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Fighting to Go Home: Operation Desert Storm, 30 Years Later

The Pentagon expected roughly 40% of Americans would be wounded or killed but “the Iraqi army wasn’t nearly as formidable as everyone made them out to be.”

DAVID CHRISINGER
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Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm

For decades, the U.S. has poisoned service members with toxic chemicals. Lotions. Pills. Testing. Burn pits. And then there’s the enemy’s chemical weapons.

KELLY KENNEDY
Link to: Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm
Link to: Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm

Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm

For decades, the U.S. has poisoned service members with toxic chemicals. Lotions. Pills. Testing. Burn pits. And then there’s the enemy’s chemical weapons.

KELLY KENNEDY
Link to: Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm
Link to: A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War

A Civilian’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War

For decades, he searched for information about a friend killed in Vietnam, a journey that ended visiting the gravesite with the Marine’s mother.

DAVID NELSON
Link to: A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War
Link to: “The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

Back-to-back deployments and explosions were “a recipe for disaster,” writes a military spouse. “For my family, reintegration lasted years.”

JENNY LYNNE STROUP
Link to: “The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings
Link to: “The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

Back-to-back deployments and explosions were “a recipe for disaster,” writes a military spouse. “For my family, reintegration lasted years.”

JENNY LYNNE STROUP
Link to: “The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings
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Senior Marine Corps Counsel Ridicules Sexual Assault Survivor at Court-Martial Hearing

Defense attorneys alleged unlawful command influence, that Marines denied the defendant due process. Judge described Corps’ behavior as “a step too far.”

THOMAS J. BRENNAN
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Senior Marine Corps Counsel Ridicules Sexual Assault Survivor at Court-Martial Hearing

Defense attorneys alleged unlawful command influence, that Marines denied the defendant due process. Judge described Corps’ behavior as “a step too far.”

THOMAS J. BRENNAN
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“Stay in Place”—a D.C. Guardsman Reflects on Military Orders to “Do Nothing” During the Siege on the U.S. Capitol

During the Jan. 6 terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol, D.C. Guardsmen were missing in action, ordered to “stay in place” and “do nothing.”

T.L.K.
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Link to: “Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm

“Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm

Thirty years ago, Operation Desert Storm began. The so-called 100-hour war went rather quickly and smoothly. But the memories never ended.

DAVE BOE
Link to: “Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm
Link to: “Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm
Link to: 30 Years On, Veterans Recall the Desert Storm Air War

“Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm

Thirty years ago, Operation Desert Storm began. The so-called 100-hour war went rather quickly and smoothly. But the memories never ended.

DAVE BOE
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Soldiers, including the author (far right back row), from the 17th Signal Battalion pose in MOPP gear during the ground war.
Reflections

Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm

February 24, 2021|Kelly Kennedy

For decades, the U.S. has poisoned service members with toxic chemicals. Lotions. Pills. Testing. Burn pits. And then there’s the enemy’s chemical weapons.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Mopp-suits-web.jpg 1184 1800 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2021-02-24 08:18:522021-02-25 21:36:25Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm
Lee Herron, left, and David Nelson are commissioned as second lieutenants on June 7, 1967, after graduating from Texas Tech University. Photo courtesy of the author.
Reflections

A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War

February 17, 2021|David Nelson

For decades, he searched for information about a friend killed during in Vietnam, a journey that ended visiting the gravesite with the Marine’s mother.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nelson-and-Herron-web.jpg 838 1196 David Nelson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Nelson2021-02-17 09:14:292021-02-17 10:10:41A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War
Reflections

“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

February 10, 2021|Jenny Lynne Stroup

Back-to-back deployments and explosions were “a recipe for disaster,” writes a military spouse. “For my family, reintegration lasted years.”

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/White-Coat-Kiss-web-banner.jpg 362 640 Jenny Lynne Stroup https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenny Lynne Stroup2021-02-10 08:35:552021-02-10 08:35:55“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

THE LATEST

All/Explainer/Features/Investigations/Newsroom/Reflections
February 4, 2021

Senior Marine Corps Counsel Ridicules Sexual Assault Survivor at Court-Martial Hearing

February 3, 2021

“Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm

January 27, 2021

“Stay in Place”—a D.C. Guardsman Reflects on Military Orders to “Do Nothing” During the Siege on the U.S. Capitol

January 21, 2021

30 Years On, Veterans Recall the Desert Storm Air War

January 20, 2021

Becoming a Lobster and Surviving the Monotony of a Coast Guard Deployment to the Arctic Circle

July 26, 2017

Cooking Quieted Her Mind and Helped Rachael Harris Find Peace After Military Service

July 25, 2017

Forging Purpose And Community One Mile At A Time

November 11, 2016

Rebuilding Honor: How Kyle Carpenter Came Back From The Brink Of Death

June 1, 2016

Echoes Project: Javier Ortiz Rivera

October 1, 2017

Marine Corps Publishes, Then Deletes, Name Of First Woman Infantry Officer

July 21, 2017

Advocates Activated by Marines United Are Gathering Strength

July 14, 2017

Marines United: New Symptom. Old Problem.

July 11, 2017

How The Marines United Investigation and Scandal Unfolded

June 16, 2017

Bills Seek Reforms, Harsher Punishments in Wake of Marines United Scandal

November 19, 2020

“It Would Be a Mistake to Underestimate Russia”: The New Cold War That’s Emerging in the Arctic

November 6, 2020

“Everybody We Deal With Is Trained to Kill”—Why Don’t We See Widespread Police Brutality in the Military?

November 3, 2020

“We’re Better Than This”—Jon Stewart, Veterans Advocates Rally for Bipartisan Burn Pit Legislation

October 14, 2020

Camouflaged as Polling Workers, National Guard Presence During Primaries Fuels Worries of Militarized Presidential Election

September 29, 2020

Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment

January 27, 2021

“Stay in Place”—a D.C. Guardsman Reflects on Military Orders to “Do Nothing” During the Siege on the U.S. Capitol

January 20, 2021

Becoming a Lobster and Surviving the Monotony of a Coast Guard Deployment to the Arctic Circle

January 13, 2021

Following Service in Afghanistan, Parallels Emerge as a Military Spouse Battles Covid-19

January 6, 2021

“I’m Not a Sir”—Dearth of Women Causes Marines to Expect Male Leadership

December 30, 2020

A Calling Through Art, Decades After Choosing Not to Serve

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FROM OUR FELLOWS

Reflections

Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

May 17, 2017|Teresa Fazio

Teresa Fazio hid her beer beneath a tissue – polite women didn’t drink. She received prasad, like communion, and searched for salvation amidst memories of Iraq.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sgtudaysingh.jpg 667 1000 Teresa Fazio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Teresa Fazio2017-05-17 18:27:472020-12-04 17:54:44Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Reflections

