FOXBORO, Mass. – Thousands of Soccer fans from around the world have gathered at stadiums throughout North America to view the world’s best soccer players compete in the FIFA World Cup.
In Foxboro, Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Gallant from the 972 Military Police Company, along with more than 50 other MPs from the Massachusetts National Guard, has experienced the international soccer fever firsthand.
“It’s been a very good experience so far. We’ve had a wide variety of countries here. All of the fans, the spectators, have been very respectful. They all appreciate what we’re doing here. and we’ve taken countless photos with them, which is very good for us,” said Gallant.
The Mass Guard MPs are part of a larger security presence at the stadium, including police from Foxboro, Attleboro, and numerous towns across the Commonwealth, Massachusetts State Police, and federal authorities, including the FBI.
“Foxboro PD’s been awesome. They’ve given us the guidelines and the schedule, exactly which points they need manned. We assist with whatever state, local law enforcement, and federal agencies that are here need. It’s just a big family of law enforcement here, and we’re all here to help each other out,” said Gallant.
Mass guardsmen aren’t just on the ground during games; they are in Foxboro around the clock during the World Cup.
For the MPs, Soldiers are manning security points around the stadium 24 hours a day. On game days, MPs can be seen around the stadium before and after the game.
MPs aren’t the only Mass. Guardmen assisting with the World Cup in Foxboro. Members of the 1st Weapons of Mass Destruction, Civil Support Team, have also been on the ground in and around the stadium, assisting civil authorities.
The CST provides support to local authorities for many pre-planned events, such as professional football games and the Boston Marathon.
For these events, the CST usually operates as part of a smaller Joint Hazard Assessment Team, where a few members partner with local agencies to fill capability gaps, conducting sweeps for hazardous materials, responding to suspicious packages, and enabling a full-scale response if something occurs. For an event of this size, the CST provides additional manning, including members of CSTs from other states near Massachusetts.
Units in the Massachusetts National Guard support events in the Commonwealth every year, but the World Cup raised the bar for large-scale events.
“This is by far the biggest internationally … this is a big mission for our unit, and we’re proud to be the ones to be able to provide that extra security,” said Gallant.
WASHINGTON — From the shores of Honolulu to the German countryside, Soldiers celebrated the Army’s historic legacy during Army Heritage Month with ceremonies, festivals and runs.
The service celebrated the Army’s 251st birthday and the contributions of the Soldiers, whom it strives to treat equally in its mission to bolster lethality and unit cohesion. Under the theme “This We’ll Defend,” the celebration honored the Army’s role in each of the major U.S. conflicts, as well as its steps toward modernization.
In commemoration of the Army’s anniversary, hundreds of Soldiers stationed in the Military District of Washington added their names to the Registry of the American Soldier at the National Museum of the U.S. Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
“It builds esprit de corps throughout the Army,” said Eldeen Daly-Wilson, deputy program manager for MDW’s military equal opportunity program. “We were able to strengthen the units in providing the knowledge and insight during the museum tour. Being able to put their names on the registry was inspiring.”
MDW hosted its annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on June 14. Soldiers and military leaders participated in the annual Army Birthday Run at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, and service members took part in the Virginia and Red, White and Blue Summer Sizzler 5K run at Fort Meade, Maryland, June 27.
On the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, Soldiers from U.S. Army Pacific engaged with residents for its annual Army Community Day at Fort DeRussy on the west side of Honolulu. For the first time, USARPAC invited community leaders to participate, showcasing the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, the Army’s centerpiece for firing long-range, precision fires.
The event also featured the Mana O Ke Koa, or “spirit of the warrior,” award ceremony honoring Gilbert K.T. Tam, a former Army infantry officer, for his contributions to the military community in Hawaii. Members of the explosive ordnance disposal dive team conducted live demonstrations of underwater technology and combat vehicles.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington hosted Freedom Fest 250 on June 27 to connect military members with local communities in the Pacific Northwest. The event celebrated the Army anniversary along with the nation’s 250th birthday. U.S. Army Japan held a 5K run at Camp Zama for U.S. service members, military families and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
“Army Heritage Month gives us a unique opportunity in the Pacific to share our Army’s extraordinary heritage with our partners and communities throughout the region,” said Army Lt. Col. Mary Grace Tomomitsu, USARPAC’s military equal opportunity program manager. “These celebrations are about the people — us coming together, honoring our history and making our partnerships even stronger.”
