Oriana Pawlyk

Oriana Pawlyk is Military.com’s air warfare reporter covering everything from the latest personnel trends, aircraft, investigations, defense technology, to Air Force operations all over the world. Pawlyk is also an active member of the Pentagon Press Association.

She previously covered air campaign operations in the Middle East and Europe, plus uniforms, cyber, Guard and Reserve duties, physical training and technology for Air Force Times. Pawlyk edited the Military Times Early Bird Brief newsletter in 2015, compiling the top national security stories driving the day. Pawlyk attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she received a bachelor’s in Journalism and English Literature.

Email: oriana.pawlyk@monster.com

Latest Articles

Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers take flight at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. on 16 Jan. for Red Flag 24-1. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Bryson Britt)

Air Force Warns Against Area 51 Assault Plans as Alien Memes Swamp the Internet

The Facebook event, "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," calls for enthusiasts to show up outside the base Sept. 20.

A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 57th Weapons Squadron stationed at the McChord Air Force Base component of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, flies above the Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada, Nov. 19, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Josey Blades)

'Storm Area 51' Has Been Canceled, but the Air Force Isn't Taking Chances

The U.S. Air Force is still sending reinforcements just in case things get out of hand, top officials said Tuesday.

F-16 Thunderbirds Crash Resulted from Wet Runway, Wind

A wet runway and wind gusts made an Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon slide and flip after landing during a routine...

Air Force Launches Aviation Inquiry Amid Reports of Increased Mishaps

The Air Force is investigating recent lower-category aviation accidents to determine whether there is a larger trend looming.

Navy Declassifies its Notorious 'UFO Sighting' Videos

The U.S. Navy has acknowledged three incidents reported by F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots of "unidentified aerial phenomena."

The Pentagon Has 6 Months to Disclose What It Knows About UFOs

Lawmakers are demanding answers from U.S. intelligence agencies and the DoD on the potential existence of UFOs.

Shanahan Launches New Investigation into Deadly 2017 Niger Ambush

The Oct. 4, 2017, incident left four U.S. soldiers dead.

'Extraordinary Sacrifice:' Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Fallen Airman

President Trump posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Tech Sgt. John Chapman at a ceremony at the White House Wednesday.

Air Guard Officer in Congress Calls on Facebook to Crack Down on Romance Scams

An congressman in the Air National Guard is pressing Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to do more to stop "romance scams."

Pentagon IG Investigating Acting SecDef Over Possible Ethics Violations

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed the request alleging Shanahan violated rules by promoting Boeing.

Photos Show Destruction at US Embassy in Baghdad After Attacks

Newly released photos from a Dec. 31 assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq show extensive damage to the compound.

Pentagon IDs 2 Airmen Killed in Afghanistan Crash

The Defense Department has identified two airmen killed in an E-11 aircraft crash in Afghanistan on Monday.

More Than a Decade Later, the Air Force Finally Picks a Huey Replacement

The U.S. Air Force has picked Boeing to build the replacement for its UH-1N Huey at a cost of approximately $2.38 billion.

Second Lt. Kenneth Soyars, 14th Student Squadron student pilot, takes off during a virtual reality flight simulation Jan. 10, 2018, at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Two subjects flew at a time but no other subjects were allowed to watch or learn from other individuals’ sorties. The Adaptive Flight Training Study pushed subjects to learn through the VR technology. (Keith Holcomb/U.S. Air Force)

Here's How the Air Force Plans to Recruit Teenage Gamers

Forget the Xbox. The U.S. Air Force wants kids to play a game to help it locate future airmen.

Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, watches Airmen from the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load inert weapons onto an F-15E Strike Eagle during training, Feb. 26, 2019, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Kenneth Boyton)

Air Force Commander, Pilot Son to Dogfight in Livestreamed Flight Game

Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike Holmes will battle his son, 1st Lt. Wade Holmes, an F-16 pilot, in the game Ace Combat 7.

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Veterans and the VA

While most vets won't be impacted by the ongoing government shutdown, concerns may ramp up the longer it persists.

Hegseth Wants 'Male Standard' for Combat Roles. Many Female Veterans Say That's Already the Case

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an address to the military’s top leaders waded back into a topic that nearly derailed his...

Those bubble-canopy Bell 47 helicopters weren't the only vehicles in ‘M*A*S*H.’

The Forgotten Military Vehicles of ‘M*A*S*H’

Between all the martini-fueled hijinx and medical drama, “M*A*S*H” featured some pretty special military vehicles.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico

Hegseth's Decision on Wounded Knee Medals Sparks Outrage in Native American Communities

Native American communities that had long wanted the removal of military honors for the soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

APTOPIX Trump Pentagon Commanders Meeting

The US Military Has Long Been an Engine of Social Change. Hegseth's Approach Runs Counter to That

In comments Tuesday to hundreds of military leaders and their chief enlisted advisers, Hegseth made clear he was not...

Latest Military Videos

Scientists Crack How to Break Down So-Called 'Forever Chemicals'

Known as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to breaking down, PFAS's weakness may finally have been found. (Oct...

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Ukraine: 'This War Needs to End'

United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk called for an end to the war in Ukraine, detailing human rights...

Putin Praises Trump and Warns Supplies of US Long-Range Missile to Ukraine Will Hurt Ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to help negotiate peace in Ukraine and...

British Police Say Deadly Rampage at UK Synagogue Was a Terrorist Attack

An assailant drove a car into people outside a synagogue Thursday in northern England and then began stabbing them...

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

Prosecutors Seek to Have Ex-Green Beret Accused of Failed Venezuelan Plot Back in Custody

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke the release of a former Green Beret who is accused of planning a failed...

Army Vet Sentenced to Year In Prison For $80,000 Fraud, Stolen Valor

Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, was indicted in April 2024 on four charges: wire fraud, stolen valor, theft of government funds, and...

Navy News

Trump USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier

Trump Doesn't Let Shutdown Interfere With Celebrating Navy's 250th Anniversary

The president spoke on a pier in between two towering Navy vessels, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship.

Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), delivers remarks during NETC’s change of command ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, June 18, 2025. The museum recently opened an exhibit honoring Vietnam prisoners of war. (United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)

National Naval Aviation Museum Honors Vietnam POWs with Emotional Exhibit

A new exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, is giving attendees a rare glimpse into life for...

Air Force News

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview

Veterans, Who Saw One of Their Own Arrested by ICE and Charged, Say Feds Are Undermining Democracy

Days after a 70-year-old Air Force veteran was among five people charged while protesting outside a suburban U.S. Immigration...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

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

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department Address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Train Hard - What Marines Need to Know About SecWar's Guidance

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did not mince his words during a recent speech to senior leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico...

U.S. Capital Building (DVIDS, photo by Pamela Moore)

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Marines

As of 1 October 2025, the lapse in appropriations (AKA the “government shutdown”) is already having impacts on Marines and...

Coast Guard News

Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Harris receives new shoulder boards from his children during a promotion ceremony June 21, 2018, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training in Charleston, South Carolina. (U.S. Coast Guard/Ryan Dickinson)

Coast Guard Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Coast Guard ranks from seaman to admiral. Learn about the rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion...

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Motor Lifeboat CG-36538 was restored by dozens of volunteers after more than 8 years of hard work.

Cape May Maritime Museum Brings 73-Year-Old Coast Guard Lifeboat Back to Life

The CG-36538 was built in a Baltimore shipyard in Curtis Bay in 1952 and was primarily used for winter rescues and winter...