Care Packages a Powerful Symbol of the Military-Civilian Divide

December 16, 2020|Andrew James McCormick

Many care packages included notes calling troops “heroes,” and gratitude for “protecting America’s freedom.” These, to many of us, rang hollow.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/troops0-deliver-care-packages-900x600-1.jpg 600 900 Andrew James McCormick https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrew James McCormick2020-12-16 09:30:442020-12-17 09:51:45Care Packages a Powerful Symbol of the Military-Civilian Divide
Reflections

As a West Point Cadet, I Volunteered to Be “The Hot Sauce Man”

August 22, 2018|Augusto Giacoman

A midnight raid on a West Point dorm in which Augusto Giacoman was armed with hot sauce prepared him for war better than West Point’s rigid rules.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/I-volunteered-to-be.jpg 610 1200 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-08-22 15:59:482020-12-04 17:48:42As a West Point Cadet, I Volunteered to Be “The Hot Sauce Man”
Reflections

When Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

September 11, 2016|Matthew Hefti

Following 9/11, Matthew Hefti left college to serve in the Air Force. Hefti reflects on his promises to remember and all the things he chooses to forget.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Hefti2.jpg 1125 1500 Matthew Hefti https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Matthew Hefti2016-09-11 20:45:172020-11-24 01:03:47When Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

EXPLORE TOPICS

GENDER
Members of the Fort Hood and Killeen community gathered in July for a candlelight vivil for Spc. Vanessa Guillen and her family. Photo by Army Spc. Lesha Little, courtesy of U.S. Army.
Reflections

I Am Vanessa Guillen

July 15, 2020|Ruthy Muñoz

A veteran relives her trauma through the headlines.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/justice-vanessa-guillen-rally-1200x800-web.jpg 800 1200 Ruthy Muñoz https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ruthy Muñoz2020-07-15 09:32:532020-12-04 18:04:32I Am Vanessa Guillen
HEALTHCARE
Newsroom

A Lesser-Known Group At Risk of Suicide—Children of Servicemembers

April 15, 2020|Dan Rabb

Military kids can suffer from emotional stressors that left unaddressed can increase their risk of taking their own lives.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/high-school-banner-2100x751-1.jpg 751 2100 Dan Rabb https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dan Rabb2020-04-15 09:47:402020-12-04 17:38:47A Lesser-Known Group At Risk of Suicide—Children of Servicemembers
HUMAN RIGHTS
Reflections

‘I Decided to Become the Safe Place that I so Desperately Needed’

August 19, 2020|Jeni Brett

A chief petty officer stays in the Navy after she’s sexually assaulted so she can help other women, inspire culture change

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/mk116-console-square.jpg 658 960 Jeni Brett https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jeni Brett2020-08-19 09:09:522020-12-04 14:26:07‘I Decided to Become the Safe Place that I so Desperately Needed’
INVESTIGATIONS
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Charles Dane adds weight to the bar during a 2018 Defense Department Warrior Games powerlifting practice at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dane was medically retired from the military after a 19-year career. Photo by Cpl. Juan Madrigal, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Investigations

Your Kidneys Are Failing and Your Doctor Has Just Deployed. Now What?

July 9, 2020|Kelly Kennedy

An overhaul of the Army, Air Force, and Navy’s medical services doesn’t appear to be going to plan, with 10 kidney transplant recipients left in the lurch.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Kidney2-900-600.jpg 600 900 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2020-07-09 09:30:332020-11-23 16:15:26Your Kidneys Are Failing and Your Doctor Has Just Deployed. Now What?
MILITARY FAMILIES
Reflections

Moving Again. And Again. My Experience as a Military Spouse.

July 8, 2020|Sarah Schmidt

It’s not easy to start over in a new place, and few people understand this better than a military spouse.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image-1-888x444-1.jpg 444 888 Sarah Schmidt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sarah Schmidt2020-07-08 09:41:452020-12-16 13:04:17Moving Again. And Again. My Experience as a Military Spouse.
SCIENCE & TECH
Reflections

“Pulling the Crazy Card”—Choosing to Show Empathy for a Suicidal Sailor

September 30, 2020|Thibaut Delloue

Thibaut Delloue rushed a suicidal sailor to shore after he asked for help on deployment only to see his shipmate ostracized and labeled a malinger.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rigid-hull-navy.jpg 1398 2100 Thibaut Delloue https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thibaut Delloue2020-09-30 09:32:192020-12-04 17:36:33“Pulling the Crazy Card”—Choosing to Show Empathy for a Suicidal Sailor
POLICY
Brandon Alt, right, was one of at least six Marines and Navy corpsmen who deployed from Camp Pendleton, California, to Afghanistan in 2010 who later developed seizures or seizure-like episodes. Photo courtesy of Brandon Alt.
Investigations

Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment

September 29, 2020|Amanda Miller

Seizures among veterans are surging. Some blame PTS and TBI. Others blame toxic exposures.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Brandon-Alt-809x606-web.jpg 606 809 Amanda Miller https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Amanda Miller2020-09-29 09:53:092020-12-16 13:06:02Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment

TRENDING

Nathan Lowry says he attempted to practice his Arabic with anyone willing to listen during his first deployment, including this hefty Barbary macaque. Photo courtesy of Nathan Lowry.

To Prepare for War, Dubbed Disney Classics and a Detour to the “Wild West”

December 9, 2020
“Guess it’s time to find The Lion King in Pashto.” A Marine studies Disney classics in Arabic to prepare for the Iraq war only to be sent to Afghanistan.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Nathan-Lowry-with-macaque-3.jpg 1110 2100 Nathan Lowry https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Lowry2020-12-09 09:30:362020-12-09 09:23:16To Prepare for War, Dubbed Disney Classics and a Detour to the “Wild West”
YOKOSUKA, Japan (Oct. 8, 2013) Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) fight a fire during a basic shipboard firefighting course at Surface Warfare Officer School Engineering Learning Site Yokosuka. The site provides education and training in support of surface Navy requirements that prepare officer and enlisted engineers to serve at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Abby Rader/Released)

A Sailor Signs Up to Escape Poverty, Finds Terror Instead

August 5, 2020
His blue shirt was not enough to hold back that much water.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Firefighting-training-2013-web.jpg 599 900 Domenique Cino https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Domenique Cino2020-08-05 08:50:222020-12-04 17:42:00A Sailor Signs Up to Escape Poverty, Finds Terror Instead

Echoes Project: The Replacement

April 23, 2018
After Javier’s funeral at Arlington Cemetery, the Marines who were still in Afghanistan tried their best to stay positive for the rest of their deployment.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/the-replacement.jpg 601 1300 Thomas J Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J Brennan2018-04-23 21:30:042020-11-23 23:11:56Echoes Project: The Replacement

