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

A Marine loads a .50-caliber machine gun.

More Marines Will Test Lighter Polymer-Cased Ammunition as Experiments Expand to Fleet

Marines will get to see for themselves how lighter rounds hold up in the field.

CNO Adm. Mike Gilday and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger.

CNO Says Navy Department Has Strong Case for Getting Bigger Slice of Defense Budget

Gilday has for more than a year said his service needs a bigger portion of the budget to build more ships and submarines.

Screengrab allegedly showing Collazo pointing an M4 at the driver.

Army Trainee Accused of Hijacking School Bus Charged with 19 Counts of Kidnapping

Pvt. Jovan Collazo was charged with 19 counts of kidnapping, armed robbery, carjacking, and several weapons violations.

USCGC ADAK was originally stationed out of Highlands, NJ

Indonesian Leader Says Country Doesn't Want Famous US Coast Guard Cutter: Report

The 110-foot patrol boat, originally based out of Highlands, New Jersey, is scheduled to be decommissioned this summer.

F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

British Aircraft Carrier Departs on Landmark Deployment with Marine Corps F-35s Aboard

U.S. Marines have joined a British naval crew to form the biggest fifth-generation carrier air wing in the world.

Japanese amphibious assault vehicle in the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset

Navy Launches Its Own Investigation into Fatal Marine Corps AAV Accident

The Navy is reviewing its role in an at-sea accident that killed eight Marines and one sailor.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi salutes.

Commandant Suspends Marine 2-Star Who Went Unpunished After AAV Disaster

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi has been temporarily removed from his duties pending an ongoing investigation.

U.S. Marine company’s deactivation ceremony Camp Pendleton.

As Tank Battalions Shut Down, Dozens of Marines Are Joining the Army

69 Marines who were assigned to tank battalions have transferred to the Army, a spokeswoman said.

The Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System.

Marines Fire Anti-Ship Missile from Back of Unmanned Truck to Hit Target at Sea

The Marine Corps has combined two existing technologies to produce a deadly new way to hit targets offshore.

U.S. Marines live-fire training conducted in Australia.

Australia Will Invest Millions to Upgrade Military Sites Where US Marines Train

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced plans to invest about $582 million into four military training and weapon ranges.

Cmdr. Joseph Lautenslager Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Hawaii-Based Navy Submarine Commander Relieved Over Morale Problems

A command investigation revealed leadership and command climate problems.

Marines conduct a Table 3 combat marksmanship course of fire

The Marine Corps Is Known as a Force of Young Warriors. That's About to Change

Small units -- including infantry squads -- need to be led by a staff sergeant, Commandant Gen. David Berger wrote in an...

U.S. Marines live fire exercise at a range near Camp Devil Dog

The Marine Corps Is Experimenting with a Concept that Could Reshape the Infantry

Three infantry battalions are spending two years testing new models that could revolutionize the Marine Corps' ground combat...

A group of Marines running as part of a body composition program at Camp Pendleton, California.

The Marines Need Volunteers to Help Them Reassess Body Standards

The study population will include Marines of all ages and those who are postpartum.

Female recruits Marine Corps Recruit Depot

53 Women Officially Become Marines at Formerly All-Male Boot Camp

The female platoon with Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion won the final drill competition.

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Most Popular Military News

The welcome sign on display at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Cuts to Cost-of-Living Allowances 'Make It Hard Just to Exist,' Military Families in Germany Say

Spouses in Germany say it is not an affordable place to live right now as the country is being hit by skyrocketing costs.

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Harold Billow, the last known survivor of a World War II POW massacre during the Battle of the Bulge, will be laid to rest in...

Motivational Run on Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island

Marine Corps Considers Abandoning Parris Island Amid Rising Extreme Weather Threats

A string of recent reports has predicted that Parris Island will face increasingly frequent and ferocious hurricanes, floods...

Help is available for people suffering from depression. (Army Photo: Courtesy photo)

VA Offers $20 Million in Prizes for New Ideas to Reduce Suicides Among Veterans

To drive innovation on suicide prevention, the VA is offering prizes for individuals, organizations and industry to develop...

