Gina Harkins

Gina Harkins reports on 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.

Email: gina.harkins@military.com

Latest Articles

New Marines run under the iconic “We Make Marines” sign during a traditional motivational run through the streets of Parris Island, S.C., on July 15, 2016. Lance Cpl. Aaron Bolser/Marine Corps

Marines Weigh Closing Parris Island and San Diego to Open New Coed Boot Camp

The service to study the option of opening a third training base in a new location to which all new recruits would ship.

Female Marine Drill Instructors Are Headed to All-Male San Diego Boot Camp

Earlier this month, the Marine Corps released some of its plans for ending gender segregation at boot camp.

Camp Lejeune Marines Warned to Stop Running in the Dark After 4 Coyote Attacks

Three Marines and a sailor have been bitten by a coyote on the loose at Camp Lejeune.

MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft Marine Corps Air Station Futenma

Changes Are Coming for Marines’ Deployments to the Pacific

U.S. troops in the Asia-Pacific region are still based largely where they were 30 or 40 years ago.

President Donald Trump meets with Gov. Kim Reynolds

Trump Bans DoD Diversity Training That Suggests US Is Racist

President Donald Trump has expanded his ban on training that implies racism is widespread in the U.S.

Starboard quarter view, taken while the USS Thresher was underway on April 30, 1961.

Navy Declassifies 300 Pages of Probe into 1963 USS Thresher Disaster

Families of those lost in the USS Thresher tragedy are finally getting a look at hundreds of documents about the accident.

Scout snipers fire down range at Range 10 aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Marines' 1st-Ever Littoral Regiment Will Include Combat, Logistics and Anti-Air Personnel

Plans are moving ahead to form the first-ever Marine littoral regiment, or MLR.

Norfolk Shipyard CO Is 4th Navy Leader to Be Fired in a Month

Capt. Kai Torkelson was relieved of command by Vice Adm. Bill Galinis, according to a Navy news release.

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors, who have tested negative twice for COVID-19, return to the ship.

6 Big Takeaways from the Full Navy Investigation into a Carrier's COVID Outbreak

The Navy's investigation included several never-before-seen witness statements.

The plotline on the Polaris, centers around what's known as a tiger cruise. (Photo Courtesy of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum)

Hallmark Wants Sailors to Be Extras in Navy-Themed 'USS Christmas' Movie

Sailors looking to pocket extra cash ahead of the holiday season can now volunteer for a unique assignment.

Staff Sgt. Jordan Viches stars in the Marine Corps’ new “Battle to Belong” recruiting commercial,

New Recruiting Ad Tells Gen Z to Ditch the Digital World and Join the Marines

The concept for the new ad was based on research on Generation Z, the group born in the late 1990s and beyond.

Inside Black Widow, the Navy’s New Sub-Hunting Exercise to Challenge Russia

Exercise Black Widow, which started Saturday and runs through the end of the week, is focused on anti-submarine warfare.

Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Moshier, an Air Force recruiter, speaks with students.

High School Closures During Pandemic Could Harm Military Recruiting Goals, General Says

The historic closures of schools across the country during the coronavirus pandemic has leaders bracing for challenges.

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.

New Airmen take oath of enlistment Lakeland, Fla.

Air Force Will Set New Diversity Recruiting Targets in 2021

"It's not reverse discrimination," a two-star general said. "This isn't a quota; it's a target."

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Most Popular Military News

A drill sergeant watches over Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson.

No More Drill Sergeant 'Shark Attack': Army Moves Toward Kinder Basic Training Start

The Army began creating this new approach to the beginning of BCT during the spring.

Four soldiers and Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey display the "pinks and greens" uniform prototypes on Capitol Hill, February 1, 2018. (U.S. Army)

$2 Million in Funds Earmarked for COVID-19 Went to Buy Army Greens Uniforms

A Washington Post report illustrates how the military spent $1 billion designated for stocks of masks and other supplies.

Norfolk Shipyard CO Is 4th Navy Leader to Be Fired in a Month

Capt. Kai Torkelson was relieved of command by Vice Adm. Bill Galinis, according to a Navy news release.

