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

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

On Oct. 12, 2000, two suicide bombers in a small boat laden with explosives targeted the guided-missile destroyer Cole.

Marines Send More Embassy Guards to Haiti as Riots Turn Deadly

A squad-sized Marine detachment arrived in Haiti to bolster security at the U.S. embassy there as protests turned violent.

Amazon, SpaceX Leaders Will Headline Major Air Force Conference

Two business executives leading space travel and technology advancements will speak at the Air Force Association conference.

Ronald Shurer, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Died of Cancer at 41, to Be Laid to Rest at Arlington

Shurer died in May at the age of 41 after a years-long lung cancer battle.

Troops and Military Families Call for Change After El Paso, Dayton Shootings

"My family shouldn't be the ones who feel like they are in a combat zone."

Commissaries Limit Toilet Paper, Other Sales as Shoppers Hoard Supplies

Limitations will change from store to store, but directors are authorized to place restrictions on certain products.

The Military Doesn't Bar Troops from Being Members of Hate Groups. That Could Change

"Active participation" in groups that advocate supremacist, extremist or criminal gang ideologies is prohibited.

Trump Says Fired Navy Captain 'Wanted to Be Ernest Hemingway' in Warning Letter

Trump declined to offer his thoughts on whether Crozier should be reinstated as commanding officer of the USS Roosevelt.

Sgt. 1st Class Reymund Transfiguracion, with 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), died Sunday following wounds sustained during an Aug. 7 patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province. (Army photo)

Army Special Forces Soldier Dies After IED Blast in Afghanistan

A Washington-based Special Forces soldier has died from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.

A CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 465, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flies back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration at the 2018 MCAS Miramar Air Show on MCAS Miramar, Calif., Sept. 29, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Julian Elliott-Drouin)

Four Marines Safe After Super Stallion Helicopter Catches Fire Mid-Flight

Four Marines were able to get out of a heavy lift helicopter safely after it made an emergency landing just miles from their...

Navy Esports Team to Resume Streaming on Twitch After Trolling Caused Weeklong Hiatus

The Navy is standing by its decision to block some users on its livestreaming channel.

U.S. Marines play a game of Memoir 44’ on Camp Schwab, Okinawa.

The Marines Are Pumping Millions into a High-Tech Wargaming Center. Here's Why

A new Marine Corps Wargaming and Analysis Center is expected to be up and running in Quantico, Virginia, by 2024.

A Navy esports team player holds a game controller.

Navy Kicks Sailor Off Esports Team After Racist Usernames Appear in Game Stream

A sailor has been kicked off Goats and Glory, the Navy's official esports team that streams on the video platform Twitch.

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.

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Most Popular Military News

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Shavaun Brugger, a UH-60 helicopter repairer assigned to Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, peers out of the door of a Black Hawk during Mojave Falcon 2025 at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.

The Army Reserve Is Gutting Aviation Units. Thousands of Soldiers Are Being Left in the Lurch.

Thousands of Army Reserve soldiers are being forced to scramble for new assignments after the service abruptly ordered the...

Exodus at VA: 10,000 Employees Are Resigning in September. Here’s the List

It’s been six months since a now-infamous email presented millions of federal workers with a pivotal decision: They could...

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi speaks with airmen assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing during a visit at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Air Force Rebrands Facebook Page to Combat Rumors, Leaked Memos and Reddit Threads

A long-standing Air Force Facebook page created to represent its top enlisted leader has been renamed and rebranded as a news...

Air Force Veteran Convicted of Killing Wife and 2 Children Is 9th Person Executed in Florida This Year

Air Force veteran Edward Zakrzewski was executed on Thursday for the June 9, 1994, killings of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia...

A folded American flag, flown aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer

Marine Sergeant Dies After Collapsing During Fitness Test in Florida

A Marine sergeant on reserve duty died after he collapsed during a physical fitness test in Florida last month, according to...

A former convict turned soldier, a young Ukrainian woman with the call sign “Brooks”

The Unexpected Army: Stories of Those Who Fight for Ukraine

Ukraine's army is stretched thin and wide, redrawing the boundaries of who serves and why.

Latest Military Videos

Aid Not Reaching Those Who Need it in Gaza Despite Air Drops and Easing of Blockade, AP Explains

International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more...

Four Astronauts from US, Japan and Russia Launch to the Space Station

Astronauts sidelined for the past year by Boeing’s Starliner trouble blasted off to the International Space Station on Friday...

Iron Sharpens Iron: How to Find the Career Mentor You Need on the Job Hunt

On your job hunt, you are not looking for a handout. You don’t expect it to be easy. You...

Roman Era Mosaic Panel With Erotic Theme That Was Stolen During World War II Returns to Pompeii

A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological...

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

Night Vision Goggles May Have Hampered Black Hawk Pilots Before Crash with Jet, Experts Tell NTSB

Aviation experts say night vision goggles may have created some difficulties for the pilots on an Army helicopter that...

U.S. Army soldier promoted to the rank of sergeant

Army Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Army ranks from private to general. Learn rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion paths in this...

Navy News

Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, delivers remarks

Navy Leader Confirmed by Senate After Half-Year Vacancy

After nearly half a year without a Senate-confirmed uniformed leader, the Navy has a new top admiral.

The guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams prepares to depart at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., for its May 2, 2006, maiden voyage with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.

Virginia Senators Seek Answers from Navy in Death of Norfolk-Based Sailor

Seaman Angelina Resendiz went missing around May 30; her body was found 10 days later.

Air Force News

Combat Arms Training and Maintenance students learn how to properly handle M18 pistols at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Air Force Conducting Service-Wide Inspections of Sig Sauer M18 Pistol After Airman's Death

The entire Air Force is doing a service-wide inspection of the M18 handgun after a Security Forces airman suddenly died last...

Air Force Veteran Convicted of Killing Wife and 2 Children Is 9th Person Executed in Florida This Year

Air Force veteran Edward Zakrzewski was executed on Thursday for the June 9, 1994, killings of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia...

Space Force News

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Alabama) speaks to the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber.

Alabama Congressman ‘100% Sure’ US Space Command Coming to Huntsville

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Alabama) said he has been assured by President Donald Trump that U.S. Space Command is coming to...

U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, newly appointed U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific commander, gives a speech

First Leader of Space Force Pacific Command Ends Tenure

The first leader of the U.S. Space Force’s Pacific command officially ended his tenure in Hawaii in a change of command...

Marine Corps News

Marine Sergeant Dies After Collapsing During Fitness Test in Florida

A Marine sergeant on reserve duty died after he collapsed during a physical fitness test in Florida last month, according to...

Wife of Marine Corps Veteran Released from ICE Custody After Advocacy from GOP Senator's Office

Until this week, Mexican national Paola Clouatre had been one of tens of thousands of people in ICE custody as the Trump...

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Says Rotten Wood and Poor Inspections Led to Deadly Schooner Mast Collapse

The U.S. Coast Guard says rotten wood and poor inspections appear to have played roles in the collapse of the mast of a...

Fredrick Unger's children pose with Seaman Joseph Turk, who saved the 97-year-old

Quick Thinking by Rookie Seaman Saves Drowning 97-Year-Old During Coast Guard Festival

A 97-year-old man who lost his balance and fell around 6 feet into the Grand River is expected to make a full recovery...