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

Vol. 15 · No. 118 · Friday, 2 October 2026

Navy & Marines

Paste-eating Marine praised for unmatched commitment to unit

Unit leaders say his ability to stick with the mission is unmatched

Backed-up toilet appointed new Secretary of the Army

Space Force’s new uniform puts a little goose back in the step

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Vol. 15 · No. 118

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Vol. 15 · No. 118 · Deployed worldwide

Friday

2 October 2026

1534 Zulu

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Veterans · Page 2

Veteran upset by inability to work military service into first date conversation

Filed · 1535

NEW YORK — Army veteran Jason Marshall was upset by his inability to bring up his military service during a first date with a local barista at an Irish pub earlier this week, sources confirmed.

Marshall, who spent 4 months in Iraq as an M-249 SAW gunner before dropping a weight on himself at the FOB gym and being sent home, first tried to steer the conversation toward politics with his date, Stephanie Taylor.

“Every time Stephanie would talk about current events I’d casually mention the recent election, just to feel her out," Marshall told reporters. "No matter what side she supported I could mention that I never really trusted politicians, but I got to meet President Bush in Mosul and he gave me a coin.”

Unfortunately for Marshall, Taylor said that she was disgusted by Washington and didn’t believe in talking about it on first dates.

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