Hope Hodge Seck

Hope Hodge Seck is an award-winning investigative and enterprise reporter who has been covering military issues since 2009. She is the former managing editor for Military.com.

Hope’s previous assignments have included a war zone embed in Afghanistan with Marines and multiple reporting trips aboard amphibious ships and aircraft carriers. Her awards include multiple North Carolina Press Association Honors, the 2015 and 2017 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Heinl awards for feature writing, the Military Reporters and Editors Association 2015 award for domestic military coverage, and the 2016 American Legion 4th Estate Award for print reporting. She is also a member of the board of directors at the Military Reporters and Editors Association.

A graduate of The King's College in New York City, her work has also appeared in Marine Corps Times, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Sun, and World Magazine.

Latest Articles

Lt. Cmdr. signals the launch of an F/A-18 Hornet from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Charles D. Gaddis)

Carrier Reagan Scrambled Hornets to Escort Russian Bombers in Pacific

Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman called the interaction between the U.S. and Russian planes "safe and professional."

In this file photo, ships of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group steam together during training in March. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Craig Z. Rodarte)

Navy Aims to Change 'Myopic' Culture with New Pacific Watchdog Group

The U.S. Pacific Fleet is creating a new group to ensure that no ship leaves port until it is trained and ready to do so.

In a First, Marines Shoot HIMARS Rocket from Amphibious Ship

The amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage became the base for a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System rocket launch this...

Marines Want a Truck-Mounted Rocket-Launcher that Fits in an Osprey

The Marine Corps is on the hunt for an uber-compact rocket launcher system capable of raining down suppressive fire on the...

Is 355 Ships by 2050 Realistic? Maybe Not, Navy Undersecretary Says

The president and the House and Senate agree: The Navy needs about 355 ships, up from its current battle force total of 278.

Watchstanders Looking Wrong Way Before Fitzgerald Collision: Navy

The investigation raised questions about fatigue levels and knowledge gaps that could have contributed to the errors.

National Geographic's new miniseries, "The Long Road Home," was shot at Fort Hood in Texas and featured "the largest working set in North America," said Mikko Alanne, the showrunner and screenwriter. (National Geographic photo/Van Redin)

Everything But the Smell: How NatGeo Built an Iraqi City at Fort Hood

By night, the film set for "The Long Road Home" doubled as a tool for emotional healing.

Actors Patrick Schwarzenegger (L), Jon Beavers, Joshua Brennan and Thomas McDonell on the set of National Geographic's "The Long Road Home" miniseries at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. (National Geographic photo/Van Redin)

Tributes to 'Black Sunday' Vets at Premiere of 'The Long Road Home'

On March 31, 2004, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, said goodbye to their families and departed for Sadr...

Second Baby Born Aboard Navy Hospital Ship Comfort in Puerto Rico

The USNS Comfort welcomed Isaias Valerio-Fonseca, the second baby born aboard the ship since it arrived in Puerto Rico.

Maj. Gen. Carl E. Mundy III awards the Bronze Star medal with Combat “V” to Staff Sgt. Patrick H. Maloney, multi-purpose canine handler with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Oct. 30, 2017. Sgt. Salvador R. Moreno/Marine Corps

Special Ops Dog Handler Awarded Bronze Star for Heroism in ISIS Fight

A decorated Marine Raider who was critically wounded in Iraq received one of the nation's most prestigious awards for valor.

Marine Colonel Who Retired in Disgrace Faces New Felony Charges

The former commander of the Marines' Wounded Warrior Regiment who spent two months in the brig last year is behind bars again...

Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, test the capabilities of the Legged Squad Support System (LS3), aboard Fort Devens, Mass., Nov. 5, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michael Walters/Released)

Corps Sees Hurdle in Getting Marines to Bond with Robotic Battle Buds

At the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, officials are testing out a system that might inspire close man-machine relationships.

The Switchblade is a small "kamikaze” drone designed to be launched by a service member but which can also be tossed out of the back of an MV-22 Osprey for precision target acquisition. (Image courtesy AeroVironment

Marine Corps V-22 Osprey Could Get 'Kamikaze' Missile

The Marine Corps is getting close to selecting a weapons system and sensors for its prized tiltrotor aircraft.

Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, hike toward Range 101 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Reece Lodder.)

Corps May Need 5,000 More Marines to Combat New Threats: Paxton

The four-star assistant commandant of the Marine Corps said new threats may require an increase of 5,000 troops or more.

After Hiatus, Senior Enlisted Leaders' Panel Returns to Navy Expo

After a year's hiatus, a roundtable event with the sea services' senior enlisted leaders is returning to the Sea-Air-Space...

Military News

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Most Popular Military News

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Veterans and the VA

While most vets won't be impacted by the ongoing government shutdown, concerns may ramp up the longer it persists.