At Fort Gordon, Georgia, Soldiers and civilians gathered to honor the Army’s legacy in each major war. They also paid tribute to Army Spc. Hilda Ortiz Clayton, a combat photographer who died during a live-fire training exercise in 2013.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa, alongside partner nations and allies, hosted the annual Tank Challenge, a training event designed to foster military partnerships, enhance tactical skills and share operational techniques among allied forces. Soldiers hosted a Freedom 250 celebration at U.S. Embassy Bucharest, Romania, and the USAREUR-AF Field Band and Chorus performed a concert in North Macedonia.
U.S. Marine Corps Education Command has launched the official Marine Corps Uniform App, a free mobile application that provides Marines with convenient, on-the-go access to uniform and grooming guidance, June 29, 2026.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Navy has significantly enhanced the warfighting capability of its destroyer fleet with the completion of major modernizations on the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95). These upgrades deliver revolutionary defensive and offensive power within an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) environment.
Chièvres Air Base, Belgium – After six months with the 424th Air Base Squadron (424 ABS), two Army Staff Sergeants are going back to their home stations with a rare achievement – official U.S. Air Force (USAF) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fixed-wing air traffic control certifications, expanding their expertise beyond Army aviation.
Staff Sgt. Zadeia Tyndle and Staff Sgt. Sean Lalonde arrived in early January to integrate with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) team. The joint training was approved by United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Force Africa operations and support division and designed to allow Army controllers to obtain USAF and FAA certifications while working with different operations and airframes.
Capt. Michael Ober, 424 ABS airfield operations flight commander, noted that this was the first time the 424 ABS hosted this type of cross-service training, making it a uniquely valuable and rare event in the region.
Staff Sgt. Kevin Hallam, 424 Air Base Squadron (ABS) air traffic control watch supervisor, presents an award to Staff Sgt Sean Lalonde, June 12, 2026, at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. Lalonde completed a cross-serving training that was designed to allow Army controllers to obtain U.S. Air Force (USAF) and Federal Administration Association (FAA) certifications while working with different operations and airframes. (U.S. Army photo by Kristin Savage, USAG Benelux Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Kristin Savage)VIEW ORIGINAL
“The Army aviation fleet primarily consists of rotary-wing aircraft, with only a small handful of fixed-wing aircraft,” explained Ober. “This makes Army ATC very specialized in rotary-wing operations which is, in general, less complex. By training at a fixed-wing facility, the Army controllers greatly expand their skills and capabilities.”
This program also solved a unique readiness challenge for the Air Force controllers stationed at Chièvres. Because the facility typically only receives fully qualified tower controllers who require minimal local onboarding, the Airmen rarely get the chance to practice their instructional skills.
The Soldiers received training in front loading and equipment familiarization, ground control, control of vehicles and aircraft on the runway, control of local airspace, coordinating with local authorities and more. Staff Sgt. Kevin Hallam, 424 ABS air traffic control watch supervisor, noted the additional benefits of working on an international airfield.
Staff Sgt. Kevin Hallam, 424 Air Base Squadron (ABS) air traffic control watch supervisor, presents an award to Staff Sgt. Zadeia Tyndle, June 12, 2026, at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. Zadeia received training in front loading and equipment familiarization, ground control, control of vehicle and aircraft on the runway, control of local airspace, coordinating with local authorities and more. (U.S. Army photo by Kristin Savage, USAG Benelux Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Kristin Savage)VIEW ORIGINAL
“A unique aspect of this program at Chièvres is the level of communication with pilots from all over the European Union,” said Hallam. “The aircraft that they fly are just as varied as the nationalities of the pilots themselves. We are exposed to a wide variety of aircraft that controllers in other locations do not get to experience.”
