The sailor, who has not been identified, searched the name “Joseph Biden” in Military Health System Genesis, the armed service’s health record database, and a co-worker reported it as a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPPA, according to a Navy official.

Presidential healthcare is provided by the military’s White House Medical Unit, and presidents receive treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service launched an investigation upon learning of the sailor’s action, and that probe concluded on April 24.

A Navy official told Military Times the sailor was administratively disciplined for the act and was assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, at the time.

The official declined to share the sailor’s rank or the nature of the discipline.

“At no time was the president’s personal information compromised,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Tuesday. “The record that the sailor inappropriately accessed was not the electronic health record of the President of the United States.”

Ryder added that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was notified of the attempted breach when the Navy became aware of the sailor’s actions.

Pentagon disclosure of the sailor’s effort to access Biden’s medical records come as questions circulate about the president’s mental acuity and fitness to run for re-election, particularly after the 81-year-old’s seemingly confused and muddled performance at a debate with Republican candidate Donald Trump last month.

Asked Tuesday if Austin ever questioned Biden’s decision-making abilities as commander-in-chief due to potential health conditions, Ryder answered with a quick “no.”

“We have had that discussion with the secretary in terms of monitoring all the coverage that’s out there these days,” Ryder said. “The secretary has full confidence in the president’s leadership as he has had from day one.”

The Russian state-sponsored hacker infiltrated a Microsoft platform called Microsoft Azure Government, which provides storage, databases and other services to the VA and other government agencies.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Military Times in an email that the server was breached “for just one second, presumably to see if the credentials worked” by a group called Midnight Blizzard, or Nobelium, which has ties to the Russian government, according to Microsoft.

“After investigating the matter, we determined that no patient data was compromised,” Hayes told Military Times. “VA found that Midnight Blizzard used a single set of stolen credentials to access a Microsoft Cloud test environment around January. … We are continuing to look into this matter with Microsoft to ensure that all veteran patient data remains protected and that we are not compromised in the future.”

Stars and Stripes previously reported the hack.

Microsoft said the attack originally targeted corporate email accounts within the company, including the company’s senior leadership, in an effort to find information related to the group Midnight Blizzard itself. The hacker used a spray attack, which involves using a variety of predictable, simple passwords to try and gain access to an account, according to Microsoft.

“The attack was not the result of a vulnerability in Microsoft products or services,” Microsoft officials said in a January statement. “To date, there is no evidence that the threat actor had any access to customer environments, production systems, source code or AI systems.”

Hayes told Stars and Stripes that the attack was unrelated to a Feb. 21 hack, which involved a private vendor, Change Healthcare, responsible for processing health care payments.

That attack included an expansive breach of the U.S. health care system, possibly including the VA. Fifteen million veterans were notified that their private health care information could have been compromised, Veterans Affairs Sec. Denis McDonough said in April.

The cybersecurity attack also included the Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent news group of the federal government that produces Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Free Asia, according to Stars and Stripes.

The training event, dubbed Noble Exercise 2024, was scheduled to run from July 25 to Aug. 6, and normally takes place at Vaziani and Camp Norio Training Areas outside the capital city of Tbilisi. The Pentagon said the Georgian government has spread misinformation that the United States and other allies had pressured the country to open a second front on its border with Russia.

Officials in Georgia also accused U.S. officials of attempting two coups against the country’s ruling party.

“The United States government has determined that this is an inappropriate time to hold a large-scale military exercise in Georgia,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

In 2022 during a military exercise in Georgia, some 2,400 service members from the United States and 19 other nations participated. This year, a combination of approximately 3,000 U.S. and allied troops were scheduled to participate in the drills, U.S. Army Europe and Africa spokesman Terry Welch told Military Times in an email.

On May 30, the U.S. government announced a “comprehensive” review of its relationship with the small country in the South Caucasus.

The change of plans came as Georgia faced accusations that the country is trending toward authoritarianism and growing its relationship with Russia.

The country’s parliament passed a controversial “foreign agents” bill into law, overriding the president’s veto of the legislation. The legislation, which critics say mimics a similar law in Russia, requires media and other non-governmental organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from outside the country to register as a foreign agent, according to the Associated Press.