Fort Liberty? Bragg and 8 Other Bases Get New Proposed Names to Scrub Confederate Links

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Remains of Seaman First Class Wilbur F. Newton returned to Missouri.

Remains of Navy Sailor Who Died at Pearl Harbor Returned Home after 81 Years

Seaman First Class Wilbur F. Newton died Dec. 7, 1941 in the attack on Pearl Harbor while stationed aboard the U.S.S...

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George W. Bush Confuses Iraq with Ukraine in Gaffe

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Lincoln Memorial Centennial Honors Temple's Impact

May 30, 2022, marks 100 years since the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. Special events and programs are being...

Army News

Former Army Reservist Found Guilty in Jan. 6 Riot

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli claimed he didn't know that Congress met at the Capitol building.

Spc. Tyler Boyer administers the COVID-19 vaccine at Fort Carson.

Number of Soldiers Booted for Vaccine Refusal Doubled from Last Month

The service has now discharged at least 742 active-duty soldiers for refusal, it said. On April 20, the total was 345.

Here's How the Army Is Keeping Basic Trainees from Getting Injured as Often

A lot of recruits suffer injuries in basic training, some of which can be attributed to the sudden ratcheting up of physical...

Navy News

Former Army Reservist Found Guilty in Jan. 6 Riot

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli claimed he didn't know that Congress met at the Capitol building.

President Joe Biden at the Naval Academy graduation.

Biden Warns Naval Academy Grads of 'Brutal' Russia and an Uncertain World

The class is "graduating at an inflection point, not only in American history, but in world history," Biden told the sailors.

Naval Facilities EnCollection of a water sample taken from Red Hill Well.

Thousands Sickened, 17 Hospitalized by Navy's Hawaii Water Crisis, Survey Finds

In a voluntary online survey, 87% of respondents said they had new or worsened symptoms following a Nov. 20 fuel spill that...

Air Force News

Airman wipes sweat from his head at Misawa Air Base.

Military Services Lighten Up on Facial Hair and Uniforms in New Policies

Airmen can now have longer mustaches, according to the latest dress and grooming policy released by the Department of the Air...

T-38 Talon flies during The Great Texas Airshow

T-38 Crash That Killed Student Pilot in Texas Caused by Miscommunication, Leading to Change in Formation Landing Rules

An Air Force spokeswoman said that the service is changing its policy on formation landings as a result of the incident and...

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with service members at Fort Carson.

Austin Tells Air Force Academy Grads to Be Honorable Following School's Cheating, Vaccine Scandals

During his speech in Colorado Springs, Austin said the country will expect a lot from the new airmen and Guardians.

Marine Corps News

There will never be another Chesty. (National Archives)

You Will Never Be Chesty Puller, But Now You Can Live in His House

Before you put in a bid, ask yourself if you are prepared for the entire United States Marine Corps to be your HOA.

Marine Corps Considers Abandoning Parris Island Amid Rising Extreme Weather Threats

A string of recent reports has predicted that Parris Island will face increasingly frequent and ferocious hurricanes, floods...

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms main gate. Marine Corps photo

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No injuries were reported in the incident at the vast Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center located at Twentynine Palms, 125...

Coast Guard News

Vice President Kamala Harris U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation.

Vice President Tells Coast Guard Grads Rule of Law Is Under Attack

Vice President Kamala Harris in the commencement speech at the academy in New London, Connecticut, reflected on the state of...

A U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadet participating in the NSA's annual cyber exercise

First Cyber Systems Majors to Graduate from Coast Guard Academy

The academy said once officers graduate, it will seek accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and...

A dog lost overboard in Pamlico Sound in North Carolina was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard crew

Pup Overboard! Coast Guard Rescues Dog from Pamlico Sound

The crew inspected the exhausted dog to ensure she was not injured, then Myla was reunited with her owners, the Coast Guard...