War Trauma Spread Through His Family Like a Virus

June 21, 2017
Colonels shouldn't appear to be traumatized, John Sims was told. But after decades of war he needed help if he and his family were going to survive.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/blog_trauma_slide3.jpg 674 1000 John Sims https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png John Sims2017-06-21 17:32:002020-11-24 00:10:39War Trauma Spread Through His Family Like a Virus
The al-Shaymeh Education Complex for Girls after it was struck by missiles fired by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. Hodeidah, Yemen. November 9, 2015. Photo Courtesy Amnesty International

“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”

December 4, 2019
Tangled alliances with allies and their foes make this one messy war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/222853_Attack-on-al-Shaymeh-Education-Complex_-yemen-web.jpg 1400 2100 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2019-12-04 09:30:302020-12-04 14:40:47“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”

Unclear All-clear And A Requisite For Air

June 13, 2018
One night stuck in a shipping container during an air raid drill is enough to make anyone claustrophobic. Problem is, Yvette Pino already was.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/unclear-all.jpg 609 1200 Yvette Pino https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Yvette Pino2018-06-13 15:27:302020-11-23 23:05:27Unclear All-clear And A Requisite For Air

“The Electric Hurricane”—My Panic Attacks After War Started Slowly

October 4, 2017
Peter Lucier's first panic attack came on like an electric hurricane, blowing him back years to an IED blast site in Afghanistan.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_1542.jpg 1125 1500 Peter Lucier https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Peter Lucier2017-10-04 17:21:132020-12-04 15:29:40“The Electric Hurricane”—My Panic Attacks After War Started Slowly

Marines United: New Symptom. Old Problem.

July 14, 2017
Sexual assault and harassment in the military are nothing new, but the advent of the internet has kicked the enduring impact on victims up a notch.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DanRather.png 755 1440 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-07-14 20:51:232020-12-16 13:01:46Marines United: New Symptom. Old Problem.
investigations

The Impact of Our Reporting About Marines United

March 4, 2017
The War Horse and Reveal broke the Marines United nude photo scandal March 4, 2017. The U.S. Marines Corps and Navy leadership and Congressional politicians responded quickly to the scandal in the weeks following publication.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/investigations.jpg 600 1000 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-03-04 19:15:282019-04-01 18:49:14The Impact of Our Reporting About Marines United

I Leave Out the Part Where We Catch the Man

May 31, 2017
Drew Pham told civilians stories of trauma when he first returned. He soon learned that it was easier to tell them a funny story about a goat.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AnAfghansoldierstandsguardbytheroadside.jpg 1000 1500 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2017-05-31 02:30:002020-12-04 18:04:48I Leave Out the Part Where We Catch the Man

The Two Hundred and Fiftieth—a Military Spouse Loses a Student to Gun Violence

August 21, 2019
Joanna Guldin-Noll, a fellow of the War Horse's 2018 Writing Seminar for Military Spouses, reflects on losing a student to gun violence as a former teacher.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/English-class-1-e1566397829759.jpg 467 719 Joanna Guldin-Noll https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joanna Guldin-Noll2019-08-21 10:28:342020-11-23 20:55:23The Two Hundred and Fiftieth—a Military Spouse Loses a Student to Gun Violence

Diving Shipwrecks of Futures Past During Navy Dive School

October 3, 2018
Tenley Lozano dove the retired aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, encountering great barracuda and memories of the ship she’d been serving on six months prior.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/shipwreck.jpg 1050 1400 Tenley Lozano https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tenley Lozano2018-10-03 13:31:572020-12-04 17:56:26Diving Shipwrecks of Futures Past During Navy Dive School
Naylon on an operation in a village outside of Bagram, Afghanistan, 2014. Photo credit: Spc. Jamill Ford for U.S. Army

Leaders Are Forged as a Rocket Falls

June 17, 2020
In a time of crisis, initiative trumps authority when authority fails to lead.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pic-3-1800x600-1.jpg 600 1800 Maurice Naylon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maurice Naylon2020-06-17 09:27:392020-12-04 18:57:21Leaders Are Forged as a Rocket Falls
Emily Miller celebrates National Coming Out Day at Harvard Business School with the school’s LGBT student association.

Gay Veteran Sees Racism as a Tougher Fight

June 24, 2020
All movements must include the fight against racism—and that looks different from other protests.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LGBT-Student-Association-at-Harvard-web-2.jpg 637 900 Emily Miller https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Emily Miller2020-06-24 09:13:592020-12-04 18:01:17Gay Veteran Sees Racism as a Tougher Fight

She Stayed Quiet When Marines’ Wives Called Female Marines “Sluts.” Then She Met Joy

July 18, 2017
Liesel Kershul had forgotten life on the painful outskirts of the wives' "sorority." A friendship with a female Marine has Liesel determined to change that.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LieselandTomWedding-herov2.jpg 1250 2000 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2017-07-18 19:11:412020-12-16 13:33:08She Stayed Quiet When Marines’ Wives Called Female Marines “Sluts.” Then She Met Joy
First Lieutenant Harry Whitlockin a HMMWV near Tallil Air Base, Iraq, March 1991.

Anger Management and the Old Man—”I’m Relieved That I Tossed It Away.”

February 5, 2020
A former medical platoon leader spent years resenting his commander, until he realized what his pent-up rage truly meant.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1LT_Harry_Whitlock_Iraq_1991_ODS-1.jpg 512 768 Harry L. Whitlock https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Harry L. Whitlock2020-02-05 10:13:112020-12-04 17:47:20Anger Management and the Old Man—”I’m Relieved That I Tossed It Away.”

My Heart, a Fallow Field. A Letter to My Unborn Daughter.

March 28, 2018
War poisoned his body and threatened his life. To survive, Drew Pham had to lose all chance of fathering a child.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10thMountainDivisionsoldiersapproachthesiteofabombing_1.jpg 867 1300 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-03-28 14:37:562020-12-16 13:05:09My Heart, a Fallow Field. A Letter to My Unborn Daughter.

“Beaten Joints”—A Marine Officer Finds Herself On A Cross-Country Run

July 11, 2018
Maggie Seymour set out on a cross-country run to reconnect with herself and find the ground under her feet. Along the way she found a sense of home.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/finding-herself-.jpg 610 1200 Maggie Seymour https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maggie Seymour2018-07-11 15:44:372020-12-04 14:52:41“Beaten Joints”—A Marine Officer Finds Herself On A Cross-Country Run
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The Redemptive Power Of Lying

July 25, 2016
David Chrisinger teaches a writing course for veterans at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His students tell him their stories—some are true, some are lies, and some are worse.
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Zero Tolerance: The Defense Department’s Decades-Long Failure To End Sex Crimes In Uniform

April 11, 2018
Scandal after scandal, sexual predators in the military continue to harass and assault with impunity. Military brass pay lip service to eradicating the problem. Explore how the Defense Department has skirted accountability for nearly 40 years.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/600x375_q75.jpg 375 600 Andrea Januta https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Januta2018-04-11 20:43:582020-12-11 17:24:07Zero Tolerance: The Defense Department’s Decades-Long Failure To End Sex Crimes In Uniform

Facing It. “The Harder I Held on, the Further I Felt From Home.”

