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

Wind turbine bases, generators and blades are positioned at The Portsmouth Marine terminal at the staging area for Dominion Energy's wind turbine project Monday Dec. 22, 2025, in Portsmouth, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Critics Call Trump Admin’s Offshore Wind Project Suspensions ‘Gift to Fossil Fuel’ Lobby

The Department of Defense cited national security threats in newer classified briefings even as older reports regarding the...

President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Trump Promises $1,776 ‘Warrior Dividend’ for Troops—Here’s What Service Members Need to Know

President Donald Trump's one-time $1,776 payment promise for U.S. service members offers questions about which troops...

A photo of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joseph Suina after he completed boot camp, and before two tours in Vietnam. (Joseph Suina)

Native American Marine Veteran Heals 60 Years After Vietnam

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joseph Suina suffered from PTSD for decades. With aid from a newer health care program, he's living...

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, right, speaks as Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., listens Wednesday, March 15, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Defense Bill Will "Turbocharge" Surging Military Recruiting Numbers: Senator

Sen. Joni Ernst told Military.com that provisions included in the new NDAA will "turbocharge" military recruiting efforts.

U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Dennis O’Shea directs an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Ventura to land on the flight deck of Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750), July 8, 2025. Training consistency across the Coast Guard allows for seamless operations between units. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Tibbets)

Coast Guard Members to Receive One-Time 'Devotion to Duty’ Payments

“Devotion to Duty” payments authorized for Coast Guard members follow President Trump's directive for all U.S. military...

Sgt. Marco Capetillo, a motor transport operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), cuts the hair of Cpl. Regis Dupont, a maintenance management specialist with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), Dec. 13, 2022. Barbering services are offered to all onboard in accordance with Navy grooming standards. (Eloise Johnson)

Air Force Shaving Guidance Update: When Do New Grooming Changes Take Place?

Service members across multiple branches are being provided new grooming guidelines ahead of their implementation in 2026.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Voters Oppose US Military Boat Strikes in Caribbean, Want Hegseth to Resign: Poll

"Trump campaigned on ending wars, but his ongoing threats of escalation with Venezuela directly contradict that promise," a...

From left, Sohail Salgado, work reception technician, Fort Hood Directorate of Public Works, Operations and Maintenance Division, and Stephen Short, air-conditioning mechanic, DPW, OMD, drop a tarp at the Bernie Beck Gate sign to reveal the new name of the installation during the commemorative renaming ceremony July 28, 2025, at Fort Hood, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Janecze Wright, Fort Hood Public Affairs)

Jane Does in Fort Hood Sexual Abuse Case File Complaints Against Army, Pentagon

A law firm that handled another major Army abuse scandal has filed tort complaints on behalf of seven new victims in an...

FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2018, file photo, a plane flies past the American flag in Washington. JetBlue Airways Corp. reports earnings Tuesday, July 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Near ‘Midair Collision’ Between JetBlue, US Military Aircraft Prompts Safety Calls

JetBlue officials say they will partake in any federal investigation that may ensue stemming from this apparent close call.

A new Government Accountability Office report provides recommendations for the Pentagon to boost testing, evaluations to improve warfighting capabilities. (Freepik)

Pentagon Must Boost Testing for Weapons, Warfighting Capabilities: Report

"These modernization plans identified a need for DoD to issue new or revised policies and guidance to support modernized test...

J. Todd Inman, the 48th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, speaks during a press conference at the Louisville Regional Airport Authority in Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

US Agency ‘Vehemently Opposes’ Defense Bill Add-On Allowing Military in DC Airspace

U.S. senators said an NDAA provision related to a fatal January 2025 crash that led to the loss of 67 lives will make...

A FedEx plane is shown with a FedEx van in foreground at a FedEx hub at the Oakland Airport in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Jan. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Major US Airport Responds to Pro-Palestinian Claims of Aiding 'Genocide' in Gaza

A report from pro-Palestinian groups documented cargo shipped from California to Israel, accusing U.S. entities of...

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., prepares to speak to reporters following a strategy session with House Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

$900 Billion NDAA: What Is In, What Was Left Out of Major Defense Spending Bill

The massive FY 2026 defense spending bills bolsters aid to Ukraine, targets adversaries like China while cutting IVF, DEI...