Additional teams of two controllers have been sent to train across Germany, making this initiative a top priority for battalion leadership. By the time the Soldiers depart, they will return to their units not only with new certifications but with a broadened perspective on joint-force aviation operations.
CLAY KASERNE, Germany – When Sgt. Kevin Dunnaway envisioned his farewell, he didn’t picture a polished conference room but instead chose the place that over the last three years had become genuinely dear to his heart: the recycling center on the Lucius D. Clay Kaserne.
Dunnaway, a broadcast specialist with American Forces Network Europe, spent his time in Germany producing creative media content, hosting radio shows, shooting photography, and championing sustainability.
His unconventional choice of venue for his farewell was a reflection of who he is.
“I chose the recycling center because I wanted something different, something interesting that most people don’t do,” explained Dunnaway.
Dunnaway also emphasized the practical benefits the facility provides to Soldiers and families. The recycling center features a reuse center where departing community members can donate still-usable items before a PCS, allowing others to repurpose them and reduce waste in the process.
“It’s like a thrift shop, but it’s free. The reuse center makes it super easy for people to reduce waste and fill their house with all the goods of consumerism without paying all their hard-earned money,” said Dunnaway.
During the ceremony, Dunnaway was presented with the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his outstanding service as a broadcast journalist and content creator. But the recognition that resonated most came from the words of his fellow Soldiers, who spoke not only to his professional talent, but to his genuine love for the Wiesbaden community.
“Sometimes I’d come in just to handle some errands on the weekends, and I’d see him literally going into the bins and taking stuff out of the trash that should be in the recycling and putting it over in the recycling,” said Sgt.
Benjamin Percy, radio team lead at AFN. “So what he may not always be able to put into words super well, you can see just in his actions how much he cares about the Wiesbaden community. He is just a fantastic person.”
Now headed to Mississippi for his next chapter, Dunnaway leaves behind a legacy of creativity, environmental stewardship, and a farewell ceremony no one is likely to forget.
“I thought it was funny, and I wasn’t really surprised. After working with him for so long, you get to know someone,” said Percy. “It definitely caught me off guard at first, but I think it was very fitting for it to be here [at the recycling center]. I think he made a good choice.”
TAPA, Estonia — The alarm broke the silence just before 2 a.m. Outside, the rain had finally eased after falling on and off for nearly two days, leaving the gravel trails slick with mud and scattered puddles. The air was cold enough that every breath lingered beneath the glow of headlamps cutting through the darkness. There were no loud cheers waiting at the starting line, no countdown clock and little conversation. Just the quiet shuffle of runners tightening their shoes for another four-mile run.
Hosted by the British Army’s Royal Welsh, the 4x4x48 endurance challenge brought together U.S. and allied service members to complete four miles every four hours for 48 consecutive hours in support of mental health awareness. The event ultimately raised more than £3,000 for mental health initiatives while creating opportunities for service members from multiple nations to share the challenge together. For 1st Lt. James Pyle, this wasn’t simply another leg of the race; it was his 11th.
Over the previous 36 hours, every alarm had been answered. Every four-hour interval meant pulling on wet running shoes, stepping back onto the uneven Estonian roads and putting one foot in front of the other. While many soldiers participated on and off throughout the weekend, Pyle committed to every leg of the challenge, covering all 48 miles from the first run to the last.
“Sgt. Max Navas and I are pretty big runners, and we had never run anything like this before,” Pyle said. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and really push ourselves.”
The challenge demanded more than endurance. Sleep came in short intervals. Muscles stiffened between runs. By the time the 2 a.m. run arrived, the excitement of the opening miles had given way to quiet determination. The only sounds were shoes striking wet gravel, water splashing beneath each step, and the steady rhythm of breathing carried into the cold night air.
While the challenge tested participants physically, its purpose reached well beyond endurance. Held in support of Combat Stress, the United Kingdom’s leading veterans’ mental health charity, the event raised awareness for veterans living with the invisible wounds of military service while encouraging open conversations about combat mental health. The 4x4x48 challenge reminded participants that supporting one another is just as important as reaching the finish line.
