Travis Tritten

Travis Tritten is the deputy managing editor for Military.com. He has more than 20 years of experience reporting on the military, government and politics in the U.S. and abroad. He was a recipient -- along with a team of Military.com reporters -- of the 2023 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation award for distinguished reporting on national defense.

Since 2014, Tritten has reported from Washington, D.C., spending most of his time at the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. Previously, he was a senior defense reporter for Bloomberg Government; a defense and national security reporter at the Washington Examiner; and a reporter with Stars and Stripes, including seven years as a Japan correspondent.

Email: Travis.Tritten@Military.com

Latest Articles

What the Pentagon Has, Hasn't and Could Do to Stop Veterans and Troops from Joining Extremist Groups

The military and its transition programs have largely failed to provide what experts say is necessary to steer troops and...

The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence.

The U.S. intelligence community deemed racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism -- with adherents such as white...

Trading on Patriotism: How Extremist Groups Target and Radicalize Veterans

The issue of extremist groups has gained attention after the riot on Jan. 6 aimed at preventing the peaceful transfer of the...

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks to Fayetteville State University ROTC students.

Austin Recounts Childhood Struggles with Racism in University Address Focused on Military Inclusion

Austin's visit comes at a time when the services are struggling to meet recruiting goals.

Aircrew Aviation Electrician's Mate Striker Brandon Caserta, 21, died by suicide on June 25, 2018. An investigation found that leadership at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia, "contributed" to his decision to take his own life. (Photo courtesy of the Caserta family

Pentagon Approving New Rules for Mental Health Access More Than a Year After Passage of Law Requiring Changes

The Pentagon is moving forward with a series of changes to mental health care access required by a 2021 law that was passed...

Members of the National Guard stand near a vehicle along the U.S.-Mexico border in Mission, Texas.

Pentagon Sends 1,500 Active-Duty Troops to Border as Pandemic Immigration Restrictions End

The Pentagon is sending 1,500 active-duty troops to the southwest border as federal immigration agencies and local...

2 Air Guard Leaders in Accused Pentagon Leaker's Massachusetts Unit Suspended

The 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron's operational commander and federal orders administrative commander have been...

Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder

Nearly Two Dozen Troops Suffered Brain Injuries in Iran-backed Syria Strikes, Pentagon Now Says

The Pentagon now says 23 troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from attacks by Iran-backed militants in Syria...

The criminal complaint against Jack Teixeira.

Federal Charges Against Air National Guardsman Allege He Spent Months Leaking Highly Sensitive Intelligence

Jack Douglas Teixeira was accused of unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of national defense information and...

Members of law enforcement assemble on a road in Dighton, Mass.

Guardsman Arrested in Pentagon Leak Case that Shook the US and Allies

Jack Douglas Teixeira was arrested by armed agents as part of the Justice Department probe into the unauthorized removal...

How Is Your Relationship? Defense Department Asks Military Couples to Weigh In

A randomized survey, which includes some difficult questions about abuse, was sent out to 300,000 troops and 100,000 military...

Coalition Forces showcase a Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Syria.

At Least 6 Troops Diagnosed with Brain Injuries After Deadly Iran-Backed Strikes in Syria

The diagnoses were made as part of ongoing medical assessments of American personnel at the two locations in northeast Syria...

Two Russian Su-27 aircraft intercept a U.S. Air Force drone over the Black Sea.

New Video Shows Russian Fighter Jet Buzzing US Drone Over Black Sea

Russian jets can be seen directly approaching and apparently dumping fuel twice on the U.S. drone as it flew over...

An MQ-9 Reaper turns out of a parking ramp.

Russian Jet Bumps Air Force Drone over Black Sea, Causing Unmanned Aircraft to Crash

Two Russian fighter jets caused an Air Force MQ-9 drone to crash in international waters during their attempt to intercept...

