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

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.

Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher and team members on deployment.

Trump to Restore SEAL Gallagher's Rank, Dismiss Soldiers' War Crimes Charges: Report

President Donald Trump will intervene in the cases against three troops who were accused of war crimes, Fox News reported.

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

The officers of the USS Cole reflect on the 20th anniversary of the deadly suicide bomber attack on the ship.

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. David Berger aboard USS Makin Island

Range of Punishments 'On the Table' for Marine Leaders After Fatal AAV Accident

Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on...

Sailors man the rails on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan.

Fully Vaccinated Sailors Can Make Some Port Calls, Ditch Masks and Cut Quarantines

Anyone who has declined the vaccine or hasn't built up antibodies through an infection will still be required to sequester...

Royal navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

'Nicest Ship I Have Been On': Marine Colonel Sounds Off on British Aircraft Carrier

A Marine F-35B Joint Strike Fighter detachment is officially underway on a British aircraft carrier for the first time ever.

Marines pose for a photograph in front of the last tank assigned to 1st Tank Battalion.

'You Always Demonstrate True Grit:' Marines' Famous 1st Tank Battalion Folds as Mission Ends

The deactivation ceremony symbolized a bittersweet end to the mission for 1st Marine Division.

artist rendering of the guided-missile frigate FFG(X)

The Navy Will Pay $554M for Another Next-Gen Frigate, Called USS Congress

The Wisconsin-based Fincantieri Marinette Marine was awarded a contract to build the future guided-missile frigate Congress.

Forty-two ships and submarines in formation during RIMPAC Exercise 2014.

Biggest Navy Exercise in a Generation Will Include 25,000 Personnel Across 17 Time Zones

Aircraft carriers, submarines, planes, unmanned vessels, and about 25,000 personnel will participate in Large Scale Exercise...

U.S. Marine Maj. Christopher Warnagiris.

Active-Duty Marine Major Arrested After Allegedly Pushing Police Officer in Capitol Riot

Maj. Christopher Warnagiris was arrested after federal agents said he broke into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

Army Fort Jackson Trainee Arrested After Allegedly Hijacking a School Bus Full of Children

Law enforcement officials say he'll now face multiple kidnapping charges.

Marines Sank a Moving Ship When They Fired a Navy Missile from a Drone Truck

The Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System can launch naval strike missiles from the back of a modified JLTV to...

ultrasound of a Marine participant with the COVID-19 Health Action Response for Marines study

Hundreds of Marines Get Heart Exams in Study About COVID's Effects on Young People

More than 460 Marines so far have volunteered to participate in the second portion of the CHARM study.

25th annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally.

Vets Group Celebrates New DC Motorcycle Ride Location After Pentagon Rejection

The new organizers for a massive motorcycle ride through the nation's capital say it will now start at RFK Stadium.

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Most Popular Military News

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Kamper at a ceremony at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Sources: Fort Sill Commander Suspended from Duty for Allegedly Breaking Hunting Rules on Base

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Kamper, an artillery officer, was suspended in the midst of an inspector general investigation into his...

Tugboats move the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Three More Sailors Die by Suicide While Their Carriers Are Stuck in Shipyards

The suicide aboard the George Washington comes a month after the Navy released its first report on the last three suicides...

A Canadian CF-18 Hornet flies over Alaskan airspace.

When a Weather Balloon Went Rogue Two Decades Ago, Fighter Jets Fired at It but Couldn't Bring It Down

A Canadian military spokesperson told BBC that it was difficult to target the balloon, even though it was about the size of a...

A General Warned of an Impending War with China. Airmen Under His Command Say it Was 'Inappropriate'

Mike Minihan, a four-star general who has led Air Mobility Command since 2021, has been known for his loud, proud and high...

a banner in recognition of IPPS-A reaching live status in half of the ARNG's 54 states and territories

Hundreds More Soldiers Kicked off Tricare in Yet Another IT Blunder

Hundreds of soldiers in the Army might need to re-enroll in Tricare after yet another technical blunder caused them to be...

