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

Sailors man the rails on the flight deck as the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) returns to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.

2 Sailor Deaths and Alcohol Restrictions Mark the Arrival of Navy Aircraft Carrier to Japan Home Port

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier arrived in Japan as part of its home port shift less than two weeks ago, but its...

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump is shown with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Trump's Army Secretary Pick Is a Former Cavalry Officer, Yale Classmate of JD Vance

President-elect Donald Trump has named businessman and Iraq War veteran Dan Driscoll as his pick for Army secretary...

U.S. Air Force airmen step onto the flightline to catch a flight at Beale Air Force Base, California.

Air Force's New Deployment Model Sparks Criticism, Staffing Concerns at Bases

Some Air Force officials are concerned by the service's innovative deployment model, a new government watchdog report...

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Romello Christian, an infantry platoon leader assigned to B Company 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, kneels behind cover with his platoon during a simulated assault as part of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines.

The Army Needs Hundreds of Officers to Leave Combat Arms

Lieutenants currently branched in armor, infantry, combat engineer and field artillery can apply between Jan. 7 and Feb. 17...

Staff Sgt. Shawn McGovern sings 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,' accompanied by the Grinch himself, during the 282nd Army Band's holiday performance in Columbia, S.C.

The Little-Known War Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs

Criscrossing decades, continents and conflict, we’ve collected some of the most intriguing stories behind a variety of...

Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, boards a C-17 cargo plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Donahue is the final American service member to depart Afghanistan.

General Known as Last Soldier in Afghanistan Gets Promotion Approved After Republican Ends Delay

A promotion for the general who became known as the last U.S. soldier out of Afghanistan was approved by the Senate after a...

Latest Military Videos

Russia Conducts Military Drills in Eastern Mediterranean

The Russian Defense Ministry released on Tuesday images of what it said showed the Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces...

South Korean President Declares Emergency Martial Law, AP Explains

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles...

Tuberville Welcomes Defense Secretary Nominee Hegseth to Capitol Hill

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville welcomed President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense to Capitol Hill on Monday. (Dec...

Master Class: Positioning for Power Jobs in Management and Leadership for Veterans

When you reflect on your military career, was being in a leadership role the best part? Would you like...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

Todd VanCantfort was a member of the San Antonio Armed Forces Police Department in the mid-1980s. Elaine Rodriguez served in the Navy.

Inside the Military's LBGTQ Witch Hunts

For those caught up in the witch hunts that rooted out LGBTQ service members, the disgrace is everlasting.

Army Veteran from Humble Beginnings Wins $44 Million Powerball Jackpot in California

Despite winning a massive Powerball jackpot in California, Jerry Heath said he won’t forget his humble beginnings.

Navy News

The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, flagship of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, is underway during a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.

Dire State of Navy Amphibious Fleet Has Cost Marines Decades of Lost Training, Deployment Time

A scathing and detailed new watchdog report has found the condition of the Navy's amphibious ship fleet -- the fleet Marines...

Inside the Military's LBGTQ Witch Hunts

For those caught up in the witch hunts that rooted out LGBTQ service members, the disgrace is everlasting.

Air Force News

The official U.S. Space Forces-Japan flag is unveiled during the activation and assumption of command ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan

Space Force's New Component in Japan to Bolster Ally Defenses Amid Rising Threats

Space Force officials announced the creation of a new service component in Japan, as America's ally expands its own space...

Inside the Military's LBGTQ Witch Hunts

For those caught up in the witch hunts that rooted out LGBTQ service members, the disgrace is everlasting.

Space Force News

Space Force's New Component in Japan to Bolster Ally Defenses Amid Rising Threats

Space Force officials announced the creation of a new service component in Japan, as America's ally expands its own space...

Inside the Military's LBGTQ Witch Hunts

For those caught up in the witch hunts that rooted out LGBTQ service members, the disgrace is everlasting.

Marine Corps News

Daniel Penny arrives at the courthouse in New York

Father of Victim in NYC Subway Chokehold Case Sues Marine Veteran

The father of the victim at the center of the fatal New York City subway chokehold trial has sued the defendant as a...

A child places a flower into the soil at the Child Development Center (CDC) during an Earth Day celebration on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona

Marine Corps Day Care Hit with Legal Allegations of Widespread Child Abuse

Five Marine Corps families filed federal claims against the government late last month alleging that negligent hiring...

Coast Guard News

Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill criticized California’s sanctuary state law after a boat with 21 migrants was intercepted by U.S. military off the city’s coastline.

After Coast Guard Stops Boat with Migrants, California Mayor Criticizes Immigration Policy

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Narwhal, which is homeported in Newport Harbor, noticed around 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 a 34...

The Coast Guard Suspends Its Search for the Crew of a Capsized Fishing Boat in the Gulf of Alaska

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for five crew members of a fishing boat that reportedly capsized in southeast Alaska...

Gina Harkins

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