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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 130 · Friday, 30 October 2026

Veterans

Spirit Halloween store to become pop-up ICE detention center

DHS praises seasonal retailer's expertise in occupying abandoned buildings and disappearing overnight

Army FRG unveils haunted house featuring spouses saying ‘I’m fine’

Hasan execution venue double-booked with Comic-Con

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Vol. 15 · No. 130

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Vol. 15 · No. 130 · Deployed worldwide

Friday

30 October 2026

1442 Zulu

Next edition Monday

← Front page
· Page 2

Hardest working sailor determined by Shiniest boots, immaculate uniform

Filed · 1546

NORFOLK, VA - Yeoman Third Class Roger Dawes was named USS Gonzalez’s Junior Sailor of the Year for maintaining an immaculate boot shine, military creases in his coveralls, and having the "most pointless basic military requirements knowledge", according to a press release from his chain of command.

“I definitely feel like I earned this,” YN3 Dawes said after the award ceremony. “The other sailors are great, don’t get me wrong, but my boots are just that shiny. You can see yourself in these bad boys.”

“I really think he deserves it,” Boatswain’s Mate Second Class John Wake said, hanging off the bow and sanding the anchor. “He puts a lot of time into ironing his working uniforms so he can look good doing paperwork.”

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