The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China.

China Balloon: Many Questions About Suspected Spy in the Sky

A look at what’s known about the balloon — and what isn’t.

Latest Military Videos

Master Class: Finding the Federal Job 2.0

The federal government is the largest single employer of veterans—they want your subject matter expertise, transferrable skills, and security...

US Weighs in on Government Shake-up in Kyiv

The State Department is weighing in on developments in Kyiv as several senior Ukrainian officials, including front-line governors, lost...

French Soldiers Hold Combat Exercise in Romania

Around 600 French soldiers deployed as part of a NATO battle group in Romania held a combat exercise on...

Biden Says Supporting Ukraine a 'Worldwide Commitment'

President Joe Biden thanked western allies providing military support to Kyiv as he announced on Wednesday that the United...

Investigations and Features

They Said the Rise in Military Suicide Is a Mystery. Traumatic Brain Injury May Be an Answer.

Veterans who have had a head injury are at higher risk for suicide, but these deaths can be prevented, experts say.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol

What Happened to Members of the Military Accused of Storming the Capitol on January 6?

At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Army News

A worker works on the power lines in Annapolis, Md.

Veteran Who Started Neo-Nazi Group Arrested Again, This Time for Targeting a Power Station

Brandon Clint Russell, a former Guardsman, and Sarah Clendaniel are accused of conspiring to carry out attacks to further...

Soldiers stand in formation as an AH-64 Apache helicopter flies overhead.

Two Army Aviators Injured in Alaska AH-64 Apache Crash

An probe into the incident by Army Combat Readiness Center investigators is underway.

Navy News

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society visiting nurse T’Sheira Scott, based in Yokosuka, Japan, teaches a healthy girl interactive workshop.

Visiting Nurses Handle Patients with Care as Relief Society's 'Best-Kept Secret'

NMCRS nurses conducted almost 15,000 visits in 2022, a nearly 20% increase over the previous year, according to data provided...

A hospital corpsman constitutionalizes a COVID-19 vaccination

Vaccine Litigation Lingers After Lifting of Military Mandate

Lawyers for a group of SEALS and other Navy personnel who oppose a vaccination requirement on religious grounds want a...

Air Force News

Mechanic removes the landing gear of an MV-22B Osprey.

Military Grounds Some Ospreys While a 'Complete Redesign' Is Underway on Troubled Clutch System

A defense official, speaking to reporters of anonymously, revealed that the military now suspects the "input quill assembly"...

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The downing of the balloon marked the first time the F-22 Raptor brought down an airborne target since it debuted in combat...

Space Force News

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A diesel fuel pump for a backup generator at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex failed to shut off during the night of Jan...

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado poses with U.S. Air Force airmen.

Democrat Threatens to Hold Up Pentagon Nominees over Space Command HQ Decision

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet voted against confirming Brendan Owens as assistant secretary of defense for energy and...

Marine Corps News

Visiting Nurses Handle Patients with Care as Relief Society's 'Best-Kept Secret'

NMCRS nurses conducted almost 15,000 visits in 2022, a nearly 20% increase over the previous year, according to data provided...

The True Origin of the US Marine Corps' 'Oorah' Call

"Oorah" is a relatively new addition, especially considering how old the Marine Corps and many of its traditions are.

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard personnel help carry a swimmer from a rescue helicopter after he was rescued

Arrest Made After Coast Guard Stolen 'Goonies' Yacht Rescue

A stolen yacht. A dramatic Coast Guard rescue. A dead fish. And the famed home featured in the classic 1985 film “The Goonies...

Rear Adm. William Kelly, Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy.

Retiring Coast Guard Academy Superintendent to Take Presidency at Virginia University

Rear Adm. William G. Kelly Kelly will retire from his 36-year career with the Coast Guard and take the helm at Christopher...