January 3, 2018
Drew Pham grieves for the family of the man he killed at war. His peers and commanders told him it was a good kill, but how can a kill be “good”?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4_0284.jpg 1000 1500 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-01-03 20:59:482020-12-04 17:58:29Facing It. “The Harder I Held on, the Further I Felt From Home.”

The Military Gave Her a Shared Sense of Purpose, but the Navy Was Not a Home

January 10, 2018
Andrea N. Goldstein lost her sense of home when she left home for college and the military. Moving to New York City, she learned to come home to herself.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PC083189.jpg 1125 1500 Andrea N. Goldstein https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea N. Goldstein2018-01-10 19:25:282020-11-23 23:32:11The Military Gave Her a Shared Sense of Purpose, but the Navy Was Not a Home

His Closest Brush With Combat Was a Dramatic Helicopter Landing

August 30, 2017
Sam Gisselman's prided himself on his marksmanship and wanted to see what he was capable of doing during combat. But he was never chosen for combat patrol.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LastRide.jpg 720 960 Sam Gisselman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sam Gisselman2017-08-30 22:24:542020-12-04 18:02:40His Closest Brush With Combat Was a Dramatic Helicopter Landing

The Air Force Was Hard, Finding a Soul Sister After Returning Home Was Harder

July 3, 2017
Elizabeth O'Herrin searched for human connection after deciding not to reenlist. When she returned to church after a decades-long absence, O'Herrin found a soul sister.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1468566_10102714317782287_928131087_n.jpg 640 960 Liz O'Herrin Lee https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liz O'Herrin Lee2017-07-03 14:07:442020-11-24 00:07:43The Air Force Was Hard, Finding a Soul Sister After Returning Home Was Harder
Hunter Lu, back toward camera, shares a toast with his mother, father, and grandfather. Photo courtesy of the author.

An Army Interrogator, His Grandfather, and a Bond Across Two Wars 

October 7, 2020
“My parents, like most Chinese immigrants, valued education as the ultimate achievement,” writes veteran Hunter Lu. “The military was for dumb people.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/me-my-parents-grandfather.jpg 1080 1548 Hunter Lu https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Hunter Lu2020-10-07 09:03:542020-12-04 17:45:03An Army Interrogator, His Grandfather, and a Bond Across Two Wars 
Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Clanin and a platoon sergeant with Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, lead their soldiers on a patrol through the Jamila neighborhood of Sadr City in 2008. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

Hellfires and “Half-Smashed Bugs” in Sadr City

July 1, 2020
As a platoon searched for bombs, the enemy tried to attack them. It didn’t end well.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Hellfire-1-2100x1050-1.jpg 1050 2100 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2020-07-01 09:35:222020-12-04 18:02:27Hellfires and “Half-Smashed Bugs” in Sadr City

From One Battle to Another. “A New Fight I Never Expected.”

November 13, 2019
A gunnery sergeant grapples with his love of deployments during a time when his family needs him at home.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/sabins-feature.jpg 550 900 Jeffrey Sabins https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jeffrey Sabins2019-11-13 09:33:472020-12-04 18:00:03From One Battle to Another. “A New Fight I Never Expected.”

Farewell, Hello, Farewell, Hello.

September 11, 2016
David Palacio wanted to defeat the enemy so he joined the Marine Corps after the 9/11 attacks. Six combat deployments later, the endless war continues on.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_2297.jpg 576 768 David Palacio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Palacio2016-09-11 21:10:542020-11-24 01:02:58Farewell, Hello, Farewell, Hello.

A War That Began As Children

July 14, 2016
How easy is it for military families to discuss experiences at war? Derrick Perkins shares his story as a journalist reporting on military affairs while his own brother deployed overseas and the nonexistent conversations that followed.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/080.jpg 750 1000 Derrick Perkins https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Derrick Perkins2016-07-14 18:57:322020-12-09 02:04:02A War That Began As Children

The Suicide Bombing of December 21 and What Came After

December 11, 2019
A reporter’s journey through war, trauma and healing
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Roy and Andrew van Wey in Husaybah, Iraq. Photo courtesy of the author.

“They Didn’t Make It?”—When Your Brother’s Homecoming Starts in a Burn Ward

August 12, 2020
After an IED exploded in Iraq, a badly burned Marine asks his brother if his teammates survived. “He knows I won’t lie to him. We are both warriors.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/roy-and-andrew-van-wey-iraq.jpg 469 604 Andrew van Wey https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrew van Wey2020-08-12 09:35:582020-12-04 15:30:19“They Didn’t Make It?”—When Your Brother’s Homecoming Starts in a Burn Ward

An Army Officer and the Wounded Girl in the Little Blue Jumper

October 10, 2018
Melissa Thomas held the little girl in her lap as their Humvee sped to meet the helicopter, uttering “English-nonsense” to keep the child from passing out.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DSC_0071.jpg 1629 2500 Melissa Thomas https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Melissa Thomas2018-10-10 13:35:502020-12-04 17:45:23An Army Officer and the Wounded Girl in the Little Blue Jumper
Can the Pentagon Lead the Tech Sector Again?

Can the Pentagon Lead the Tech Sector Again?

April 30, 2020
Silicon Valley was built on defense dollars, but bureaucracy and a rise of Big Tech and startups have left the U.S. military behind in defense acquisitions.
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She Awoke to a Different World

September 11, 2017
Jenny Pacanowski burst with love of country when the planes hit, and that day awoke in her a new era of her life filled with compassion and rage.
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Bills Seek Reforms, Harsher Punishments in Wake of Marines United Scandal

June 16, 2017
This piece originally appeared on Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Gillibrand-903x675.jpg 675 903 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-06-16 17:53:232020-12-04 17:53:06Bills Seek Reforms, Harsher Punishments in Wake of Marines United Scandal

The Dangers of the Marine Corps’ Complacency About Covid-19

May 14, 2020
Is the Marine Corps taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously enough?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/complacency-facebook-2100x600-1.jpg 600 2100 Andrea Scott https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Scott2020-05-14 09:50:362020-11-23 16:45:37The Dangers of the Marine Corps’ Complacency About Covid-19

“It Is Cancer”—Reflecting on My Husband’s Diagnosis After Going to War

November 28, 2018
In the VA’s emergency room, Molly Pearl and her husband made the imperceptible shift between soldier and patient, wife and caregiver.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/EDIT-_0357.jpg 933 1400 Molly Pearl https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Molly Pearl2018-11-28 13:27:282020-12-04 15:03:57“It Is Cancer”—Reflecting on My Husband’s Diagnosis After Going to War

The Son of Refugees Reflects on How to Lose a U.S-led War

July 25, 2018
Drew Pham saw his refugee parents in Afghan civilians. Compassion, he thought, was the answer. But a part of his soul hardened as he learned to love war.
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The Man with Half a Head