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...

'It's a Lottery': Why Foreign Volunteer Fought in Russia-Ukraine War

Jack de Santis is a Croatian-born volunteer of the Ukrainian army who used his engineering, drone expertise to help fight...

Army Vet Sentenced to Year In Prison For $80,000 Fraud, Stolen Valor

Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, was indicted in April 2024 on four charges: wire fraud, stolen valor, theft of government funds, and...

Vietnam veterans of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, stand with Army Maj. Gen. John W. Weidner, chief of staff for U.S. Strategic Command, Col. Robert Newbauer, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, American Legion Post 1 Commander Lennie Roth and others after a ceremony Sept. 18 at American Legion Post 1 in Omaha, Nebraska. Fourteen veterans of Bravo Company were honored for acts of valor and meritorious service in Vietnam more than 50 years ago. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Delanie Stafford)

Bravo Company Vietnam Veterans Honored with Long-Overdue Bronze Stars

While it took more than five decades, 14 veterans of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, were...

Trump Administration Threatens No Back Pay for Federal Workers in Shutdown

President Donald Trump’s administration is warning of no guaranteed back pay for federal workers during a shutdown.

Latest Military Videos

Trump Envoy Witkoff, Adviser Kushner Arrive in Egypt for Gaza Peace Talks as Optimism for Deal Grows

U.S. President Donald Trump’s top adviser for the Middle East and other senior officials joined the third day of...

Texas National Guard Troops Gathered at Army Training Center Southwest of Chicago

National Guard members from Texas were at an Army Reserve center in Illinois on Tuesday, the most visible sign...

Smoke Rises in Wadi Gaza as Top Officials Join Israel-Hamas Talks in Egypt

Smoke caused by Israeli strikes billowed into the sky over Wadi Gaza on Wednesday as senior officials joined the...

Trump Says He's Willing to Enact the Insurrection Act if Necessary

President Donald Trump says he's willing to enact the Insurrection Act if necessary, but so far it hasn't been...

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

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Racheal Balke, a current operations intelligence noncommissioned officer assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), conducted a wargaming event as part of an ongoing deployment readiness exercise at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Sep. 3, 2025. The wargaming phase, part of the joint planning process, utilized artificial intelligence tools to stress-test the command's response to real-world crises (U.S. Army photo by Brian Andries, DVIDS).

The Army’s New Intel Playbook: How AI and Data Are Rewriting the Battlefield

The U.S. Army is betting big on artificial intelligence and data to reshape how intelligence is gathered, analyzed, and...

Driver Sentenced in Crash that Killed Lewis-McChord Soldier, a Father of 4

Ryan Edward Grems, 38, pleaded guilty in July to failure to remain at an accident resulting in death and theft of a motor...

Navy News

Trump USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier

Trump Doesn't Let Shutdown Interfere With Celebrating Navy's 250th Anniversary

The president spoke on a pier in between two towering Navy vessels, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship.

Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), delivers remarks during NETC’s change of command ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, June 18, 2025. The museum recently opened an exhibit honoring Vietnam prisoners of war. (United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)

National Naval Aviation Museum Honors Vietnam POWs with Emotional Exhibit

A new exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, is giving attendees a rare glimpse into life for...

Air Force News

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview

Veterans, Who Saw One of Their Own Arrested by ICE and Charged, Say Feds Are Undermining Democracy

Days after a 70-year-old Air Force veteran was among five people charged while protesting outside a suburban U.S. Immigration...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

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

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nosikahhokli Melendez, a fire support Marine with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, prepares to depart on a MV-22 Osprey, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, during exercise Keen Sword 25 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Manuel A. Serrano)

Marines' AI Edge with Project Dynamis

Discover how the Marine Corps' Project Dynamis integrates AI to enhance joint force operations against peer threats. Explore...

Retired Marine Aviator Amy McGrath Launches Comeback Bid in Seeking the Seat of Retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell

Democrat Amy McGrath, a retired Marine aviator, entered the Senate campaign in Kentucky, vowing to be a “bulwark against...

Coast Guard News

Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Harris receives new shoulder boards from his children during a promotion ceremony June 21, 2018, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training in Charleston, South Carolina. (U.S. Coast Guard/Ryan Dickinson)

Coast Guard Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Coast Guard ranks from seaman to admiral. Learn about the rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion...

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Motor Lifeboat CG-36538 was restored by dozens of volunteers after more than 8 years of hard work.

Cape May Maritime Museum Brings 73-Year-Old Coast Guard Lifeboat Back to Life

The CG-36538 was built in a Baltimore shipyard in Curtis Bay in 1952 and was primarily used for winter rescues and winter...