U.S. Sinks 820-Foot Ship as a Warning to China Amid Rising Tensions

The USS Tarawa, a once formidable force in the U.S. naval fleet, met a dramatic end as the United States military strategically sank it using stealth explosives.

A move seen as a stern message to China, this operation used the ship's decommissioning as an opportunity for a powerful display of military

The USS Tarawa's Final Voyage

From 1976 to 2009, the 39,000-ton USS Tarawa served with distinction. Its last journey, however, was under the force of an Air Force B-2 stealth bomber.

This wasn't just a training exercise — it was a calculated maneuver in the vast Pacific waters, hinting at the rising tensions between superpowers.

JD Vance sends message to Black voters as they weigh Trump, Harris: 'We're going to fight for you'

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance sent a message to Black voters ahead of November, vowing to fight for those who struggle with the "failure" of Democratic leadership in the community.

Vance joined "Fox & Friends" to discuss why the Trump campaign is better suited to uplift the community, accusing the Democratic Party of failing Black voters for a "generation."

Life and career
Leavey enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2003 and completed recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina.[1] Afterwards, she attended and completed the Military Police school in San Antonio, Texas, where she joined the K-9 program and was paired with a military working dog named "Rex" (E168) in October 2004.[2] Leavey was stationed next at Camp Pendleton, California, assigned as a military police dog handler with the 2nd Military Police Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD).

The pair served two deployments in Iraq together, first to Fallujah in May 2005, and then to Ramadi in May 2006, where she and the German Shepherd were both wounded the following September by an improvised explosive device (IED) while she and her dog were leading a U.S. Army patrol down a street.[3][1] Leavey was awarded the Purple Heart.[3]

Leavey first sought to adopt Rex before she was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in December 2007 with the rank of corporal.[4][1] Four years later, when Rex developed facial palsy that ended his bomb-sniffing duties, Leavey again petitioned the Marine Corps for his adoption.[4][5] In April 2012, "Sergeant Rex" was retired by the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton's K-9 unit and Leavey and the dog were reunited through the intervention and support of Senator Chuck Schumer, Randy Levine (and his wife Mindy), president of the New York Yankees baseball club, and others.[2][4][6] While living with Leavey, Rex died of old age on December 22, 2012.[6][7]

Leavey and Rex became the subject of the 2017 biographical film Megan Leavey.[8] Leavey is portrayed by Kate Mara, and had a cameo appearance in the film as "Female Drill Instructor #3". In 2019, she was one of two recipients of the Genesis Legacy Medal which was presented to her by the National Purple Heart Honor Mission.[9][10]