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

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.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, and 1st Lt. Wade Holmes, his son, battle each other in a combat flight action video game June 29, 2019, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. (U.S. Air Force/Emerald Ralston)

Air Force 1st Lieutenant Beats 4-Star Dad in Livestreamed Dogfight Game

Score a win for the Viper pilot in the battle over which Air Force fourth-generation aircraft brings the heat.

Hill Air Force Base F-35As fly over the Utah Test and Training Range, March 30, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/R. Nial Bradshaw)

F-35 Dogfight Accidentally Resulted in a Sky Penis, Officials Say

Six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters simulating aggressor air training accidentally created contrails that resembled a penis.

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

Handcuffs rest on a table inside the security forces building during a training exercise

Tennessee Man Shot Dead After Flipping Middle Finger at War Memorial

Albert Sturgill Jr., 63, was confronted by a group while gesturing at the flag and monuments at Cumberland County Veterans...

U.S. soldiers with the West Virginia National Guard conduct a routine patrol at the Stadium-Armory Metro Station in Washington, D.C.

Chicago Braces for Potential National Guard Deployment Amid Trump Threats

Illinois politicians are sounding an alarm and bracing for possible National Guard deployments to Chicago amid President...

After Sept. 11, 2001, this is what the NEADS operation floor looked like. Above the Q-93 (the large green radar scope) is the NORAD contingency suite that was installed immediately after 9/11 to provide radar data of the entire country. Photo courtesy of Master Sgt. Stacia Rountree, Eastern Air Defense Sector

9/11 Air Defense Stories You Might Not Know

As hijacked planes turned into weapons on September 11, 2001, inside a quiet Air National Guard facility in upstate New York...

California National Guard stand guard as protesters gather during the No Kings protests in Los Angeles.

Is Trump's Troop Buildup in US Cities a Declaration of War — or Something Else?

As President Donald Trump goads Democratic-led cities, Americans are grappling with a fundamental question of American...

Rep. Ronny Jackson during the 2024 Republican National Convention

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

Soldier Dies on Fort Leonard Wood Rifle Range

The Army identified the 18-year-old on Monday but has not provided details into the circumstances of his death.

Latest Military Videos

Sit-Up

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for sit-ups. (Sept. 12) Military.com

Swimmers

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for swimmers. (Sept. 12) Military.com

Cox Says He Believes Suspect Acted Alone, Calls Social Media a 'Cancer on Our Society Right Now'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators believe the 22-year-old suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk acted...

Giant Drawing of Trump and Netanyahu on Tel Aviv Beach Draws Attention to Plight of Hostages

A beachside drawing in Tel Aviv on Friday featured portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister...

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

Vietnam War veteran John L. Smith is shown at Essex County College.

Black Vietnam Veteran’s Story Reveals War’s Harsh Realities 50 Years Later

It was May 1970, deep in the jungles of Vietnam, and 19-year-old infantryman John Smith stepped to the edge of a hill to...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Wash

Disabled US Army Veteran in ‘Limbo’ at Tacoma ICE Detention Center

A U.S. Army veteran's immigration case remains uncertain after he was recently denied bond by a judge, family members say.

Navy News

Members of the Bolivarian Militia listen to a recorded speech by President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuela Says US Navy Raided a Tuna Boat in the Caribbean as Tensions Rise

Foreign Minister Yván Gil told journalists the Venezuelan tuna boat was “illegally and hostilely boarded by a United States...

False Threat Led to Naval Academy Lockdown and Then a Mistaken Shooting

A military official says a post on an anonymous chat platform triggered a lockdown at the U.S. Naval Academy this week.

Air Force News

Senate Democrat Tries to Formally Condemn Funeral Honors for Ashli Babbitt

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., went to the Senate floor to request what’s known as “unanimous consent” to pass a resolution...

Pilots of military training planes prepare for future competition

Air Race Championship Takes Flight in New Mexico's Roswell

The National Championship Air Races are kicking off in New Mexico for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.

Space Force News

Col. Edward Segura, director of manpower, personnel and services, Air Force Reserve Command, speaks

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal

US Space Command Can Be Running in Huntsville Before Trump Leaves Office, Official Says

U.S. Space Command headquarters can be fully operational before President Donald Trump leaves office, a Redstone Arsenal...

Marine Corps News

The sign at the entrance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Marine Veteran Charged with Threatening to Shoot Schoolchildren Now Out of Jail

Once held on $1 million bond for livestreaming threats to shoot elementary school children, a military veteran is now out of...

Coast Guard News

A retail services specialist 3rd class, assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) supply department, conducts a command fitness class in the hangar bay.

Fitness at Sea: Workouts You Can Do on a Ship and Ace the Navy Fitness Test

Staying fit in tight spaces with little to no equipment is always a challenge, whether you are in a hotel room or living and...

A Military Approach to Drug Busts Upends US Efforts and Raises Legal Questions

The Trump administration has indicated more military strikes on drug targets could be coming, saying it is seeking to “wage...