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

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.

After Fatal Accident, Marines in Waterborne AAVs Get Emergency Breathing Devices

Any Marine operating or riding in a waterborne AAV will now get a supplemental emergency breathing device, Military.com has...

Navy Stops Sending New Recruits to Army Training Base Used During Pandemic

Navy recruits will no longer spend weeks at a Wisconsin Army base hundreds of miles from their boot camp site, the service...

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Most Popular Military News

In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, rioters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (John Minchillo/AP Photo File)

Yes, an Air Force Recruit with Ties to a Hate Group Is Out. But the Military’s Extremism Problem Isn’t Fixed.

The Air Force has kicked out a man who belonged to the white nationalist group Identity Evropa months after reporters...

U.S. Army Reserve 1st Lt. Amber English qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games Skeet Event

Army Shooter Is First US Service Member to Win Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics

First Lt. Amber English, a logistics officer and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, bested Diana Bacosi of Italy, the 2016...

Army Reserve sergeant stirs chili at Bagram Airfield.

A $500 Rip It? How Grilled Cheese and Energy Drinks Fueled the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Energy drinks and tobacco became hot commodities as residents at Bagram Airfield hunted for diminishing supplies before the U...

Defense Department police officer Richard Martinez, a patrol officer with the 673d Security Forces Squadron, turns on a new body camera during a routine stop Jan. 8, 2021, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Senior Airman Crystal A. Jenkins/U.S. Air Force)

Air Force Suspends Using Body Cameras for Its Security Personnel

The service estimates 13 units actively employed body cameras; nine had bought the equipment but had not activated them for...

Former Airman Who Leaked Details of Drone Program Sentenced, Will Serve Prison Time

A former Air Force intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking classified information.

Latest Military Videos

Disabled Veteran Among Those Impacted by Florida DEO Data Breach

A disabled veteran is among the victims impacted after her account was compromised as a part of that big...

VA Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine for Medical Employees

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Monday that VA health care personnel will be required to get...

Vietnam Veteran gets VIP Treatment at Minnesota Twins Game

A Vietnam veteran living with stage four cancer got the VIP treatment at Monday's Minnesota Twins game.

Army News

Soldiers assigned to the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Surge of COVID-19 Infections at Fort Polk as National Guard Training Continues

At least 115 soldiers have tested positive for COVID-19 during a critical National Guard training exercise this month.

Ecuadorian Court Revokes Citizenship for Julian Assange

Ecuador has revoked the citizenship of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks who is currently in a British prison.

'Do You Want Him 6 Feet Under?' How a Purple Heart Recipient Infiltrated a KKK Murder Plot

In 2015, three Ku Klux Klan members hatched a plot to murder a Black man who recently had been released from a state prison.

Navy News

US Navy Loses Two More Sailors to COVID-19

The total number of COVID deaths in the military is at 26 as of July 21, according to the DoD.

A user-generated skin based on the 1980 movie "The Final Countdown" was created for Digital Combat Simulator. (DCS World/Author "Reflected")

How the Navy Stole the Show In a Movie About the USS Nimitz Going Back in Time to 1941

How we got to see American F-14 Tomcats fighting Japanese Zeros on the silver screen.

Iranian frigate "Sahand" of the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

Russia Marks Navy's 325th Anniversary, Iranian Ship Joins In

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the main parade of more than 50 vessels in St. Petersburg.

Air Force News

Two A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft fly a flight training mission March 16, 2010, over Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The A-10C is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close-air support of ground forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman)

Congress Rebuffs Air Force's Plan to Retire Older Aircraft, Putting A-10 Move on Hold

Lawmakers would block the retirement of the A-10s again if the recent Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the bill...

Former Airman Who Leaked Details of Drone Program Sentenced, Will Serve Prison Time

A former Air Force intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking classified information.

Frank Kendall III, President Joe Biden's nominee to be secretary of the Air Force, appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Senate Confirms Frank Kendall to Lead Air Force

Despite facing several holds during the confirmation process, senators ultimately voted to confirm Frank Kendall as the 26th...

Marine Corps News

F-35B Lightning II lands at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Lightning Strike Damages Two F-35B Stealth Fighters over Western Japan

Both aircraft, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, landed safely after the strike and neither pilot was injured.

A $500 Rip It? How Grilled Cheese and Energy Drinks Fueled the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Energy drinks and tobacco became hot commodities as residents at Bagram Airfield hunted for diminishing supplies before the U...

Former Marine Thae Ohu joins the ranks of service members whose stories have grown to be rallying cries in the struggle for change in the way the military treats mental health and handles sexual assault. (Michael Hinesley)

'They Choose Not to Listen': Thae Ohu Speaks for the First Time on Her Experience in the Marines

Former Marine Thae Ohu's story became a very public symbol of the way military commanders can fail those under their care.

Coast Guard News

That is one Semper Paratus game face. (U.S. Coast Guard)

5 Combat Victories the Coast Guard Scored Against America’s Enemies

To honor the Coast Guard's August 4th birthday: five stories to remind you the Coast Guard punches way above its weight.

The remaining military aviation unit at the Former McClellan AFB, Calif., is home to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento which operates four HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft with 189 personnel assigned to the unit. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Sheriff: Florida Man Stole Car, Got into Coast Guard Plane

The suspect went into a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and made it to the cockpit, where he was arrested.

A duck boat that sank in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, is raised.

3 Men Charged in Deadly 2018 Missouri Duck Boat Accident

Rides on the lake in modified former World War II vehicles once were a popular draw in the Branson area.