Critics said the legislation would impact Tbilisi’s efforts to join NATO and integrate with the European Union.

In April 2008, then-President George Bush tried to rally members of NATO to allow both Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance at NATO’s yearly summit. Other members of the alliance, however, rejected the proposition.

While Noble Exercise 2024 has been postponed, the Pentagon said in the statement it looks forward to working with allies in the Agile Spirit 2025 military exercise, which traditionally takes place in both Turkey and Georgia.

Units from V Corps, as well as the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, the 4th Security Forces Assistance Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, and the Navy’s Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, were all slated to participate.

Chestnut, a 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, went up against four soldiers competing as a team against him: Spc. Daniel Almaraz Puente, Spc. Carter Shook, Maj. Jacob Elliot and Pvt. Second Class Colton Garcia. Chestnut ate 57 hot dogs in five minutes compared to the soldiers’ combined 49 hot dogs.

For reference, this year’s winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was Patrick Bertoletti who ate 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

“They were pushing me and I wasn’t holding back,” Chestnut told the crowd following his victory.

Chestnut said the most hot dogs he had ever eaten before in five minutes was 55, so the numbers he put up at Fort Bliss put him “on record pace.”

Normally, on July 4, Chestnut would be in Coney Island at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. But after competing in the contest for 19 years, a surprise announcement last month threw a wrench in those plans.

Officials from Major League Eating announced on June 11 that Chestnut, who ate 62 hot dogs at last year’s contest, would be barred from competing in the annual competition after Chestnut signed with another hot dog brand, according to the Associated Press.

Following that news, the Fort Bliss Morale, Welfare and Recreation account on X, formerly Twitter, tagged Chestnut in a tweet offering him a chance to compete against soldiers at the base’s July 4th event. Chestnut enthusiastically accepted the offer.

Before the competition, Chestnut told the crowd about his family’s long history of military service. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, and was present during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His father and brother also served, along with a couple of his uncles.

Chestnut currently holds the world record for hot dog eating, consuming 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Seven active-duty soldiers will head to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics later this month as part of Team USA, according to a defense official. Three athletes will also compete in the Paralympic Games later in August.

The trials to join Team USA ended on June 30 with the Army dominating the roster for U.S. service members. The soldiers joining Team USA will compete in shooting, rugby, track and field, wrestling and swimming. Additionally, two other soldiers will be coaches for Team USA in the pentathlon and wrestling events.

A handful of service members join Team USA every other year for either the summer or winter Olympics. In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, nine service members competed.

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics kick off on July 26, with more than 500 athletes competing for Team USA.

The following U.S. Army athletes will compete in this year’s Olympic Games:

• Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier (Army Marksmanship Unit) – Shooting: Olympic Trap
• Staff Sgt. Will Hinton (Army Marksmanship Unit) – Shooting: Olympic Trap
• Sgt. Sagen Maddalena (Army Marksmanship Unit) – Shooting: 50m Smallbore event; and 10m Air Rifle event
• Sgt. Ivan Roe (Army Marksmanship Unit) – Shooting: 50m Smallbore event; and 10m Air Rifle event
• Capt. Samantha K. Sullivan (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Women’s Rugby Team
• Staff Sgt. Leonard E. Korir (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Track and Field: Marathon
• Spc. Kamal Bey (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Greco-Roman Wrestling (77 kg)
• Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Modern Pentathlon Coach
• Sgt. 1st class Spenser Mango (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Wrestling Coach

The following athletes will compete in the Paralympic Games:

• Sgt. 1st class John Wayne Joss III (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Shooting: R6 50m Rifle Prone SH1
• Staff Sgt. Kevin Nguyen (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Shooting: R6 50m Rifle Prone SH1
• Sgt. 1st class Elizabeth Marks (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) – Paralympic Swimming

Every year the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards show, or ESPYs, honors one individual with an award in memory of Pat Tillman, a former NFL safety who enlisted in the Army following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tillman was killed on April 22, 2004, in a friendly fire incident while deployed to Afghanistan. He was 27 years old.

