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

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...

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...

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...

For his service to the advocacy and preservation of South Carolina’s historic structures, U.S. Navy veteran Mike Bedenbaugh was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. (Mike Bedenbaugh/mikebedenbaugh.com)

'Project 2026': How One Navy Veteran Is Encouraging A Rebirth of American Values

U.S. Navy veteran Mike Bedenbaugh is building upon the conservative political initiative "Project 2025" in aim for a stronger...

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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

Rain Drenches Tent Camps in Central Gaza

Rain drenches tent camps in central Gaza as winter storm continues in the war-battered enclave.

Senators Question National Guard Officials on Lawfulness of Deployment Orders

Senators question National Guard officials on lawfulness of deployment orders.

President Trump Delivers Year-End Remarks

President Trump delivers his year-end remarks at the White House Congressional Ball.

NTSB 'Vehemently Opposes' Draft on Airspace Safety

NTSB 'vehemently opposes' draft on airspace safety following DC mid-air crash.

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

Les Schrenk, left, and Casey Bukowski finally meet in November in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo from CBS News Minnesota)

World War II Veterans, Held Captive at Same POW Camp, Meet More Than 80 Years Later

Les Schrenk and Casey Bukowski's stories share much more in common than simply being World War II veterans.

Army Sergeant Pleads Not Guilty to Charges That He Shot 5 People at a Georgia Base

An Army sergeant has pleaded not guilty in the shootings of five people at a Georgia base in August.

Navy News

US Forces Stop Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Venezuela as Trump Follows up on Promise to Seize Tankers

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the...

Coast Guard is Pursuing Another Tanker Helping Venezuela Skirt Sanctions, US Official Says

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the ongoing operation and spoke on the condition of anonymity...

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

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

Candidates from Alpha and Delta Co., OCC-239, conduct their final Physical Fitness Test (PFT) on Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA., Feb. 14, 2022 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Gumchol Cho)

Marines Get Tougher: 2026 Brings Unified Fitness Standards

The Marine Corps provided advanced notification on December 18th 2025 of changes to physical fitness standards. The new...