July 13, 2016
Who helps wounded veterans? Adele Levine shares her experience working with military amputees as a physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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“My Creativity Was Paralyzed”—Baggage and the Bridge of Empathy

June 19, 2019
Can artwork depicting the Syrian refugee crisis build empathy for an American audience? One writer hopes so.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Hafez-Studio-II.jpg 1195 1000 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2019-06-19 09:00:452020-12-04 17:36:00“My Creativity Was Paralyzed”—Baggage and the Bridge of Empathy

You Don’t Know, and I Don’t Wanna Tell Ya

February 8, 2017
Civilians are always asking what war is like. Dustin Jones wonders what to tell them about his deployment, or if he even should.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/flag.jpg 1000 1500 Dustin Jones https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dustin Jones2017-02-08 21:00:332020-11-24 00:23:19You Don’t Know, and I Don’t Wanna Tell Ya

My Afghan Friend Could Be Murdered Soon

September 7, 2016
Tim Patterson is contacted by his Afghan friend, Zabi, who is in danger of being executed by the Taliban. Will Zabi and his family ever find safety?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TRANSLATION2.png 726 583 Tim Patterson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tim Patterson2016-09-07 21:11:102020-12-16 13:04:31My Afghan Friend Could Be Murdered Soon
An Airman assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron sets parking chalks on an MQ-9 Reaper on the flightline of Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, June 10. Photo by Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum, courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

The Surge Nobody’s Talking About: The U.S. War in Somalia

June 25, 2020
America has engaged in military operations against terrorists in East Africa for years, but a lack of transparency about civilian casualties is causing concern.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Reaper-airman-web.jpg 574 1000 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2020-06-25 15:30:332020-11-23 16:22:07The Surge Nobody’s Talking About: The U.S. War in Somalia

They Were Supposed to be Fighting a War. Instead They Picked Up Gravel

June 7, 2017
When their tent filled with clumps of mud during the rainy season, Dustin Jones' unit found a solution. But some jobs are too absurd to be taken seriously.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img-11.jpg 500 750 Dustin Jones https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dustin Jones2017-06-07 14:21:002020-11-24 00:12:06They Were Supposed to be Fighting a War. Instead They Picked Up Gravel
The body of Ernie Pyle was laid to final rest in the new Punchbowl Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Oahu July 19, 1949

‘I Have Had All I Can Take’ — the Final Months of Legendary War Reporter Ernie Pyle

July 23, 2020
‘The Hurt Has Finally Become Too Great’
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The-body-of-Ernie-Pyle-was-laid-to-final-rest-in-the-new-Punchbowl-Memorial-Cemetery-of-the-Pacific-Oahu-July-19-1949.jpg 552 685 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2020-07-23 09:38:412020-12-04 15:02:07‘I Have Had All I Can Take’ — the Final Months of Legendary War Reporter Ernie Pyle

Service, Sexuality, and Stereotypes Of A Female Veteran

September 28, 2016
Tenley Lozano, a disabled female Veteran, describes the stereotypes and daily traumas of her service - sexual harassment, chronic migraines and PTS.
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An Army Brat and a Gold Star On Graduation Day

June 20, 2018
Kelly McHugh-Stewart’s father died in Afghanistan on May 18, 2010. Since then she’s had two separate graduations—both were on the anniversary of his death.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gold-star.jpg 609 1200 Kelly McHugh-Stewart https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly McHugh-Stewart2018-06-20 15:31:272020-12-04 17:44:27An Army Brat and a Gold Star On Graduation Day

She Couldn’t Imagine The Fear. She Could Imagine Walking Barefoot, Carrying Her Heels

September 11, 2017
Annie Erling felt like an interloper when she worked at the Holocaust Museum and again at the 9/11 Museum. Then she came upon a pair of bloodied heels.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/dsc_7449-1000x423.jpg 680 1300 Annie Erling https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Annie Erling2017-09-11 18:54:302020-12-16 13:15:39She Couldn’t Imagine The Fear. She Could Imagine Walking Barefoot, Carrying Her Heels
She was set— a Marine Corps officer enrolled in a PhD program and headed to a new duty station on the West Coast. But then she woke up in a jail cell with her world falling apart.

A Marine Officer, an Uber, and the Arrest

June 26, 2019
She was set— a Marine Corps officer enrolled in a PhD program and headed to a new duty station on the West Coast. But then she woke up in a jail cell with her world falling apart.
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A Centuries-Long Battle to the Ambiguity of War

October 31, 2016
Read how George Heath examines the questions surrounding the definition of a crime during wartime, which are largely unsettled. In modern warfare combatants dress as civilians and war is waged more covertly than ever.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/download.jpg 984 1500 Natalie Schachar https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Natalie Schachar2016-10-31 14:27:002020-12-04 14:47:12A Centuries-Long Battle to the Ambiguity of War

“We Owned the Night”—a Midnight Raid in Iraq With Screaming Banshees

March 21, 2018
Augusto Giacoman almost jumped for joy when he was assigned his first midnight raid, but what he saw that night quickly changed his mind.
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Losing Sense Of Self One Suicide At A Time

July 27, 2016
Gerardo Mena reunites with his Marine brethren to remember another brother lost to suicide. They tell him goodbye — losing one more part of themselves, knowing it could have been one of them.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Dylon-1.jpg 750 1000 Gerardo Mena https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gerardo Mena2016-07-27 20:24:162020-12-16 13:00:57Losing Sense Of Self One Suicide At A Time

The Afghan Girls I Couldn’t Save

July 24, 2016
Rape and police beatings occurred in Afghan prisons. Tim Patterson recounts police violence in Afghanistan—and the memories that continue to haunt him.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/camels.jpg 1000 1500 Tim Patterson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tim Patterson2016-07-24 18:58:072020-12-09 02:02:38The Afghan Girls I Couldn’t Save

Peacekeepers, A “Teeming Mob,” and A “New Excuse for War”

October 17, 2018
M. L. Doyle deployed to Bosnia, in 1997, two years into the NATO peacekeeping mission. Today, she reads about “widening ethnic cracks” and wonders when conflict ends.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/MARY10.jpg 1000 1253 M.L. Doyle https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png M.L. Doyle2018-10-17 13:29:522020-12-16 13:08:49Peacekeepers, A “Teeming Mob,” and A “New Excuse for War”

Learning How to Talk About War Helped Their Family Heal

August 16, 2017
You can't hide anything from your children, John Sims learned. When their family began talking openly about his three decades of service, the healing began.
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U.S. Marine Corps drill instructors with the 4th Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Photo by Lance Cpl. Vincent White, courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps.

Without Birth Control Help, Marines’ Readiness Suffers

June 11, 2020
Declining access to birth control services and education at boot camp are linked to increased birth rates in the first two years of military service.
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coronavirus

The Circus Is Coming to Town

March 25, 2020
As the United States grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, a former corpsman trained in infectious disease epidemiology understands what’s at stake.
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Misfire. “My Friends Are Dying. And I Can’t Save Them.”

