New Philippine Coast Guard Vessel Shadows Chinese Carrier Strike Group off Mindanao — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/10/26/new…

Last call—submissions close 31 October! Share your ideas for the future of the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard in the 2026 General Prize Essay Contest. Open to all contributors, with a $6,000 first prize and winning essays published in Proceedings. Submit your essay by 31 October 2026: Details and submission guidelines: usni.org/essay-contests/2026…

Fleet Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey describes the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf as he saw it develop aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62). usni.org/magazines/proceedin…

#OTD in 1944, the outnumbered destroyers, destroyer escorts, and escort carriers of Taffy 3 confronted a vastly more powerful Japanese force off Samar. Ships including USS Johnston (DD-557), Hoel (DD-533), and Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) fought against overwhelming odds to protect the American landing forces at Leyte. Their courage remains one of the most remarkable stories in U.S. naval history. Read more in Proceedings: usni.org/magazines/proceedin…

Two naval aviation pioneers, one shared birthday. #OTD in 1888, Richard E. Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia. Two years later, Floyd Bennett was born on the same date in Warrensburg, New York. Bennett piloted their 1926 Arctic flight, for which both received the Medal of Honor. Byrd later led pioneering Antarctic expeditions and attained the rank of rear admiral. Explore their connection and Byrd’s adventurous career in Naval History: ow.ly/Tiq85100HHo

Tomiji Koyanagi was chief of staff to Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita throughout the Battle for Leyte Gulf, always in good position to see what transpired. usni.org/magazines/proceedin…

#OTD in 1944, U.S. Navy carrier aircraft launched repeated attacks against Japanese warships in the Sibuyan Sea during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The massive battleship Musashi was sunk, but the Japanese Center Force remained a formidable threat—and would return to battle the following morning. In Naval History, Karl Zingheim examines the strikes and their consequences: usni.org/magazines/naval-his…

Proceedings Photo of the Week: Sailors man the rails as the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) arrives in Rota, Spain, 19 October 2026. U.S. Navy Photo (Jonathan P. Nye)

#OTD in 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf began as U.S. submarines attacked Japanese warships approaching the Philippines. Over the next four days, American and Allied forces would fight one of the largest naval battles in history, across thousands of square miles of the Pacific. Explore the battle through maps, a chronology, and an illustrated guide from Naval History: usni.org/magazines/naval-his…

Reviews assess military personnel reform and uneven scholarship on international covert action. usni.org/magazines/proceedin…

Collaboration on Autonomous Undersea Warfare is on Track, AUKUS Officials Say — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/10/23/col…

We remember Tom Skerritt, who has died at 93. As Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun (1986), he brought quiet authority and humanity to an enduring portrayal of naval aviation. He later returned to a naval role as Captain Bill Rhodes in Tears of the Sun (2003). An Air Force veteran, Skerritt’s commitment to those who served extended beyond the screen. He co-founded the Red Badge Project, helping veterans find their voices and share their experiences through storytelling. Our condolences to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.

USNI News Western Pacific Pulse: Oct. 23, 2026 news.usni.org/2026/10/23/usn…

Some visits are especially meaningful. Yesterday was one of them! We had the pleasure of welcoming Captain Ronald W. Wetmore, USN (Ret.), and his wife, Marilyn, to the U.S. Naval Institute while they were in Annapolis for Captain Wetmore's Naval Academy reunion. With our CEO and Publisher, Rear Admiral Ray Spicer, USN (Ret.), as their personal tour guide, the Wetmores explored the Institute and experienced a particularly special moment: seeing their names on our Celestial Wall for the very first time. The Celestial Wall recognizes the generosity of individuals and families who help sustain the Naval Institute's mission of providing an independent forum where those who dare to read, think, speak, and write can share ideas and advance the professional understanding of sea power. Behind every name is a story, a connection to our mission, and a commitment to its future. We are deeply grateful to Ron and Marilyn for their friendship, generosity, and belief in the important work of the Naval Institute. It was a joy to spend time with them today!

#OTD in 1983, a terrorist truck bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killed 241 U.S. service members—220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers. Forty-three years later, we honor those lost and remember the survivors and families forever changed. In Naval History’s “Beirut: A Remembrance,” Lieutenant Commander Alan Ables, USN (Ret.), who served in the theater in 1983, reflects on the deployment and the events leading to the attack. usni.org/magazines/naval-his…

Army Activates Air Defense Guam Battalion Focused on Chinese, North Korean Threats — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/10/23/arm…

It's been done with drones and it's been done with Starlink: Now it's the Navy's turn for proliferated communication strategies in the Pacific. usni.org/NewEraNewStrategy

Integrated forces, allied partnerships, and innovation are essential to sustaining undersea dominance. usni.org/magazines/proceedin…

October Marks Highest Number of Strait of Hormuz Attacks — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/10/22/oct…

Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Sails in the Philippine Sea for Keen Sword Drills — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/10/22/the…