The late soldier’s mother, Mary Tillman, told the Daily Mail she was not consulted by ESPN on the award decision. Tillman called ESPN’s selection of Prince Harry, who left royal duties and moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle, a “controversial” and “divisive” choice.

“There are recipients that are far more fitting,” Tillman told the Daily Mail, which was first to report on the controversy. “There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans. … These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be [recognized].”

Last Friday on his ESPN show, Pat McAfee said the network was “obviously trying to piss people off” by selecting Prince Harry. As of Tuesday, an online petition asking ESPN to reconsider the selection had garnered more than 45,000 signatures.

In a statement announcing the awardees, ESPN highlighted the former prince’s 10 years of service in the British Armed Forces as an Apache helicopter pilot, which included two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and creation of the Invictus Games Foundation to help wounded and injured service members compete in athletics.

Last year the award was presented to the Buffalo Bills training staff for life-saving actions taken when Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game.

The 2024 ESPYs will air July 11.

Paul J. Freeman, 68, of Niceville, Florida, was charged with four counts of illegally retaining information regarding Air Force aircraft and weapon systems and five counts of sharing it with unauthorized personnel, according to a federal indictment unsealed on June 27. If convicted, Freeman would face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison per charge.

“Freeman, on multiple occasions between November 2020 and March 2021, transmitted classified national defense information about United States Air Force aircraft and weapons to people not authorized to access the information,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida said in a statement.

Court documents argue Freeman “had reason to believe [the information] could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.” It’s unclear how Freeman accessed those details or with whom they were shared.

Freeman was arrested by the FBI June 27, court documents show. The case is set to head to trial Aug. 5.

The announcement comes as the U.S. military recovers from one of the largest intelligence breaches in recent history.

In March, Jack Teixeira, an airman 1st class who served as a computer technician in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, pleaded guilty in federal court to leaking classified national security documents regarding U.S. assessments of the war in Ukraine and other matters via social media platform Discord. The monthslong breach prompted an Air Force deep-dive into the security failures that enabled the leaks and led the Pentagon to update the military’s policies for handling classified information.

Fifteen people in the chain of command of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron, in which Teixeira served, were reprimanded for their inaction that led to the leak. A Pentagon inspector general report found Teixeira’s supervisors were aware that he was discussing intelligence that a person in his role did not need to know.

Teixeira’s sentencing is scheduled for September. He faces more than 16 years in prison and could incur further punishments if the Air Force opts to begin a military trial as well.

The FBI in 2022 also investigated an Air Force intelligence analyst for allegedly leaking classified information in an anti-government group on Discord, according to federal court documents.

Former Staff Sgt. Jason Gray, a cyber analyst with the 381st Intelligence Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, was accused of sharing a classified image in a private Discord channel that he “likely obtained” via his access to National Security Agency intelligence. An affidavit did not elaborate on what the image showed.

Gray is currently serving five years in federal prison for child pornography discovered during a probe of his electronics, court records show.

And David Franklin Slater, 63, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who worked as an Air Force civilian at U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska, was arrested in March for allegedly transmitting classified intelligence in early 2022. Federal authorities claim Slater sent information about Russia’s war with Ukraine to a romantic interest through a foreign online dating platform.

Competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut will attend a hot dog eating contest at Fort Bliss’ “Pop Goes the Fort” event to celebrate Independence Day. Four soldiers will take on Chestnut, a 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, in a 5-minute competition.

From Basic Training to day-to-day life in the operational force, there are only so many minutes in a given day when soldiers can cram food into their mouths before racing off to the next task.

That should give them a shot against Chestnut.

“I will root for them, but obviously, I think that Joey might take championships,” Fort Bliss Morale, Welfare and Recreation spokesperson Marlo Bestar told Military Times. “Everybody’s super stoked that he’s coming to join our event.”

Officials from Major League Eating announced on June 11 that Chestnut, who ate 62 hot dogs at last year’s contest, would be barred from competing in the annual competition after Chestnut signed with another hot dog brand, according to the Associated Press.