October 18, 2017
Dustin Jones misfired as Marines fell around him. Today, living stateside, he sometimes struggles to separate reality from dreams.
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Benjamin Abel and Eric Ellingson, his brother-in-law, prior to a parachute jump at Raeford West Drop Zone in North Carolina, in 1998. Photo courtesy of the author.

“You Either Went to War or You Didn’t”—How Deployments Divide the Veteran Community

November 25, 2020
A former soldier reflects on the differences between veterans who deployed to combat and those who didn’t. “Taps will rip out your heart every time.”
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The Day I Held My Fire

October 19, 2016
Eric Chandler vividly remembers dropping bombs and spraying bullets on the brown mountains of Afghanistan. The time he didn't shoot haunts him the most.
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Because This Moment Simply Is

September 11, 2016
Kyle Carpenter, a Marine veteran of Afghanistan and Medal of Honor recipient, reflects on the need for hope, humility, and thankfulness on the 15th anniversary of 9/11.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/KYLECARPENTER_TWH_EliotDudik_14.jpg 667 1000 William "Kyle" Carpenter https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png William "Kyle" Carpenter2016-09-11 17:36:092020-12-09 01:46:11Because This Moment Simply Is

Twelve Marines, Dress Blues, and Triple C’s

June 14, 2018
Scott Reel learned quickly that he could resist the Corps' structure and suffer, or he could play the part of the good Marine, do his time, and then leave. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DINFOSPhoto.jpg 1360 2048 Scott Reel https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Scott Reel2018-06-14 11:54:432020-11-23 23:03:35Twelve Marines, Dress Blues, and Triple C’s

Some Journeys Home From War End With a Bullet

September 27, 2017
William Gehrung was a veteran who'd written for The War Horse. In late August 2017, he killed himself. Fellow War Horse writer Nate Eckman remembers his friend.
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Balancing Authority and Understanding as a Young Lieutenant

September 6, 2017
Nina Semczuk struggled to walk the line between being "that guy" and a pushover when she became a new officer. One private's lunch paid the price.
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How The Marines United Investigation and Scandal Unfolded

July 11, 2017
Our story begins one day late in January 2017 when a Google Drive containing photographs of service women in various stages of undress was posted in the Facebook group Marines United.
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War Memorials, a Honeymoon, and the Conflict of Life

November 21, 2018
Liz O’Herrin Lee finds peace in an unknown future in the presence of Australia’s living memorial built by and for the country’s World War I veterans.
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I’ve Never Looked More Dignified on a Hike

March 26, 2019
After Sweden enacted gender-neutral conscription in early 2018, Teresa Fazio traveled there to ask how it works and what the U.S. can learn.
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Navy LT Stephen Thompson, the author’s son, in Afghanistan, 2013. Photo courtesy Sarah Colby

When It’s Hard to Be a Military Mom

April 22, 2020
It was one thing to be a military spouse during peacetime. It was quite another to have a spouse and eventually a child serve during a war.
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Forging Purpose And Community One Mile At A Time

July 25, 2017
She left the military and corporate rat race behind. But Sarah Roberts kept running and is determined to help build up the community around her.
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The Coast Guard, a Rubber Dinghy, and Plucking “Fleeing Souls”

July 18, 2018
Sarah Holzhalb wonders if the migrants she and her Coast Guard boat scooped out of the water are alive today, and what lives they returned to.
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Relics Of War And The Stories They Share

August 6, 2016
Brandon Lingle explores war through relics, battlefields and monuments. He shares violence of the past by finding - and understanding - war artifacts.
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Echoes Project: A World and a Lifetime Ago

April 23, 2018
The explosion woke Second Lt. Jason Blydell, and he jumped off his cot as his patrol base shook violently. The radio crackled: “Stand by, casualty report... We have one urgent surgical.” Then silence.
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Military Suicide a Different Kind of Plague

May 1, 2019
After two men from the same unit killed themselves, maddening questions about life take their place for those who remain.
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“I Thought I Was Going to Die”—Explosions and an Easter Sunday Service in Iraq

April 1, 2020
A combat Army officer reflects on what it means to be at war for your country and search for spiritual meaning.
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Thae Ohu stands on a railroad track during Dec. 2018. Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.

Gag Order: How Marine Corps Culture Silenced a Victim of Sexual Assault

December 1, 2020
A rape victim asked the military for help. Then her fellow Marines turned against her. Now she’s battling mental illness and an attempted murder charge.
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The Newest Military Branch—the Space Force

May 28, 2020
Despite a bumpy launch, the Space Force seeks to modernize U.S. defense in outer space.
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An Attack From Within: Male Marines Ambush Women In Uniform

March 4, 2017
The Defense Department is investigating the orchestrated stalking and the deliberate collection, and distribution of photographs of active duty and veteran women. Dozens of victims were identified by their name, rank, and duty station. Our exclusive investigation.
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The author, Jackie Munn, and her husband celebrate their wedding. Courtesy of Visionari Photography

Crossing the Line of Departure as a Woman in Special Operations

October 24, 2018
Jackie Munn and her husband quietly said their last goodbyes before she boarded the C-17 headed to Afghanistan and her Cultural Support Team assignment.
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Ignore The Awful Times, And Concentrate On The Good Ones

September 11, 2016
Michael Penney ran through the halls of his high school when 9/11 first happened. On the tenth anniversary he ran through fields and canals in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
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Officials Scramble to Punish Marines Responsible for Nude Photo Scandal

April 16, 2017
This piece originally appeared on Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.
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Hoppin chatting with cadets at the Air Force Academy before a Board of Visitors meeting.

Forced Pivots and Finding Purpose as a Military Spouse

September 4, 2019
How the founder of the National Military Spouse Network reignited her career after years out of the workforce
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Following Service in Afghanistan, Parallels Emerge as a Military Spouse Battles Covid-19

January 13, 2021
A military veteran is reminded of his service in Afghanistan after seeing his spouse struggle mentally during the health care battle against Covid-19.
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Soldier bounds down a 40 ft tower during a training exercise at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wa. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Kohrs.

Moral Waivers for War—”I Was Shocked, but We Needed Men.”

