Gina Harkins

Gina Harkins reports on 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.

Email: gina.harkins@military.com

Latest Articles

National Guard Washington security presence

More National Guard Troops Approved for DC as the Derek Chauvin Trial Goes to the Jury

Washington is bracing for demonstrations as the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with George Floyd's...

Camp Lejeune Barracks Shooting that Left Marine Injured Was Accidental, NCIS Says

Officials have declined to answer questions about the type of weapon that was fired.

Woman potentially first vice commandant in Coast Guard history

The Coast Guard May Get Its First Female Four-Star Admiral

If confirmed, Vice Adm. Linda Fagan will be the first female officer to reach the rank of four-star in the service's 230-year...

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Robert F. Castellvi Camp Pendleton

Lawmakers Question General's Prestigious Pentagon Assignment After Fatal AAV Accident

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi's assignment as Marine Corps inspector general was sharply questioned by a California lawmaker.

USS Montgomery (LCS 8) transits from Naval Base San Diego to the Pacific Ocean.

'Super Corvette:' Former Navy Secretary Reveals He Pushed to Rename Littoral Combat Ship

The Navy plans to divest itself of the first four experimental LCSs.

Marine Injured in Camp Lejeune Barracks Shooting

A member of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, discharged the weapon that led to the injuries, said spokesman 1st Lt. Dan Linfante.

Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite USS Sioux City.

A Resurrected First Fleet Is the Weapon the Navy Needs to Counter China, Former SecNav Says

Kenneth Braithwaite was candid during his tenure as Navy secretary about the threat he believes China poses to the U.S.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt "Don’t Give Up the Ship"

Judge Grants Jewish Sailor Temporary Reprieve After Navy Orders Him to Shave Beard

As a devout Hasidic Jew, Di Liscia "sincerely believes that he must maintain a beard to comply with his religious obligations...

U.S. Marine recruits graduate Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

In First, Male Marines Graduate From Historically All-Female Boot Camp Training Battalion

Marine recruits training at Parris Island were for decades segregated by gender, with women assigned solely to 4th Recruit...

Navy Airman Dies After Rescue Swimmer School Accident at Pensacola

Airman Nathan Burke of Lubbock, Texas, died at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, Navy officials announced.

Health-monitoring ring Crew Readiness, Endurance, and Watch Standing study.

Why 300 Sailors and Marines Deployed on an Amphibious Ship with Smart Rings

Researchers who set out to study fatigue on a Navy warship found out that getting good rest while underway is not easy.

U.S. Marine Corps' New Physical Training Uniform.

500 Marines Will Begin Testing These New PT Uniforms this Summer

The olive-colored shorts and T-shirts will be made from breathable materials and will feature black mesh side panels and...

Navy corpsman administers a Marine with COVID-19 vaccine

48,000 Marines Have Turned Down COVID-19 Vaccine, Corps Says

Members of II Marine Expeditionary Force have been about twice as likely to decline the vaccine compared to personnel on the...

police officer uses a spray agent on Caron Nazario

'I'm Very Proud of Him:' Sergeant Major of the Army Reacts to Black Lieutenant's Traffic Stop

"He represented himself and our Army well through his calm, professional response to the situation -- I'm very proud of him."

Recruits execute drill movements aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island

Lawmakers Are Worried COVID-19 Did Long-Term Damage to Military Training

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle say they are worried the military is only beginning to see how the pandemic has...

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

U.S. Army soldiers discuss security operations during a patrol in Somalia

Troops Can Finally File Medical Malpractice Claims Against the Military. Here's How

For decades, the Feres Doctrine has kept active-duty military personnel from suing the government.

In this Dec. 3, 2019, file photo, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger testifies during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

'At the Limits of What I Can Do:' Marine Corps Commandant Makes Plea for Funding

Gen. David Berger told Congress that the service has trimmed assets and people and needs full funding to ensure readiness.

North Carolina state Rep. John Szoka speaks to state legislators

Veterans' Tax Exemption Expanded in Bill Clearing NC House

The North Carolina House wants to exempt military retiree pay from state income taxes for more veterans in North Carolina.