Somewhere along those quiet miles, interoperability became more than a military objective. It became a conversation between runners sharing the same trail, the same cold air and the same determination to keep moving forward.
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. and allied service members run side by side throughout the 4x4x48 charity event at Tapa Army Base, Estonia, June 24-26, 2026. The 4x4x48 event, hosted by the British Army’s Royal Welsh, challenged participants to run four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period. Running together every four hours for 48 hours, participants demonstrated that overcoming challenges, both physical and mental, is strengthened through teamwork, trust and a shared commitment to one another. V Corps is the U.S. Army’s only forward-deployed corps, serving as the senior tactical headquarters for Army forces in Eastern Europe to deter conflict and provide combat-ready forces alongside our NATO Allies.V Corps is operationalizing and expanding the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative with Allies, rapidly integrating emerging technologies into training and tactical plans. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Kaczur, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Aaron Kaczur)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –A soldier with the French armed forces navigates the trail with a headlamp during the 4x4x48 charity event at Tapa Army Base, Estonia, June 24-26, 2026. The 4x4x48 event, hosted by the British Army’s Royal Welsh, challenged participants to run four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period. While every mile required participants to put one foot in front of the other, the challenge served as a reminder that navigating mental health and combat stress often requires the same perseverance and the support of those willing to walk beside you. V Corps is the U.S. Army’s only forward-deployed corps, serving as the senior tactical headquarters for Army forces in Eastern Europe to deter conflict and provide combat-ready forces alongside our NATO Allies. V Corps is operationalizing and expanding the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative with Allies, rapidly integrating emerging technologies into training and tactical plans. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Kaczur, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Aaron Kaczur)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. and allied service members run during the overnight portion of the 4x4x48 charity event at Tapa Army Base, Estonia, June 24-26, 2026. The 4x4x48 event, hosted by the British Army’s Royal Welsh, challenged participants to run four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period. Running through the night symbolizes the resilience and perseverance often required to navigate mental health challenges and combat stress, while reinforcing that every step forward is strengthened by the support of those who run beside us. V Corps is the U.S. Army’s only forward-deployed corps, serving as the senior tactical headquarters for Army forces in Eastern Europe to deter conflict and provide combat-ready forces alongside our NATO Allies. V Corps is operationalizing and expanding the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative with Allies, rapidly integrating emerging technologies into training and tactical plans. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Kaczur, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Aaron Kaczur)VIEW ORIGINAL
“It’s good for interoperability, and it’s good to talk to allies,” Pyle said. “Especially out here when it’s two in the morning and you make small talk while you’re running.”
At 2 a.m., no one knew exactly how they would feel 12 hours later. The finish line still waited through one more alarm, four more miles and another morning of tired legs. Yet as the beams of their headlamps disappeared into the darkness, none of that seemed to matter. The only thing any runner could control was the next step, pressing forward through the mud, the cold and the darkness toward a purpose greater than the miles themselves.
SALT LAKE CITY – Millions of years ago, pterosaurs roamed the skies. In June, UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters assigned to the 2-211th Aviation Regiment, Utah Army National Guard, along with a CH-47 Chinook from the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment, Nevada National Guard, took flight over Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for a unique mission: helping airlift multiple rock-encased dinosaur fossils for the Natural History Museum of Utah and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
“We excavated an entire skeleton of a baby duck-billed dinosaur, an animal that probably from tip of the head to tip of the tail, was only 2 or 3 ft. long,” said Randall Irmis, curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah. “All the bones were still in life position, so they were still connected. If you imagine all the vertebrae in the tail and the backbone, all the leg bones were still connected in life position, and that’s really, really rare.”
While the animal was relatively small, the fossilized remains weighed more than 1,100 pounds encased in rock.