March 4, 2020
Not everyone is fit for the Army, but a loophole overlooks that. 
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Baseball Games in Tokyo and a White House Tour—“I Bet It Never Smells Like Fart in There”

December 2, 2020
When the Secret Service let a member of the Air Force into the vice president’s vehicle, he thought to himself, “I bet it never smells like fart in there.”
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Time Stood Still That Morning on Parris Island

September 11, 2017
Joy Craig walked into the base's coffee shop and found people huddled around the TV. Then the second plane hit.
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“I Thought You’d Be Bigger”—a Soldier and Irish Mist Adrift in the Fog of War

July 4, 2018
Brendan O’Byrne returned home from the Korengal to a chorus of civilians calling him a hero. For years he’s struggled to define that word for himself.
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One Marine’s Struggle to Find Purpose After Military Service

November 1, 2017
Nearly two years after separating from the Marine Corps, Nathan Eckman struggles to define "service" and understand how to serve as a civilian.
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The Experience of Army Basic Training

May 22, 2019
How a new recruit learned what being in the Army truly meant and where he eventually found his way, sort of.
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Sgt. Josh Wilkinson, a military police soldier with the 29th Military Police Company, Maryland Army National Guard, conducts a simulated shoplifting search during a Joint Multinational Readiness Center exercise rotation in Hohenfels, Germany, on Nov. 2. The soldiers are preparing to deploy to Kosovo. Photo by Sgt. Zachary M. Zippe, courtesy of the U.S. Army National Guard.

“Everybody We Deal With Is Trained to Kill”—Why Don’t We See Widespread Police Brutality in the Military?

November 6, 2020
Police brutality on military bases is rare but reports show that veterans are 2.9 times more likely to fire their weapons than civilian law enforcement.
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When the Stress of Combat Hits You in a High School Classroom

October 9, 2019
A former infantry officer realized the impact of war lingers longer than he’d thought.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Pic-3.jpg 2524 3522 Maurice Naylon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maurice Naylon2019-10-09 13:52:002020-11-23 20:46:01When the Stress of Combat Hits You in a High School Classroom

The Military Funeral—”Taps Doesn’t Harden You. It Breaks You.”

February 19, 2020
When it’s time to bury a Marine, feelings of pride and admiration can’t always supersede the other emotions that can topple everything.
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Armed Only With Colored Flags, He and His Fellow Marines Combed the Wreckage Site

August 9, 2017
When two aircraft collided in midair above North Carolina, Adam Stone and dozens of fellow Marines were tasked with identifying bits of the wreckage, including their brothers.
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The “Dirty Bastards” quick reaction force, made up of both American and Italian soldiers, poses at Forward Operating Base Lavaredo in Afghanistan in 2012. Photo courtesy of Nate Tilton.

How Being “In on the [Racist] Joke” Silences Service Members

July 22, 2020
Service members often feel compelled to laugh along at racist jokes and comments.
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U.S. Army veteran Tom Bomke takes a selfie with Jon Stewart at the DoD Warrior Games opening ceremony, June 22, 2019, at Amalie Arena in Tampa during the Department of Defense Warrior Games. Photo by Spec. Seara Marcsis, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

“We’re Better Than This”—Jon Stewart, Veterans Advocates Rally for Bipartisan Burn Pit Legislation

November 3, 2020
Burn pits have poisoned service members for years. Policy is lacking and defense contractors are not liable for decisions that might harm soldiers at war.
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Master Sgt. Darryl Sterling, 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron equipment manager, throws trash into a burn pit at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, in 2008. Photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter, courtesy U.S. Air Force.

“It’s so inaccurate”—How the VA Is Failing to Track Veterans Burn Pit Claims

August 7, 2020
VA figures show an astonishingly low rate of approval of burn pit claims: Of the 10,588 claims, 2,360 veterans had their benefits granted and 8,228 were denied.
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Spilt Milk, Giggling Girls, and No Use Crying

May 9, 2018
Jackie Munn spilled hot chai on her lap and the girls giggled. They danced, smiled, asked why she had blue eyes. Then came the whip.
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How One Man Found Peace in Free Fall

February 15, 2017
BASE jumping helped Brian Donnelly release anxiety and reset during his Army career. But if he talked openly about it, he risked everything.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Picture7.jpg 540 960 Brian Donnelly https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Brian Donnelly2017-02-15 19:07:102020-12-04 18:03:49How One Man Found Peace in Free Fall
Kayla and Brian on their wedding day in August, 2005. Photo courtesy of the author.

The “Toxic” Legacy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Its Lingering Effects on Veterans and Military Families

November 4, 2020
“My orientation isn't a phase, and I’m not willing to leave a vital part of my identity hidden.” “Don’t ask, don’t tell” lingers for LQBTQ veterans.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Wedding-2-WEB.jpg 404 604 Kayla Williams https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kayla Williams2020-11-04 09:33:222020-11-09 09:34:04The “Toxic” Legacy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Its Lingering Effects on Veterans and Military Families

Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 2

September 12, 2018
Drew Pham writes about his experiences going to war as a migrant after September 11th in this four part series for The War House. This is 2 of 4.
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“I Was Still Pretending”—a Road Trip and Worry for a Little Boy

May 8, 2019
Searching for closure, a former Army Infantry officer travels to the gravesite of his platoon sergeant.
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Drown Proofing, Khaki Shorts. Some Things About Dive School Don’t Change

July 5, 2017
Tenley Lozano jumped at the chance to become a Coast Guard diver, proudly passing the tests every prospective diver undergoes. Water knows no gender.
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When I Think About Losing My Son

April 17, 2019
David Chrisinger found the words to express a devastating personal loss after teaching a military veteran how to write about her own feelings of sadness and uncertainty.
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‘Time Heals Old Wounds. So Does a Bottle of Rum’

September 9, 2020
A father reconnects with his ex-wife during their son’s graduation from Army basic training. “I told her she was a good mother.”
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Thinking Brainlessly With Their Spinal Cords

September 11, 2016
Tim Patterson was attending the Naval Academy when the 9/11 attacks happened. He deployed on submarines and to Afghanistan. Now he wonders if it was all for naught.
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The author on a field exercise at The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia in 2006. Courtesy of Anne Boaden

“This Is What Closure Feels Like”—the Aftermath of Miscarriage While Your Spouse Is Deployed

January 8, 2020
A Marine reservist recounts an unexplained loss while her husband is deployed.
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Years Later, Loss at War Resonates at Home

June 11, 2016
Our global community is and continues to be ever more affected by war. Responsible and constructive conversation is more important than ever.
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In The Absence Of Trust And Confidence

November 30, 2016
He lost respect, trust, and confidence in his Marine leaders. William Gehrung describes the misdiagnoses and maltreatment of injuries in the military.
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Trapped in the Amber of this Moment

September 11, 2016
David Chrisinger felt the urge to serve his country in the Marines during the Iraq War. He reflects on his choices on the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11.
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Learning to Listen on Denali

February 1, 2017
Margaux Mange helped teach Pat Gault to seek out war stories of all stripes. Their chance meeting on Denali changed his life.
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Rage and the Manger

December 25, 2019
Back from a deployment and triggered by the mundane, a former infantry officer discovers his unprovoked rage. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1st-PLT-Christmas-Dinner-feature.jpg 490 1389 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2019-12-25 09:00:082020-12-16 13:11:43Rage and the Manger

