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.

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

FBI Searches a Washington Post Reporter's Home

FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home as part of a classified documents investigation.

Federal Officer Shoots Person in Leg After Being Attacked in Minneapolis

Federal officer shoots person in leg after being attacked during Minneapolis arrest, officials say.

Japan and Philippines Sign New Defense Pact

Japan and Philippines sign new defense pact as they face growing China aggression.

NATO Chief Refuses To Be Drawn into Commenting on Greenland Dispute

NATO chief refuses to be drawn into commenting on Greenland dispute.

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...

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...

Army News

Army soldier Ben Gross in Korea in 1953. (Submitted photo)

Korean War Veteran Reunited with Lost Letters from 1952

Ben Gross is trying to hunt down remaining lost letters he wrote back home from the Korean War more than 70 years ago.

Law enforcement uses a chemical agent on protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

Army Combat Veterans, Sisters Document ICE Actions in Minneapolis

Sisters Chelsea Kane and Courtney Azar have been documenting ICE operations in the wake of Renee Good's killing last week in...

Navy News

Malaysian fugitive Francis Leonard Glenn, known as Fat Leonard

Appeals Court Rules ‘Fat Leonard’ Must Serve Full Sentence in Navy Corruption Scandal

Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard” at the center of the worst bribery and corruption...

Former Navy SEAL Convicted of Planning to Fire Explosives at Police During San Diego ‘No Kings’ Rally

A jury has convicted a former Navy SEAL with neo-Nazi beliefs of transporting fireworks across state lines with plans to...

Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Coming to South Carolina Tourist Town

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is working on another attraction that will finally honor the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans.

Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

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More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Sergeant Eddie Quezada, a Marine Corps recruiter from Marine Corps Recruiting Station San Diego, gathers answer key sheets during Mission Bay High School’s first Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in San Diego, 23 Oct 2014 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Erica Kirsop)

Lessons from the Recruiting Surge: Sustaining Momentum with Smarter School Partnerships

After a massive 2025 recruiting surge, the military faces a hidden hurdle: high schools blocking fair access to students.

Louis Tanzer, a retired 105-year-old staff sergeant, raises his fist after eating cake during the United States Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration in Boston. (Photo from Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

105-Year-Old Massachusetts Veteran Believed to Be Nation’s Oldest Marine

Louis Tanzer, likely the nation's oldest living Marine Corps veteran, received quite a celebration after turning 105 years of...

Coast Guard News

US Seizes Another Sanctioned Oil Tanker It Says Has Ties to Venezuela

U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to...

A person dangles from a helicopter hoist above rubble and fire

Coast Guard Aircrews Grade Hollywood’s Biggest Helicopter Missions

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