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 landing craft air cushion approaches the the USS Anchorage.

Navy's Future Light Amphibious Ships Will Be Designed to Operate Off China's Coast

A new Navy shipbuilding plan calls for building 10 light amphibious warships that can transport up to 75 Marines.

U.S. and Japanese ships take part in RIMPAC 2008

Trump Administration Plans to Raid War Chest to Pay for Big Navy Shipbuilding Plan

Plans call for 10 destroyers, 15 frigates and more than a dozen new submarines.

Biden Hits Back at Criticism Over Choosing Retired General for SecDef

Biden is facing criticism, including from within his party, for selecting a recently retired general to lead the Pentagon.

For the First Time, a Woman Will Take Command of an Aircraft Carrier

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt is one of six officers recommended to command a nuclear-powered carrier in fiscal 2022.

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III talks with then Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

Biden's Choice of Another Retired General for SecDef Sends Wrong Message, Experts Warn

A source said Biden's decision to pick Austin over other frontrunners is based on their long-standing relationship.

M4 Carbines belonging to U.S. Marines within the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit

A Year Later, NCIS Still Investigating the Case of the Missing Marine Corps Rifles

The case of the missing 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines rifles remains unsolved.

Biden and SecDef Pick Lloyd Austin Have 'Crisis-Tested' Bond Forged in the Situation Room

Biden surprised many with his decision to name retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin his defense secretary pick.

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin and Michèle Flournoy.

Biden to Announce His Defense Secretary Pick This Week

Biden told reporters that he'll announce his intended defense secretary pick on Friday.

Tank Marines Get the Chance to Leave the Corps Early as Units Shut Down

Enlisted Marines and officers in tank-related military occupational specialties will be eligible for early-out programs.

Somali national army soldiers in formation during a logistics course graduation ceremony.

Trump Orders Pentagon to Move Most US Troops Out of Somalia

President Trump ordered defense officials to reposition most of the personnel and equipment out of Somalia by early 2021.

A Marine carries another Marine during a Combat Fitness Test.

Marines' Combat Fitness Test Canceled for Year as Virus Cases Spike Again

Marines who haven’t yet completed their Combat Fitness Test will be allowed to skip it, service leaders announced.

An F/A-18C Hornet prepares to land on the USS Carl Vison.

Plans for a Bigger Navy Fleet Were Gaining Support. Now Leaders May Have to Start Over

Gilday said he's less concerned about the number of platforms needed than closing what he sees as capability gaps at sea.

Marines maneuver from a gassed area during Exercise Bougainville II.

The Marine Corps Is Considering Merging All Infantry Jobs Into Just 1 MOS

Infantry Marines, Commandant Berger said, are going to be operating in a more decentralized, distributed way in the future.

Navy Grounds New Fire Scout Helicopter Drone After Back-to-Back Mishaps

Both were listed as Class A mishaps, meaning the aircraft likely suffered at least $2.5 million or more in damage.

An MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter approaches the USS Wasp

Navy Brings Back US Atlantic Fleet as Russian Threats Intensify

The Atlantic Fleet will confront the Russian navy, which has been "deploying closer and closer to our East Coast."

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

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

VIDEO: How a Former Waffen-SS Officer Became an American War Hero Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

A headstone in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery marks the remains of the only known former Waffen-SS member...

WWI Soldiers' Messages in a Bottle Found on Australian Beach

Messages in a bottle written by two Australian soldiers a few days into their voyage to the battlefields of...

'What Kind of Truce Is This?' Dozens of Palestinians Killed in New Israeli Attacks on Gaza

Israel’s military said Wednesday that the ceasefire was back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight...

Destruction in Gaza Visible from Southern Israel

From multiple vantage points, debris piles are visible as a result of bombing in Gaza. (AP) Oct. 24

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

Deborah Sampson disguised herself as male soldier Robert Shurtleff to enlist in the Continental Army's Fourth Massachusetts Regiment in 1782. These historical portraits illustrate her dual identity during the Revolutionary War. (Commonwealth of Massachusetts)

Disguised as a Man, She Fought in the Revolutionary War and Later for Recognition as a Veteran

Deborah Sampson covered her chest with a tight piece of cloth, adopted a man's name and enlisted in the Continental Army's...

Hank Ford, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, with his dog, Tommy. (Submitted photo)

‘He Saved My Life’: Colorado Veteran Honors His Service Dog’s Loyalty

Hank Ford, a veteran from Colorado, might not be alive without the help of his loyal service dog.

Navy News

Marine Corporal Robert Maurer with 3/25, provides security during multi-domain training in Trinidad and Tobago during TRADEWINDS 2025 (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Astia LeBron)

Marines in the Caribbean: Poised for Any Potential Conflict

U.S. Marines currently deployed to the Caribbean are well poised for any potential conflict in the U.S. Southern Command Area...

White House Urged Firing Live Bombs, Not Dummies, for Trump’s Visit to Navy Celebration

The White House pressed Navy officials to launch 2,000-pound live bombs instead of dummy explosives during a recent military...

Air Force News

Robert Madson hopes stem cell treatment returns him to a healthy, active life. (Submitted photo)

Air Force Veteran Hopes Contest Will Bring Stem Cell Relief

Robert Madson has spent most of his life in the Air Force. After 28 deployments and flying all over the world in cramped...

U.S. Air Force personnel stand guard at an Alaska airbase during the Cold War in this painting by Mort Kunstler. Operation Washtub trained 89 civilian Alaskans as stay-behind agents to gather intelligence if Soviet forces invaded the territory between 1951 and 1959. ("Guardians of the North" by Mort Kunstler, courtesy National Guard Bureau)

Operation Washtub: How the Air Force and FBI Recruited Alaskans to Resist a Soviet Invasion

From 1951 to 1959, the FBI and Air Force ran Operation Washtub, a covert program that trained bush pilots, trappers, hunters...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

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

‘He Saved My Life’: Colorado Veteran Honors His Service Dog’s Loyalty

Hank Ford, a veteran from Colorado, might not be alive without the help of his loyal service dog.

Twentynine Palms, CA (Feb. 9, 2023) - Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, conduct Range 400, during a Marine Littoral Regiment Training Exercise (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Patrick King)

Marine Corps Force Design Update: What Every Marine Needs to Know

The Commandant of the Marine Corps released an October 2025 update on Force Design 2030. The update highlights a review of...

Coast Guard News

Signage showing the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is accepted is displayed at Wild Onion Market, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

'SNAP Is Everything': Military Families, Vets Prepare for Empty Fridges

A disabled Navy veteran tells Military.com that his family will go hungry as SNAP benefits are slated to expire Nov. 1 due to...

Coast Guardsmen stand watch behind a barrier at Coast Guard Base Alameda.

Shots Fired, Driver Hurt and Held After Truck Rams Into Coast Guard Base Alameda

No Coast Guard personnel were hurt.