Supplies headed to Colorado veterans shelter

VA Warns of 'Dramatic Increase' in Homeless Veterans as Eviction Moratorium Ends

The VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are bracing for the end of the moratorium on June 30.

A F-16 receives fuel from a KC-46 Pegasus.

Air Force Kicks Off Search for New Refueling Tanker Amid KC-46 Woes

The Air Force announced plans to buy between 140 to 160 "KC-Y" commercial derivative tankers at a rate of 12 to 15 aircraft...

Latest Military Videos

Putin Claims Most Cyber Attacks Come from U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Washington and Moscow would start consultations on cybersecurity.

Biden says Putin not Looking for Cold War

U.S. President Joe Biden described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as "good, positive."

Israel Military says it Killed Palestinian Woman who Targeted Soldiers

Israel's military says a Palestinian woman attempted to ram her car into soldiers in the West Bank.

Army News

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson speaks to warrant officers during the 141st NGAUS Conference

National Guard Will Be Used 'More, Not Less' as Military Preps for Future War, General Says

Since March 2020, many elements of the National Guard have been tasked with a large list of domestic missions.

Study: Texas Bases Lead Army Posts in Risk of Sexual Assault

RAND's study provides greater detail on the rates of sexual assault and misconduct across the Army, a chronic problem.

Army Vet Pleads Guilty to Shooting Black Girl at Iowa Trump Rally

A supporter of former President Donald Trump fired his handgun into a carful of Black girls who were arguing with pro-Trump...

Navy News

A TH-73 helicopter flies over the Leonardo Helicopters’ manufacturing facility.

Navy Gets New Training Helicopter to Replace The Sea Ranger

The U.S. Navy has received its first operational TH-73A training helicopter.

Launch pad complex of the proposed Spaceport Camden.

After 9 Years and $10M, Georgia Spaceport Nears FAA Approval

A community in Georgia hopes to soon find out whether the federal government will allow it to build a launch site for...

Kayla Barron poses for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

She Was a Pioneering Navy Submarine Officer. Now She's Headed to Space

Barron, who commissioned as a Navy officer, was selected by NASA out of a pool of 18,000 people to join the 2017 astronaut...

Air Force News

A T-7A Redhawk hits the afterburners in an illustration by Boeing. Courtesy of Boeing Co.

New T-7 Red Hawk Trainer Faces Delays over Parts Shortages, Testing

The Air Force had planned to ask for $206 million next year for development on T-7, but will ask for just $189 million...

A U.S. Air Force Special Tactics operator observes a target.

Air Force Special Operations Job Transformation Takes Big Step Forward

Special reconnaissance airmen could deploy alongside teams of Green Berets or other special operators, and fly small...

Air Force Kicks Off Search for New Refueling Tanker Amid KC-46 Woes

The Air Force announced plans to buy between 140 to 160 "KC-Y" commercial derivative tankers at a rate of 12 to 15 aircraft...

Marine Corps News

(U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class John F. Looney)

The Marine Corps Has a War Dog Graveyard on Guam

After 25 dogs of war gave their lives to save Marines recapturing Guam, so the Corps gave them a final resting place.

4 Years After the Marines United Scandal, What Has the Military Learned?

Four years after a national scandal that forced a reckoning over misogyny in the Marine Corps, a retired colonel gives the...

'At the Limits of What I Can Do:' Marine Corps Commandant Makes Plea for Funding

Gen. David Berger told Congress that the service has trimmed assets and people and needs full funding to ensure readiness.

Coast Guard News

A Coast Guard Air Station Miami aircrew prepares for an training flight.

The Triumph and Tragedy of Coast Guard Search and Rescue

The secret to success in military aviation, especially a specialty as stressful as search and rescue, is...

capsized lift boat Seacor Power is seen seven miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico

Coast Guard: Capsized Lift Boat Cracking as Salvage Planned

The offshore service vessel that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico in a deadly April disaster is cracking.

Coast Guard helicopter crew that rescued kayaker Cyril Derreumaux

Hawaii-Bound Kayaker Rescued by Coast Guard Off California

A kayaker trying to paddle solo from California to Hawaii has been rescued six days after he set off by a Coast Guard...