management and Budget Chief?

New OMB Director Russell Vought has contributed to two conservative playbooks that advocate for the revamping of veterans'...

(Photos courtesy of Steve Moore, illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett)

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My Dad was a commander in the Vietnam War. My Mom changed how the military cares for widows.

A Comprehensive Look at DOGE's Firings and Layoffs So Far

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Paul Lawrence, President Donald Trump's pick to be deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs

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Paul Lawrence served as the VA under secretary for benefits during the first Trump presidency.

Elon Musk at the Future Investment Initiative institute Priority Summit

At Pentagon, Elon Musk Is Preparing to Access Department Systems

A defense official who was granted anonymity to speak candidly on the matter said that members of the Department of...

Latest Military Videos

Freed Israeli Hostage Returns Home to Jerusalem

Recently released Israeli hostage Karina Ariev waved from a car to crowds welcoming her as she was transported home...

Russian Spacecraft Carrying Military ‘Devices’ Blasts off From Northern Cosmodrome

The Russian Defence Ministry released on Wednesday footage showing a Soyuz spacecraft blasting off from Russia's northern cosmodrome in...

Soldiers From El Salvador Join U.N.-Backed Mission in Haiti as U.S Pulls Funding

A military contingent from El Salvador arrived in Haiti on Tuesday to bolster a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan...

U.S. Aid Freeze Puts at Risk Ukraine’s Wartime Help for Frontline Evacuees

In what used to be this Ukraine town’s concert hall, cots are arranged on the stage and instead of...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark reality.

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize protecting the institution, keep parents in the dark while officials formulate a public relations response.

Army News

Calif. Army Vet Admits to Killing Kindergartner who Vanished on Walk to School

A U.S. Army veteran has admitted to killing a kindergartner on her walk to school. Robert John Lanoue, 72, who pleaded guilty...

The United States Depository for gold reserves stands in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 1974.

What to Know About Fort Knox's Gold Depository

President Donald Trump says Elon Musk will be looking at Fort Knox, the legendary depository in Kentucky for American gold...

Navy News

USS Truman Commander Fired After Collision with Merchant Ship near Suez Canal

Capt. Dave Snowden was relieved for "loss of confidence in his ability to command" by Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, the commander of...

The federal courthouse in downtown San Diego

Navy Captains Imprisoned in 'Fat Leonard' Scandal Seek Details of Government Misconduct

While government attorneys have admitted in court and in written filings to “serious issues” regarding government misconduct...

Air Force News

Veteran, Employee at Robins Air Force Base Sues After Service Dog Request Was Denied

An aircraft technician for the Robins Air Force Base in Houston County is suing the agency, alleging his superiors...

Air Force One kicks up snow as it lands with President Trump aboard

Trump Says He's Considering Buying Used Planes to Serve as Air Force One Amid Boeing Delays

Boeing has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the aircraft maker has lost billions...

Space Force News

An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at 1 a.m. Pacific Time, Feb. 19, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base

Malmstrom Airmen Participate in Unarmed Minuteman III ICBM Launch at California Base

Airmen from Malmstrom Air Force Base were among a joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command personnel who launched an...

Space Force Brig. Gen. Kristin L. Lanzenhagen, right, talks with moderator Walt Jackim

Ready for 156 Space Coast Launches This Year, Space Force Targets Bottlenecks

The Space Force is prepped to support an average of 13 launches of month from the Space Coast in 2025, but it’s a juggling...

Marine Corps News

Soldier surveys an area that is popular for border crossing near Laredo

Military's Border Mission Now Includes Coordinated Patrols with Mexican Counterparts

The joint effort underscores the Trump administration's push to have an aggressive posture on the border, a part of a key...

John Vick was named executive director of Concerned Veterans for America

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The 14-year old group, affiliated with Americans for Prosperity, is seeking to expand its influence in a Republican majority...

Coast Guard News

The SS United States is towed down the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, from Philadelphia

Historic Ocean Liner Departs Philadelphia on Voyage to Become the World's Largest Artificial Reef

The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef departed from...

U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules crew prepares for an expulsion flight

Data Breach Prompts Coast Guard to Take Personnel and Pay System Offline

The system will be down until at least Feb. 19 while the service investigates a hacking incident, officials said.