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

Troop Pardons Set to Complicate Military's Muddled Response to Jan. 6

As Trump prepares to take office Monday, he has vowed to move quickly on a key campaign promise to pardon many, if not all...

Before January 10, 2025 this display of pregame patriotism was actually against Defense Department policy. (U.S. Marine Corps/ Sgt. Lillian Stephens)

Service Members Are No Longer Banned from Displaying the American Flag Horizontally at Major Events

It might come as a surprise, but U.S. service members weren't technically allowed to unfurl giant U.S. flags at major events...

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth at Fort Jackson

In Her Final Days in Office, Army Secretary Formally Establishes Service's Command Review Program

The service's Command Assessment Program was established to remove bias from the selection process for command billets.

Matthew Livelsberger's Widow Breaks Silence, Refutes 'Misinformation About My Family'

The widow of Matthew Livelsberger — the Colorado Springs Green Beret who died by suicide in a rented Tesla Cybertruck seconds...

The Battle over Veterans’ Health Care: How the Republican Majority Hopes to Reshape the VA

With the new Congress sworn in and President-elect Trump poised for his second inauguration, Republicans have queued up a...

Sen. Joni Ernst speaks at the SASC confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth

Combat Veteran, Sexual Assault Survivor Senator Backs Hegseth for Defense Secretary

In an interview with a radio station in her home state, followed by a written statement, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, announced...

Latest Military Videos

President-Elect Donald Trump Pays Respects To Former President Jimmy Carter in the Capitol Rotunda

President-elect Donald Trump, who has alternated among praising, criticizing and even mocking Jimmy Carter, came Wednesday to the Capitol...

Ukraine President Says Deadly Russian Strike On Zaporizhzhia ‘Absolutely Deliberate'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's latest attack on Zaporizhzhia, which killed at least 13 people and injured around...

Why Greenland? Remote but Resource-Rich Island Occupies Key Position in Warming World

Remote, icy and mostly pristine, Greenland plays an outsized role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people...

Denmark Prime Minister Responds After Trump Refuses To Rule Out Taking Control of Greenland

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the US Denmark’s “most important and closest ally" in response to President-elect Donald...

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

Veterans Affairs signage. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Veteran’s Ex-Wife Tried Hiding Divorce After He Died to Steal His VA Benefits, Feds Say

A U.S. Army veteran’s ex-wife insisted she was his surviving spouse after he died so she could steal his military benefits...

Bob Uecker greets the crowd at Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee before a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks in October 2011. (Department of Defense/Courtesy of Steve Paluch)

Bob Uecker, Army Veteran and Longtime Baseball Announcer, Dies at 90

Before becoming a Baseball Hall of Famer, Uecker played the sport in high school and in the Army before landing a gig in the...

Navy News

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa.

Yemen's Houthis Signal They'll Now Limit Their Attacks in the Red Sea Corridor to Israeli Ships

The Houthis' announcement, made in an email sent to shippers, likely won't be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the...

Signage is seen at the CNN Center in Atlanta

Florida Jury Says CNN Defamed Navy Veteran in Story About Endangered Afghans

The jury awarded Zachary Young $5 million in damages and is now being asked to determine whether CNN must pay additional...

Air Force News

Dr. Troy E. Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office

Trump Names Former KC-135 Navigator, Spy Agency Official to Be Next Air Force Secretary

Trump said on social media that Troy Meink, currently the principal director of the National Reconnaissance Office, was his...

Troop Pay Is Competitive with Civilian Workers, Pentagon Finds in Quadrennial Review

The Quadrenial Review of Military Compensation was unveiled and reported that "the department's compensation package is...

Space Force News

Trump Names Former KC-135 Navigator, Spy Agency Official to Be Next Air Force Secretary

Trump said on social media that Troy Meink, currently the principal director of the National Reconnaissance Office, was his...

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall presents the keynote address

Air Force Secretary Kendall's Parting Advice: Military Needs a 'Much More Powerful Space Force'

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has less than a week left on the job and, on Monday, he took the opportunity to offer his...

Marine Corps News

Gen. Eric M. Smith departs an UH-Y at Marine Corps Base Camp Schwab on Okinawa

'Going the Wrong Way:' Booting Marines from Okinawa Could Embolden China, Commandant Says

Gen. Eric Smith said the planned transfer of Okinawa-based Marines to Guam in the coming years will distance the force from a...