Aerial shot of the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

Big Pay Raises, Universal Pre-K: Biden's Pentagon Unveils Annual Budget Plans

For service members, the big spending plans for fiscal 2024 could mean the largest pay hike for troops in more than 20 years.

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Most Popular Military News

Child gets an intravenous gets his intravenous immunoglobulin infusion

Tricare Patients Fear Losing Preferred Health Care Providers Amid Contract Transition

Doctors and patients said they have been caught off guard by the shift from Health Net Federal Services to TriWest Healthcare...

Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans

When Ed Meagher reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, he was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two...

A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea.

2 US Navy Pilots Shot Down over Red Sea in Apparent 'Friendly Fire' Incident, US Military Says

Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries.

U.S. Marine reenlists during a ceremony on Camp Courtney, Okinawa

How the Marine Corps Is Changing to Keep Talented Marines in the Service

For decades, the Marine Corps incurred a "remarkably high turnover rate" among its first-term Marines as it prioritized, and...

Lights shine inside the U.S. Capitol Building as night falls in Washington.

Troop Pay Safe After Congress Approves Extension of Government Funding

Troop pay is no longer in jeopardy after Congress approved legislation to keep the government funded through mid-March and...

U.S. Army soldiers at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria

It's Time for US Troops to Leave Syria

"There are roughly 4,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria today, and they represent a potentially significant strategic...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Claims Government Knows What Drones Are

In a far-ranging interview news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. government "knows what is happening" with the...

Russian Forces Seen Withdrawing Toward Northern Syrian City of Tartus

A lengthy convoy of Russian military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Latakia toward the Syrian city of Tartus on...

Schumer Calls on US Agencies to Use Advanced Technology to Identify Mysterious Drones

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S...

Mother of American Found in Syria: 'We All Want You Home'

An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system said he...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

A photograph of the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint against Joshua James.

Army Veteran Sentenced to Probation for Milestone Conviction in Oath Keepers Sedition Plot

The judge described Joshua James as a “true American hero” for his military service and praised him for having the courage to...

U.S. Army soldiers conduct a tactical movement in Northeast Syria

Pentagon Reveals 2,000 US Troops Are in Syria – More than Double What Was Previously Reported

In a surprise announcement, the Pentagon revealed that it has not been offering an accurate count of how many U.S. troops it...

Navy News

Rare Corruption Case Against 4-Star Admiral Runs Headlong into Mistress Testimony Issues, Pentagon Culture

The witness in question is a woman with whom Burke was having an affair and who, according to court filings, went to...

tunnels of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, near Pearl Harbor

Defense Officials Fined $5,000 for Skipping Hawaii Red Hill Water Contamination Meeting

The Environmental Protection Agency says the military violated a federal consent decree when officials chose not to attend a...

Air Force News

NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs

Is the NORAD Santa Tracker Safe from a Government Shutdown?

NORAD's annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics.

A sign at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Air Force Tears Down Historic Wright-Patterson House After $1.2M Renovation

A little over a decade after the Air Force spent some $1.2 million to renovate a former officer's home on Wright-Patterson...

Space Force News

President-elect Trump and Elon Musk at a SpaceX Starship rocket launch

As Space Force Marks 5-Year Anniversary, Republicans and Trump Aim to Take it Higher

In a month, the president who created the Space Force will be back in the White House, and one of the service's biggest...

Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Moore, senior enlisted leader, 138th Space Control Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Air National Guard, secures equipment aboard a C-17 Globemaster.

Senate OKs Move of Space-Focused National Guard Units. Colorado Governor Says Air Force Wouldn't Negotiate.

The Senate approved the annual defense bill Wednesday that moves National Guard units into the active-duty Space Force after...

Marine Corps News

CH-53E Super Stallion at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

Marines Safe After Super Stallion Fire Caused Emergency Landing, Engulfing Helicopter in Flames

A Marine Corps helicopter's engine caught fire, forcing its crew to make an emergency landing near Camp Pendleton in Southern...