House Approves Bill Ordering VA to Change Gender-Exclusive Motto

Some female veterans and advocates have pushed for a gender-neutral version of the motto since 2017.

USS Tripoli Arrives in San Diego, Will Carry Marine Corps' New Age Fighting Aircraft

The America Class amphibious assault ship was virtually commissioned July 15 at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

Latest Military Videos

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Army 4-Star General Issues Leg Tuck Challenge

Leg Tuck Challenge: Gen. Michael X. Garrett, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), issues a challenge to all #Soldiers and...

Army News

The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division receives vehicles by railhead.

Fort Hood Armored Brigade Will Deploy to Europe, Army Announces

The Army announced today that it will deploy an armored brigade to Europe this fall as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Members of Merrill's Marauders cross a bridge over Tanai River, Burma.

Congressional Gold Medal for Famed Merrill's Marauders Awaits President's Approval

The Marauders were named for Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, who led the Army unit as it fought behind Japanese lines in Burma.

Spc. Jessica Tang plays ''The Army Song'' on a crutch she modified to play like a flute.

Injured Army Musician Turns Crutches into Flutes

Tang used duct tape and ingenuity to fashion a mouthpiece that turned a crutch's adjustable leg segment into a flute.

Navy News

Two United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets.

2 Navy Super Hornets Catch Fire, Make Emergency Landings Within Weeks at Oceana

It's not clear yet whether there are any factors connecting the two recent Super Hornet mishaps.

Navy Declassifies 300 Pages of Probe into 1963 USS Thresher Disaster

Families of those lost in the USS Thresher tragedy are finally getting a look at hundreds of documents about the accident.

The U.S. Naval Academy holds the fourth swearing-in event for the Class of 2020.

Naval Academy Midshipmen Not Allowed to Go Home for Thanksgiving, Will Stay in Annapolis

The decision was made to protect the health and safety of the midshipmen, staff and faculty.

Air Force News

An airman displays his tattoos at Creech Air Force Base.

To Boost Morale, the Air Force Just Opened Its First On-Base Tattoo Parlor

The studio, known as "American Tattoo Society," opened earlier this month at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

A KC-46 conducts in-flight refueling on a B-2 bomber in this illustration. (Air Force illustration)

The Air Force’s Future Tanker Planes Could Be Autonomous

The Air Force is drawing up plans for its next refueling tanker to have autonomous or semi-autonomous capabilities.

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, the new superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy

General Becomes First Black Superintendent of US Air Force Academy

Clark, a 1986 academy graduate, is the first former commandant of cadets to come back for the three-star job.

Marine Corps News

Marines Weigh Closing Parris Island and San Diego to Open New Coed Boot Camp

The service to study the option of opening a third training base in a new location to which all new recruits would ship.

Female Marine Drill Instructors Are Headed to All-Male San Diego Boot Camp

Earlier this month, the Marine Corps released some of its plans for ending gender segregation at boot camp.

U.S. Marines approach a simulated casualty during Integrated Training Exercise 2-19.

Marine Corps Plans Robust Improvements to Force-on-Force Combat Training

Lt. Gen. Lewis Craparotta told an audience that the service will make significant investments in force-on-force training.

Coast Guard News

Kimball’s unicorn swim floatie, which will be displayed at the U.S. Coast Guard Museum.

Unicorn Made Famous by Shark Incident Floats into History at Coast Guard Museum

The darling of a Coast Guard shark-and-swim call video now has a home in New London, Connecticut.

investigator on board the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche

Coast Guard Crew Stamps Out Fire Aboard Cutter Waesche

A fire broke out Sunday aboard one of the Coast Guard's newest cutters, resulting in damage to its exhaust stack and hangar.

This undated file photo provided by the Erie County Department of Corrections in Erie, Pa. shows Christopher Leclair.

Man Convicted of Murdering Wife May Owe Coast Guard More Than $400,000 in Search Costs

The Erie County District Attorney's Office believes the restitution question represents an issue ripe for appellate review.