DECEMBER 16, 2025 - President Donald J. Trump awarded a group of 13 soldiers and Marines with the recently established Mexican Border Defense Medal during a ceremony at the White House. Established Aug. 13, 2025, via a memo signed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the MBDM — which is backdated to Jan. 20 — recognizes service members who deployed as part of Joint Task Force … [Read more...]
Medal of Honor Monday: Vlug
DECEMBER 15, 2025 - During World War II, Army Pfc. Dirk John Cornelius Vlug singlehandedly went up against five enemy tanks during the liberation of the Philippines, and miraculously, he won. The modest Midwesterner's brazen actions allowed his company to further its goal, and they made him the recipient of the nation's highest honor for valor. Vlug was born Aug. 20, 1916, … [Read more...]
Steel Knight 25: Support Within Striking Distance
DECEMBER 15, 2025 - U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, established and operated a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) at Sacramento Mather Airport, California, Dec. 8, 2025, where they continue to sustain forward aviation operations for Steel Knight 25. Steel Knight is an annual exercise that tests … [Read more...]
NORAD Volunteers Track Santa’s Journey
DECEMBER 15, 2025 - Each December, millions of families around the world follow along as Santa Claus makes his Yuletide trek around the globe, but the holiday tradition wouldn't be possible without the North American Aerospace Defense Command's Santa Tracker. The Santa-tracking enterprise has grown into a massive volunteer operation that started by accident decades … [Read more...]
Coast Guard Rescues 5 People off Egmont Key
DECEMBER 15, 2025 — A Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg boat crew rescued five boaters after their 32-foot vessel sank 28 miles west of Egmont Key, Friday. The five boaters were in stable condition and safely transported to awaiting emergency medical service personnel at Tierra Verde Marina. An Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew located the boaters in the … [Read more...]