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

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...

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday.

CNO: Fatal AAV Accident Revealed Gaps Between Navy, Marine Corps That Need Attention

Troubling findings into a military training accident that killed nine troops prompted a meeting between the top Navy and...

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook.

Navy Warships Could Head into the Black Sea as Russia-Ukraine Tensions Escalate

The U.S. Navy is reportedly considering moving two ships into the Black Sea after Russia announced it was sending 10 vessels...

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger testifies.

Congress to Call Marine Commandant to Testify on Safety Lapses After Series of Fatal Accidents

Lawmakers have pressed military leaders on the frequency of training accidents in the past, including just last month.

Taped-off area near the scene of a shooting in Frederick, Md.

2 in Critical Condition After Navy Hospital Corpsman Opens Fire Near Fort Detrick

Navy personnel were involved in an active shooter situation at a Maryland military base about 50 miles northwest of...

Navy Destroyer Hopper's Commanding Officer Fired Over Morale Problems

Cmdr. Kathryn Dawley was relieved by Capt. Kenneth Athans, Destroyer Squadron 31's commodore, over a "loss of confidence in...

Tests to Fix Big Design Flaw Plaguing Navy's Littoral Combat Ships Will Start Soon

The design flaw is a complex problem that affects four engines' ability to power a water jet that drives the ship up to 40...

Marines aboard an amphibious assault vehicle.

Marines Launch New Probe into Fatal AAV Accident as Families Demand Accountability

"The goal," Marine officials said in a statement, "is to ensure the Marine Corps is doing everything possible to prevent this...

VP Kamala Harris inspects desk from USS Constitution

Navy Seabees Build VP Kamala Harris a Desk Out of Wood from USS Constitution

The vice president and Navy secretary now have new desks built out of materials from some of the most storied ships in U.S...

Navy Fires Rear Admiral in Charge of Aviation Depots

Rear Adm. Trent DeMoss, commander of Fleet Readiness Centers in Maryland, was relieved of his duties by Vice Adm. Dean Peters...

Navy Deletes Phrases Like 'Faddish' and 'Complement the Skin Tone' from Grooming Regs

Sailors will no longer be subject to leaders' interpretation about what grooming standards are in "good taste," "eccentric"...

artist rendering of the guided-missile frigate FFG(X)

The Navy Is Naming its Next New Frigate USS Congress

Another Navy ship will be named in honor of George Washington's six original frigates.

Deepest-Ever Shipwreck Dive Locates Navy Destroyer That Sank During Epic WWII Battle

The ship sank off the coast of Samar Island on Oct. 25, 1944, during World War II's Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Marine Corps’ Compact Laser Weapon Systems have been upgraded with stronger beams

Marines' Drone-Killing Lasers Get Even More Powerful After Upgrades

The Corps has a new $2.5 million agreement with Boeing to service its Compact Laser Weapon System for the next five years.

View of the main entrance to Camp Pendleton.

Marines Under Investigation After Ammo, Explosives Reportedly Go Missing at Pendleton

A sergeant at Camp Pendleton is in custody and facing charges, and another service member is awaiting a federal hearing in...

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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

Wreckage of Turkish Military Cargo Plane that Crashed in Georgia

A Turkish accident investigation team reached the crash site of a military cargo plane early Wednesday and was inspecting...

Video Shows Moment of Turkish Military Plane Crash

Footage obtained by Georgian media showed the moment a Turkish military plane crashed in Georgia.

Operation Washtub 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...

US Destroyer Crew Fought U-Boat Sailors Hand to Hand

During World War II, the crew of a brand-new destroyer escort, USS Buckley, slugged it out in hand-to-hand combat...

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

Warrant Officer Stephen Peth (left) with Ted Jacoby (right). Behind them is one of the UH-1 Huey DUSTOFF helicopters, which ferried wounded troops from the battlefield to hospitals, greatly increasing their chance of survival. (Stephen Peth)

Vietnam DUSTOFF Pilot Who Saved 3,000 Earned Gold Medal Honor for MEDEVAC Crews

By then, he had flown over 3,000 casualties to safety during 11 months evacuating wounded soldiers from Vietnam's most...

Members of an honor guard carry U.S. service flags up Fifth Avenue during New York City’s Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, 2025. The nation’s largest Veterans Day event honored 250 years of American military service with thousands of spectators lining the route in freezing temperatures. (Darius Radzius/Military.com)

New York Honors 250 Years Of Military Service In Nation’s Largest Veterans Day Parade

New York City marked Veterans Day with the largest parade in the nation, honoring 250 years of military service along Fifth...

Navy News

New York Honors 250 Years Of Military Service In Nation’s Largest Veterans Day Parade

New York City marked Veterans Day with the largest parade in the nation, honoring 250 years of military service along Fifth...

U.S. Air Force transport aircrafts are seen on the tarmac at Ramstein Air Base, in Germany.

US Government Shutdown Forces Local Workers at Some Overseas Bases to Go Without Pay

At least 2,000 people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost...

Air Force News

Air Force Base Housing Landlord Says No Christmas Decorations Before Thanksgiving

A private company managing housing near Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida has told residents to remove Christmas decorations...

US Government Shutdown Forces Local Workers at Some Overseas Bases to Go Without Pay

At least 2,000 people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost...

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

New York Honors 250 Years Of Military Service In Nation’s Largest Veterans Day Parade

New York City marked Veterans Day with the largest parade in the nation, honoring 250 years of military service along Fifth...

Marine K9 Handler Marcus Gill and his Military Working Dog, Izzy, on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2009. (Marcus Gill)

Wounded K9 Handler Overcame Near-Fatal IED Blast, Found Faith to Help Others

Gill would eventually earn a degree in theological leadership and dedicate his life to protecting others—especially children...

Coast Guard News

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participates in a tour at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Charleston, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

More Recruits Require More Space: Coast Guard Announces New Training Center

Days after the U.S. Coast Guard announced some of its highest recruiting numbers in decades, it now intends to open a new...

US Coast Guard Recruitment Hits Highest Mark in Decades: 'Workforce of Future'

The service hits its highest numbers since 1991, with bigger plans to come.

Gina Harkins

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