Dan Lamothe

Washington, D.C.

Covering the Pentagon and the U.S. military

Education: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, BA in journalism; University of Maryland at College Park, master's in journalism

Dan Lamothe joined The Washington Post in 2014 to cover the U.S. military. He has written about the Armed Forces for more than 15 years, traveling extensively, embedding with each service and covering combat in Afghanistan numerous times. A native of Chicopee, Mass., Lamothe first took an interest in writing for newspapers in high school, and his enthusiasm for it grew while attending the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. As an undergraduate, he was deeply involved at The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, the student newspaper on campus, and led its newsroom as managing editor as a senior. I
Latest from Dan Lamothe

F-16 flier sent to intercept plane saw pilot slumped over before crash

Experts said publicly available flight data suggests the pilot had fallen unconscious and that the plane was flying on autopilot until it ran out of fuel.

June 5, 2023

Pentagon discloses it’s paying for Elon Musk’s Starlink internet in Ukraine

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk requested payment from the Defense Department last fall for Starlink internet service in Ukraine after initially providing it for free.

June 1, 2023

Biden shows growing appetite to cross Putin’s red lines

Despite warnings that arming Ukraine will start a world war, President Biden continues to push Vladimir Putin’s limits — a strategy that brings risk and reward.

June 1, 2023

U.S. scolds China for refusing to talk after midair military encounter

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called last week’s incident "dangerous" and an example of why the two powers must have "regular, open lines of communication."

May 31, 2023

Biden nominates No. 2 Marine Corps officer to lead service

Gen. Eric Smith, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, served in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan, and was senior military assistant to former Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.

May 31, 2023

The American military veterans who’ve fallen in Ukraine

On Memorial Day, the loved ones of American veterans killed in Ukraine reckon with the meaning of service under one flag — and sacrifice under another.

May 29, 2023

As debt ceiling negotiators finalize deal, the nation watches anxiously

As Washington inches toward a June 5 deadline to resolve the debt ceiling crisis, everyone is on edge.

May 28, 2023

Biden taps top Air Force general to be next Joint Chiefs chairman

The nomination of Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown to replace Gen. Mark A. Milley had been anticipated for weeks and will require confirmation in the Senate.

May 25, 2023

Amid leak of U.S. secrets, Pentagon hunts how documents left air base

THE DISCORD LEAKS | The chief suspect, Jack Teixeira, appears to have acted alone, but Air Force investigators have descended on a quiet corner of Cape Cod

May 22, 2023

Biden expected to tap Air Force general as next Joint Chiefs chairman

If confirmed by the Senate, Gen. Charles ‘CQ’ Brown Jr. would replace Gen. Mark A. Milley as the president’s senior military adviser.

May 4, 2023