On June 25, the Fort Bliss Morale, Welfare and Recreation account on X, formerly Twitter, tagged Chestnut in a tweet offering him a chance to compete against soldiers at the base’s July 4th event. Chestnut currently holds the hot dog eating world record, consuming 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the 2021 Nathan’s competition

“ABSOLUTELY,” Chestnut responded. “I’m honored to celebrate America’s birthday with U.S. ARMY soldiers and their families. Bring me your best 4 eaters and I’ll take them down, combined!”

Fort Bliss, located on the Texas-New Mexico state line outside of El Paso, is home to the 1st Armored Division.

The Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General will coordinate with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s watchdog on two independent investigations, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General.

“The agreements between the [Pentagon] and USAID establish roles and responsibilities that help enable U.S. humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza through the maritime corridor,” Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch said in the statement. “Given this, the [Pentagon Inspector General] and USAID [Inspector General] are working together to address the challenges associated with this mission.”

The Gaza pier mission uses a lesser-known military capability called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, that generally involves sailors and soldiers.

First anchored off the coast on May 16, the pier has delivered 15 million pounds of humanitarian aid to Gaza as of June 25, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.

But the humanitarian mission has not been without problems.

On May 25, the pier broke apart after heavy winds and high seas pummeled it only a week after it became operational. It took until June 8 for the pier to be operational again.

Three U.S. service members have also sustained non-combat related injuries during the mission, with one in critical condition requiring a medical evacuation to an Israeli hospital.

The soldier was later sent to an Army hospital in Texas.

The pardon impacts veterans who were charged under a previous version of a law in the military’s Uniformed Code of Military Justice that criminalized sodomy, including between two consenting individuals.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws nationwide in a 2003 ruling, the 63-year-old regulation stayed on the books in the UCMJ until Congress amended the law in 2013 to remove consensual sexual acts.

“Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial, and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades,” Biden said in a statement. “I am committed to maintaining the finest fighting force in the world. That means making sure that every member of our military is safe and respected — so they can focus on their mission.

“This is about dignity, decency, and ensuring the culture of our Armed Forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation.”

Veterans will be able to apply for the pardon if they fall under the eligibility criteria, a senior administration official said. If they are approved for the pardon, they can use the certificate of pardon provided to begin the process of fixing their discharge papers.

Another senior administration official said the Biden administration estimates that thousands of veterans were convicted of consensual conduct under military law, making them eligible for the pardon.

“We are going to take steps to try to make it as easy as possible for individuals to apply for [their paperwork to be correct],” the first senior administration official said. “When the Department of Justice sends the certificate of pardon to those who are eligible, they’ll be including material identifying specifically how they can apply for the change in their character discharge, along with the form for them to do so.”

Some veterans, however, have additional charges on their military record related to sexual identity — conduct unbecoming, for example — that fall outside the scope of the now-defunct portion of the anti-sodomy law. The second senior administration official said the proclamation from Biden does acknowledge that fact, but the pardon does not cover those with other charges tacked on due to their sexual orientation.

Those veterans with additional charges on their record would need to go through a separate process through the Justice Department, they added.

Biden’s pardon for LGBTQ+ veterans comes after the Pentagon in September 2023 announced a “proactive review” of LGBTQ+ veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges based on sexual orientation through the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

According to the Defense Department, more than 32,000 troops were separated from the military under its “homosexual conduct” policy between 1980 and 2011. Of those, roughly 14,000 LGBTQ+ troops were issued less-than-honorable discharges from the armed forces.

Despite the review, the Pentagon has faced its share of legal challenges from LGBTQ+ veterans.

Last Thursday, a district judge denied a motion by the Pentagon to dismiss a class action lawsuit from LGBTQ+ veterans over discharge papers unnecessarily identifying their sexual orientation as grounds for separation — and the responsibility for records’ correction being put on the veterans.

The judge in their decision noted LGBTQ+ veterans are “forced to bear the burden” to alter their discharge papers to protect their privacy and not immediately out their sexual orientation. The judge did not agree with the Pentagon’s argument that the review currently taking place within the Defense Department should be grounds to dismiss the case.