Dr. Randall Irmis, Ph. D., the curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, positions dinosaur fossils for an airlift in southern Utah, June 13, 2026. The Utah National Guard trains on aerial hoist missions to maintain the proficiency needed to operate in areas inaccessible by traditional means. This capability supports search-and-rescue and disaster-response efforts, while also enabling Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) missions that provide essential services to communities and strengthen military readiness. Regular training ensures aircrews and ground personnel remain ready whenever they are called upon. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Alejandro Lucero)VIEW ORIGINAL
In addition to Utah Guardsmen assisting with the duck-billed dinosaur skeleton, Nevada National Guard aviators assigned to the 1-189th Aviation Regiment supported scientists from North Carolina by using a Chinook helicopter to lift a 4,000-pound fossilized ornithomimid, a theropod dinosaur that resembled a modern-day ostrich. Each fossil will be transported to its respective museum for study and preparation before eventual public display.
The Utah museum team has worked at the dig site since 2024. After two seasons of excavation, the duck-billed dinosaur skeleton was unearthed and wrapped in a cast made of burlap and plaster to protect the fossils during aerial transport provided by the Utah National Guard’s 2-211th Aviation Regiment and the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
“We are really excited to work with the National Guard,” said Irmis. “Not only to have all their awesome team manpower with the riggers to get everything set, but also to take advantage of these heavy lift helicopters. We’re lucky when we get to use helicopters at all, but especially to have ones that can lift such a large load is really special.”
Missions like the airlift are part of the Innovative Readiness Training program, which provides real-world training opportunities for service members while supporting community needs. The mission showed the National Guard is ready not only to respond during emergencies, but also to support public agencies when they need assistance.
“I think a big part of the National Guard is just to help out the community,” said Spc. A.J. Goncalves, a parachute rigger assigned to the 19th SFG. “Whether that’s disaster relief, helping the scientific community, education, anything like that, we are more than happy to help.”
Citizen-Soldiers assisting their communities is central to the National Guard mission. For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Hermansen, a Nevada pilot with a geology degree from Chico State University, the mission brought together two careers.
“This was a full circle moment given our background in geology,” he said. “Being able to offer our expertise to benefit the scientific community was phenomenal.”
Utah Army National Guard parachute riggers assigned to 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), pose for a photo with excavation crew members from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Kane County, Utah, June 13, 2026. The fossilized remains of an Ornithomimid, a theropod dinosaur which resembled a modern-day ostrich, is in the net and rope rigging in preparation for aerial hoisting by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The fossil will be transported by ground to North Carolina for preparation and study before ultimately returning to the Natural History Museum of Utah for display. The Utah National Guard trains on aerial hoist missions to maintain the proficiency needed to operate in areas inaccessible by traditional means. This capability supports search-and-rescue and disaster-response efforts, while also enabling Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) missions that provide essential services to communities and strengthen military readiness. Regular training ensures aircrews and ground personnel remain ready whenever they are called upon. (Photo Credit: Maj. Jeffrey Brenchley)VIEW ORIGINAL
Utah National Guard aviation assets support a variety of missions for the state, including water bucket drops, wildfire suppression and search and rescue. Pilots and riggers train to respond to any call, but airlifting a 76-million-year-old specimen was a unique mission for those involved.
“Seeing a military helicopter carry a 76 million year old piece of history like that is really something special,” said Spc. Kartchner Perkins, a crew chief with the 2-211th. “It’s something that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.”
The opportunity provided Soldiers with lasting memories and valuable training they can apply to future missions.
“It was a really cool experience being able to work in this terrain and this environment,” said Goncalves. “It really prepares us for adaptability and flexibility when it comes to missions like this. I was super excited to be a part of it.”
The National Guard airlift is just the beginning of the fossils’ journey. Paleontologists at the museum will open the casts, meticulously remove rock from the fossils and add adhesive to cracks or breaks. The fossils will then be studied and preserved at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, where the public can participate in the prehistoric discovery.
“It’s really important to preserve them for everybody because these fossils are from public lands,” said Irmis. “These are owned by all American citizens and we care for them in the public trust back at the museum and share them through exhibits and all sorts of other content that we produce.”
Imagine a military aircraft sustaining heavy structural damage in a remote, forward-deployed combat location. If the repairs are outside the scope of standard squadron-level maintenance and shipping the aircraft to a depot is not an option, how does the fleet rapidly repair and return that critical asset to the fight?
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO– Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) returned to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego on June 27, 2026, following 11-months of sustained operations at sea to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.