Nick Mordowanec

Nick Mordowanec was previously a national news and investigative reporter for Newsweek, focusing on U.S. and international politics, military/defense, immigration, crime, social issues and features over a four-year period. Other coverage included education, economics, and wars in Ukraine and Gaza. His reporting on the opioid epidemic garnered a statewide Michigan Press Association award. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Email nick.m@military.com with tips or feedback.

Latest Articles

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures during a press conference after a meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernadez)

Hegseth Ordered Second Strike to Kill Caribbean Boat Survivors: Report

The United States changed its protocols after Secretary Hegseth allegedly told officials to "kill everybody" onboard an a...

A U.S. Marine stands as part of an honor cordon for the arrival of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon, Monday, June 7, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How DOD Can Strengthen Digital Security to Protect Military Personnel, Families

An official told Military.com that a 63-page report on digital risk assessment was spurred by congressional members’ interest...

Steve Bannon speaks to the media as he departs the federal court in Washington, Thursday, July 21, 2022. Bannon was brought to trial on a pair of federal charges for criminal contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with the House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Steve Bannon Says Mark Kelly is ‘Going to Prison’ For Controversial Remarks

Steve Bannon talked to Military.com about how the Pentagon should deal with six members of Congress advocating for active...

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation nominations hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Military Veterans Call Out Trump, Hegseth and Pentagon in New Video

“We've never been at this kind of crossroads in our country before," Kenneth Harbaugh, a U.S. Navy veteran, told Military.com...

Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Ernie Garcia, a Marine Corps veteran, walks in a Veterans Day parade, Monday, Nov. 11, 2013, in downtown Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Milburn)

'From Difficult to Crisis': How One Community Galvanized Around Military Food Insecurity

Topeka, Kan., is just one of countless communities dealing with food insecurity exacerbated by the government shutdown.

Members of the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy honor guard rehearse with American flags as part of Salute to Service Month before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

Louisiana Gets Multi-Billion-Dollar Economic Boon From Military Spending

New data from Louisiana shows major increases including in employment boosts compared to numbers from 2021.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins testifies during the House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Yuri Gripas)

$77M For Veterans: ‘Woke’ Biden-Era EV Funding Finds New Home

Money not used as part of former President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandate will go to VA hospitals and medical centers.

Rune Technologies, based out of Arlington, Va., is one of countless companies trying to boost production after the government shutdown. (Rune Technologies)

Post-Government Shutdown: How Record Closure Impacts Defense, National Security

"We're never going to get that time back," a CEO of a logistics company told Military.com.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks during the swearing-in ceremony of Gen. William Rincon as the new national police director in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

US Rebukes Gustavo Petro, Calls Colombian Leader ‘Illegal Drug Dealer’

Colombian President Gustavo Petro had choice words for the U.S. and others staking claim in the Caribbean as tensions rise...

FILE - Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder, left, receives the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine given at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Dec. 16, 2020, south of Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Military Veterans Who Refused COVID Vaccine Now Eligible for GI Bill Benefits

At least 900 military veterans, and perhaps thousands of others, could reap benefits after rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine.

In this Oct. 4, 2017 file photo, the exterior of the Veterans Affairs Department hospital is shown in east Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Former VA Employee Indicted For Alleged Disability Fraud Criminal Scheme

An ex-employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs faces 33 criminal counts for allegedly raking in huge sums for fake...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during the NATO-Industry Forum (NIF) 2025, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

White Paper Circulating Pentagon Calls For New Aircraft Plan With NATO: Exclusive

Military.com has exclusively learned that a white paper on U.S. aircraft in association with NATO allies is moving through...

President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak during a meeting at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Son of Detained US-Saudi Citizen Wants Answers Ahead of Trump-MBS Meeting

Dual U.S.-Saudi citizen Saad Almadi has been detained in Saudi Arabia for four years due to 14 rather innocent social media...

A couple of heavily armed New York National Guard soldiers patrol Grand Central terminal, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Four in a Row: New York National Guard Tops Nation Again in Recruiting

Recruiting numbers for all U.S. military branches have risen, but that's been a normal occurrence in New York for years.

Daryl Sager with his Canine Companions service dog, Adria, a Labrador cross golden retriever. (Canine Companions)

Man's Best Friend: How Dogs Have Helped Veterans With PTSD, Disabilities For 50 Years

Daryl Sager, a U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, has had his service dog for five years and said it's been like "magic...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

NATO Chief Refuses To Be Drawn into Commenting on Greenland Dispute

NATO chief refuses to be drawn into commenting on Greenland dispute.

Palestinians Who Have Fled Their West Bank Homes Try to Find New Ways to Survive

Palestinians who have fled their West Bank homes try to find new ways to survive.

Hegseth Visits Lockheed Martin, Pushes Trump's Proposed $1.5T Defense Budget

Hegseth visits Lockheed Martin, pushes Trump's proposed $1.5T defense budget.

Sen. Kelly Sues the Pentagon Over Attempts to Punish Him

Sen. Kelly sues the Pentagon over attempts to punish him, declaring it unconstitutional.

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

Armed coal miners surrendering their weapons to federal troops. (Wikimedia Commons)

The US Army Once Deployed Bombers and 2,500 Troops to Crush 10,000 Armed Coal Miners in West Virginia

The Battle of Blair Mountain wasn't just a labor dispute gone wrong. It was the moment the federal government deployed troops...

Military medics runs from a helicopter with a patient on a stretcher.

How the Korean War’s MASH Units Changed Combat Medicine Forever

From MASH tents in Korea to Forward Surgical Teams in Afghanistan, the principle remains constant. Bring surgeons to the...

Navy News

Malaysian fugitive Francis Leonard Glenn, known as Fat Leonard

Appeals Court Rules ‘Fat Leonard’ Must Serve Full Sentence in Navy Corruption Scandal

Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard” at the center of the worst bribery and corruption...

Former Navy SEAL Convicted of Planning to Fire Explosives at Police During San Diego ‘No Kings’ Rally

A jury has convicted a former Navy SEAL with neo-Nazi beliefs of transporting fireworks across state lines with plans to...

Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Coming to South Carolina Tourist Town

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is working on another attraction that will finally honor the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans.

Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

Who Killed Dominic Marino? 7 Years Later, Murder of Disabled Veteran Baffles Police

More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

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

Louis Tanzer, a retired 105-year-old staff sergeant, raises his fist after eating cake during the United States Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration in Boston. (Photo from Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

105-Year-Old Massachusetts Veteran Believed to Be Nation’s Oldest Marine

Louis Tanzer, likely the nation's oldest living Marine Corps veteran, received quite a celebration after turning 105 years of...

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Kendell Jones, Headquarters Company, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a training dummy with an automated external defibrillator during a CPR and AED course, on MCB Camp Blaz, Guam, Nov. 14, 2025 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Afton Smiley)

The Push for AEDs at Every Marine Physical Training Session

Sudden cardiac arrest remains the top non-traumatic cause of death for young U.S. service members, with rates reaching as...

Coast Guard News

A person dangles from a helicopter hoist above rubble and fire

Coast Guard Aircrews Grade Hollywood’s Biggest Helicopter Missions

Hollywood loves helicopter rescues that look heroic. Real Coast Guard aviation runs on checklists, limits, and hard calls. We...

A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba.

A Battered Cuba Braces for Aftershocks as US Seizures of Oil Tankers Linked to Venezuela Surge

“Cuban military forces are on high alert,” said Andy S. Gómez, retired dean of the School of International Studies and senior...