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

Rows of front loaders and 7-ton trucks sit, gassed up and ready to roll in one of the many corridors in the Frigard supply cave located on the Vaernes Garrison near Trondheim, Norway, Jan. 6, 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Matt Lyman)

Army, Marine Corps Slammed for Improperly Storing $203M Worth of Gear

The Army and Marine Corps might not be equipped to respond quickly to crises in Europe or Africa.

The Office of Naval Research has developed the Far-Forward Blood Storage Container, a rugged, climate-controlled box that weighs about 42 pounds and keeps blood fresh for up to three days. The first prototypes will be delivered to the Marine Corps later this year. (Gina Harkins/Military.com)

Troops' Lives Could Be Saved by Blood Boxes That Fit in Humvees, Drones

New storage containers that can keep blood fresh for up to three days could change battlefield medicine.

Staff Sgt. Jason Browning, operations chief for Embedded Partnering Team, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), scans the horizon through his rifle combat optic after dismounting during a week-long convoy from Kabul, Oct. 30, 2011. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Timothy L. Solano)

Marines Award $62M Contract for Lighter, Stronger Plate Carriers

The new lightweight body armor system offers better mobility with improved fits.

Fitness equipment from the BeaverFit containers shipped by the United Service Organization-Europe is used by soldiers from 2nd Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe, at the Adazi training area near Riga, Latvia. (Photo: U.S. Army)

Vets Behind 'HITT Lockers' Roll Out Rappel Towers, O-Courses and More

BeaverFit's new Air Delivery Platform lets troops rappel from 60-foot towers built to mimic helicopter exits and skids.

Staff Sgt. Stephen Heeg leads Marines up a mountain during cold weather training at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, California, Jan. 21, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Jason Jimenez)

The Marine Corps' Next Cold-Weather Garments Will Be Flame-Resistant

The Marine Corps wants flame-resistant gear for Marines serving in cold climates as more troops deploy to the Arctic.

Blue Force Gear, which designed the combat sling Marines use on their service rifles, created a new lightweight, heavy-duty material that could replace every strap on a Marine rifleman's kit and shave between 6 and 8 pounds from the total weight. Marine Corps photo

New High-Tech Material Could Shave 8 Pounds from a Marine Grunt's Load

A new material from the service rifle sling maker could cut several pounds from the weight Marines carry on their backs.

Shown here is the JLTV produced by Oshkosh Truck Corporation.

Troops' New Marksmanship Simulator Will Feature a Mock JLTV

Soldiers and Marines will soon have the chance to train to take and return simulated fire from a model JLTV.

Marines, sailors with Bravo Company conduct security patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, August 29, 2014. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Cody Haas)

Marine Leaders' Plea to Companies: Get Us Our Gear Faster

Some of the Marine Corps' top acquisition officers had strong words for contractors about the need to move gear into...

3 Ways the Marines Are Making Their Fitness Tests Tougher in 2019

Marines will face several new standards next year that will make it harder to pass their physical and combat fitness tests.

U.S. Navy medical personnel treat a simulated casualty during a mass casualty exercise at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Dec. 23, 2015. (U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. Rick Hurtado)

New Rules: High-and-Tights for Sailors Who Serve With Marines

Navy corpsmen will no longer be exempt from Marine first sergeants' orders to police their mustaches.

Crew members assigned to the USS North Dakota and USS Virginia form in the shape of a teal-colored ribbon on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at Naval Submarine Base, New London to support Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. (U.S. Navy/Christian Porter)

Troops May Face Higher Risk of Sex Assault at These Duty Stations

Men and women on Navy ships faced the highest rates of sexual assaults in the military, according to newly released data.

An F-35C Lightning II attached to the Argonauts of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 approaches the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (Daniel E. Gheesling/U.S. Navy)

Navy's F-35C Suffers 1st Major Mishap, Costing Millions in Damages

Two Navy fighters were damaged during a refueling exercise off the coast of Virginia late last month, including an F-35C.

Marines from the Barracks Washington responded to a fire at a neighboring senior housing complex, September 19, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Damon A. Mclean)

Marine Who Rushed Into Burning Building: We Came to Help Our Neighbors

Capt. Trey Gregory was one of the first 10 Marines to race toward a burning senior facility in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

Marines with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune help push a car out of a flooded area during Hurricane Florence, on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Sept. 15, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Isaiah Gomez)

Marines' Norway Deployment, Training Missions Delayed by Hurricane Florence

Marine units scheduled to deploy from Lejeune or train in other areas affected by last week's hurricane will have to wait.

Navy Airman Apprentice Joseph Naglak, 21, was killed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush Monday when he was struck by an E-2C Hawkeye propeller. (Courtesy of the Navy)

Navy IDs Sailor Killed by Airplane Propeller Aboard Carrier George H.W. Bush

Navy officials have identified the 21-year-old sailor killed Monday while securing an aircraft to the flight deck of a...

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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.

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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

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Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

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When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

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Latest Military Videos

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...

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Investigations and Features

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Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

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Army News

Portrait of Henry Gunther, the last American soldier to be killed in action during World War I. He died only seconds before the armistice went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Last American Killed in WWI Charged a German Machine Gun Seconds Before the Armistice Took Effect

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Rin Tin Tin poses in his personalized director's chair during his Hollywood heyday in the 1920s. The German shepherd earned $1,000 per week at Warner Bros.—more than most human actors—and starred in 27 films between 1922 and 1931. Warner Bros. maintained 18 trained stand-in dogs to reduce stress on their canine star. (Vintage Everyday)

Rescued From a WWI Battlefield, This Dog Became Hollywood's Biggest Star and Saved Warner Bros. From Bankruptcy

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Navy News

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

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A U.S. Marine Corps plane captain assigned to the Marine Fighter Attach Squadron (VFMA) 225, signals to a pilot in a F35B Lightning II as it taxis on the flightline after landing in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility, Sept. 13, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the USSOUTHCOM mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Katelynn Jackson)

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Air Force News

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

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Rick Bottoroff with his wife, Stefanie, new owners of an Office Pride business. (Submitted photo)

How a 20-Year Air Force Veteran Made the Leap to Small Business Owner

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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

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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

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

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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)

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