The closed entrance to a secure room is seen where Navy Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, is expected to brief top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security as they investigate how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled a military strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat and its crew in the Caribbean near Venezuela Sept. 2, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Trump Administration Sued For Not Publicly Releasing Caribbean Boat Strike Records

Three groups filed a legal complaint against the Trump administration today in Southern District of New York seeking the...

Sailors participate in the installation of a catapult aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in Newport News, Virginia, Oct. 7, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mekhi Manson)

Navy Partners With Palantir for $448 Million AI Submarine Shipbuilding Deal

“The Department of War is unleashing a new era of operational dominance, where every warfighter wields frontier AI as a force...

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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.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

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

Christmas Celebrations Slowly Return to Bethlehem During Ceasefire in Gaza

Christmas celebrations slowly return to Bethlehem during ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump Announces Plans for New Navy 'Battleship' as Part of a 'Golden Fleet'

Trump announces plans for new Navy 'battleship' as part of a 'Golden Fleet'.

Ukraine Is Leveraging Its Powerful – And Cheap – New Drone Killers

Shahed hunters: Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers.

Ukrainian Artist's Battlefield Collection Captures a Moment of Unity

Surrounded by War: Ukrainian artist's battlefield collection captures a moment of unity.

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

Northern Alliance soldiers watch as U.S. air strikes attack Taliban positions

He Risked His Life for American Soldiers in Afghanistan. Would America Let Him In?

After the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C., the Trump administration enacted sweeping restrictions...

Jim Whaley, an Army veteran, serves as CEO of Mission Roll Call. (Photo from Mission Roll Call)

Seasonal Depression: Mission Roll Call Helps Veterans Overcome Holiday Anxiety

Many veterans struggle during the holidays. Mission Roll Call, a veteran led organization, provides resources for both...

Navy News

Rob Reiner’s career spans more than five decades as a defining force in American film and television, from his early acting days to directing and producing some of the most enduring movies in modern Hollywood (CBS).

Rob Reiner’s Cultural Impact: The Movies and Quotes That Shaped America

Rob Reiner’s tragic death has left an unmistakable void in Hollywood. Across five decades, his work—from All in the Family to...

This image from video posted on Attorney General Pam Bondi's X account, and partially redacted by the source, shows an oil tanker being seized by U.S. forces off the coast of Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (U.S. Attorney General's Office/X via AP)

Third Oil Tanker in U.S. Crosshairs as Venezuela Pressure Builds

U.S. forces are tightening pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, disrupting sanctioned oil shipments at sea.

Air Force News

A U.S. airman preparing an A-10 Thunderbolt II for flight.

Jordan Says its Air Force Joined US Strikes on Islamic State in Syria

The Jordanian statement said the operation aimed “to prevent extremist groups from exploiting these areas as launching pads...

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salute

US Military Launches Strikes in Syria Targeting Islamic State Fighters After American Deaths

A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS...

Space Force News

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...

Ceremony transferring service members to United States Space Force.

Space Force Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Space Force ranks from specialist to general. Learn about the rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and...

Marine Corps News

Rob Reiner’s Cultural Impact: The Movies and Quotes That Shaped America

Rob Reiner’s tragic death has left an unmistakable void in Hollywood. Across five decades, his work—from All in the Family to...

Military themed entry to 1918 Tournament of Roses (Photo from the "Tournament of Roses Number," Pasadena Star-News, January 1, 1918, Public Domain)

When Marines Beat the Army: The Epic 1918 Rose Bowl That Saved Bowl Season

With the backdrop of WWI going on, the 1918 Rose Bowl was in jeopardy. With presidential permission, it was decided that the...

Coast Guard News

Venezuela Seeks to Criminalize Oil Tanker Seizures as Trump Puts Pressure on Maduro

Venezuela's National Assembly has approved a measure criminalizing activities that hinder navigation and commerce, like the...

Mexican Navy Medical Flight Lost Communication for Several Minutes Before Texas Crash

Mexico's president says air traffic controllers lost communication for 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane on a...