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

Vol. 15 · No. 131 · Tuesday, 3 November 2026

Pentagon

Hegseth wears Eisenhower's globe as Halloween costume

Secretary says historic artifact looks better without America's allies

Spirit Halloween store to become pop-up ICE detention center

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

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Vol. 15 · No. 131

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Duffel Blog

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Vol. 15 · No. 131 · Deployed worldwide

Tuesday

3 November 2026

0541 Zulu

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· Page 2

Soldier submits award packet to Chinese hackers after S1 delays

Filed · 1537

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Fed up with the Army's slow awards process, a Fort Bragg sergeant opted to submit his packet to Chinese hackers instead and was surprised to find success.

“I had run out of options,” explains Staff Sgt. James Patterson of the 82nd Airborne. “S1 was running me in circles about my ARCOM and I was about to rage-retire like Sgt. Maj. Chandler.”

Patterson escalated by copying China’s infamous Unit 61398 on his award request emails. Soon after the People’s Liberation Army had created a help-ticket and followed up with him.

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