Joshua Skovlund

1 month ago | reservenationalguard.com | Joshua Skovlund

Joshua Skovlund is a multimedia journalist who has reported for notable publications like Coffee or Die Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Outdoor Life. He has reported around the world, from Minneapolis to Ukraine, documenting some of the most important world events to happen over the past seven years. He served as a forward observer in the Army.

1 month ago | reservenationalguard.com | Joshua Skovlund

The Army’s Mountaineer badge, better known as the Ram’s Head Device, has been around for decades. However, only those assigned to the Vermont National Guard were authorized to wear it on their uniforms after earning it. That was the decades-long standard until an announcement on the Army’s LinkedIn account in March stated that a design was approved, authorizing all active duty, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard soldiers who earn the badge to wear it.

Mar 18, 2025 | taskandpurpose.com | Joshua Skovlund

On March 18, 1945, Army 1st Lt. Jack Lemaster Treadwell saw eight of his soldiers gunned down while assaulting a heavily fortified, seemingly impregnable section of the Siegfried Line near Nieder-Wurzbach, Germany. The Siegfried Line was a defensive perimeter around the western front of Germany, littered with pillboxes — bunkers — tank obstacles, and other defenses designed to slow the Allied advance.

Mar 18, 2025 | taskandpurpose.com | Joshua Skovlund

In a state of frenzy, Army Technician Fourth Grade James Lobnow, took up a hammer and smashed the buzzing bugs attacking his flesh. Deployed to Ramgarh, India, during World War II, Lobnow faced giant mosquitos, an enemy that could sting and, worse, one that carried malaria. Nearby, an Army photographer snapped a photo of the combat.

Mar 14, 2025 | taskandpurpose.com | Joshua Skovlund

The command sergeant major, in any Army unit, is notorious for coming up with creative team-building events that infuse the crushing effect of “the suck.” Ruck marches, never short on pain and misery, become even worse when you combine Arizona’s high temperatures with gas masks and full packs. The photo, posted to the military’s imagery and video database in 2017, captures the very essence of a command sergeant major. The image may be old, but the pain and regret in that shot are eternal.