A Coast Guard Officer Runs Home After A Marathon Of Funerals

May 23, 2018
Sarah Holzhalb endured a marathon of funerals shortly after separating from the Coast Guard. All these years later, the month of March still sucks.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CoachandI_OCSparty-hero-large.jpg 900 1200 Sarah Holzhalb https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sarah Holzhalb2018-05-23 15:13:022020-12-04 17:37:56A Coast Guard Officer Runs Home After A Marathon Of Funerals

You Have Not Seen The Last Of These Marines

July 10, 2019
After starting a new chapter in his life, a former corpsman realized the men he lost 20 years before were much more than a memory.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Gilpen-Bowersox-1996-fina-1-e1562768852698.jpg 656 1051 Johnnie Gilpen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Johnnie Gilpen2019-07-10 10:26:082020-11-23 21:03:57You Have Not Seen The Last Of These Marines

My Therapy Dog’s Name Is Fern And She Taught Me Gratitude

April 11, 2018
Anxiety over the military sexual trauma she withstood plagued Rachael Harris when she came home. Her adopted dog, Fern, barreled through those walls.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Notamorninggirl.jpg 1124 1500 Rachael Harris https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Rachael Harris2018-04-11 22:18:102020-12-16 13:05:42My Therapy Dog’s Name Is Fern And She Taught Me Gratitude

“Patriotism Was in”—Enlisting in the Military to Become a U.S. Army Ranger

September 10, 2018
Ross Cohen was trekking across Asia when the Twin Towers were attacked. When the call for war began, he cut short his planned year-long trip to sign up.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/MeandErik.png 517 800 Ross Cohen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ross Cohen2018-09-10 13:25:482020-12-04 15:29:15“Patriotism Was in”—Enlisting in the Military to Become a U.S. Army Ranger

Running for My Life After Returning From War

February 12, 2020
How a high-functioning facade masked a critical bout of depression for a former Army sergeant. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/winds-at-shrine.jpg 738 1101 Kayla Williams https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kayla Williams2020-02-12 10:05:142020-12-16 13:14:22Running for My Life After Returning From War

Guns, Booze, and Suicide: How “Stupid” Saved A Life

September 21, 2016
He couldn't kill himself before tee time with his father. He put the pistol down. David Chrisinger describes a Veteran's struggle with thoughts of suicide.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/11695877_894083043997433_3208298834832289560_n.jpg 1000 1500 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2016-09-21 22:10:072020-12-04 18:02:01Guns, Booze, and Suicide: How “Stupid” Saved A Life
Heidi Agostini embedded with the Regimental Combat Team 7 Female Engagement Team during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010. Marjah, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Sgt. Megan Sindelar

Why Isn’t Infertility in Military Women a Bigger Conversation?

February 26, 2020
For female service members, putting off children and career advancement are linked. Yet, research shows that military women are at a higher risk of infertility. What is the Defense Department doing about this dilemma?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/HEIDI4-web.jpg 480 720 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2020-02-26 10:00:092020-11-23 17:22:36Why Isn’t Infertility in Military Women a Bigger Conversation?

Marine Corps Publishes, Then Deletes, Name Of First Woman Infantry Officer

October 1, 2017
Corps mistakenly outs first woman grunt, then denies multiple interview requests, citing her privacy concerns. Veterans call for transparency, celebration.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DKkcyhoX0AAw2q2.jpg 658 1024 Thomas J Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J Brennan2017-10-01 20:44:332020-12-16 13:01:27Marine Corps Publishes, Then Deletes, Name Of First Woman Infantry Officer

Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 1

September 11, 2018
Drew Pham writes about his experiences going to war as a migrant after September 11th in this four part series for The War House. This is 1 of 4.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/letters-to-my-country-part-1.jpg 526 1407 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-09-11 13:25:002020-12-16 12:59:48Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 1

Becoming A Veteran Without War

August 16, 2016
How do some veterans feel about killing? Do they want to kill? Nathan Eckman shares his story on what it means to be a veteran without the experiences of combat.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BECOMING-A-VETERAN-WITHOUT-WAR-.jpg 1133 2000 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2016-08-16 17:47:292020-12-09 01:56:02Becoming A Veteran Without War

A Military Spouse Lies Awake, Praying The “Widow Maker” Will Land Safely Tonight

January 24, 2018
Liesel Kershul used to worry about her Marine pilot husband only when he deployed. Now, with flight hours down and aircraft crashes up, she worries about him when he goes to work.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LieselandTom2007-1.jpg 453 604 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2018-01-24 19:07:532020-12-04 17:41:28A Military Spouse Lies Awake, Praying The “Widow Maker” Will Land Safely Tonight

Camouflaged as Polling Workers, National Guard Presence During Primaries Fuels Worries of Militarized Presidential Election

October 14, 2020
“Our goal was to make sure that you couldn’t tell whether it was a Guardsman or a volunteer,” said a spokesperson, of the deployments to polling stations. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/6278715-web.jpg 694 1900 Courtney Mabeus https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Courtney Mabeus2020-10-14 06:39:062020-12-04 17:53:59Camouflaged as Polling Workers, National Guard Presence During Primaries Fuels Worries of Militarized Presidential Election

Pumpkin Head and the Horror Show

May 29, 2019
A former infantry officer contemplates the numbing effects of war and inhumanity.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/pumpkin-head-the-war-horse.jpg 753 1223 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2019-05-29 09:00:402020-12-16 13:09:32Pumpkin Head and the Horror Show
It's time for the US military to track white nationalism within its ranks by The War Horse

White Supremacy in the Military “Like a Drop of Cyanide in Your Drink”

March 18, 2020
Since 9/11, there have been documented instances of white nationalism in the U.S. military, but the Defense Department won’t track the numbers.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/male-confed-tshirt-weapon-900x.jpg 675 900 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2020-03-18 10:00:522020-11-23 17:03:38White Supremacy in the Military “Like a Drop of Cyanide in Your Drink”
The author on bridge watch as the Officer of the Deck, 2007-2009. Photo courtesy of Alison Maruca

Minding the Ship During a Storm of Poor Leadership

May 27, 2020
Even with sound decision-making by a capable and loyal team, the wrong leader can make any mission feel doomed.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ship-deck-720x479-web.jpg 479 720 Alison Maruca https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Alison Maruca2020-05-27 09:38:162020-12-16 13:03:37Minding the Ship During a Storm of Poor Leadership

Removing My Armor

June 12, 2019
How a former Army videographer learned to cope with trauma and rebuild her life.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sara_Kiowa-1.jpg 396 604 Sara Poquette https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sara Poquette2019-06-12 09:00:522020-12-16 13:13:27Removing My Armor

All Time Is All Time. It Does Not Change.

September 11, 2016
Christopher Thomas never served in the military, but the attacks on 9/11 had a lasting impact. He reflects on the lessons he hopes America has learned over the last 15 years.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1000w_q955.jpg 667 1000 Christopher Thomas https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Christopher Thomas2016-09-11 16:27:432020-12-09 01:51:26All Time Is All Time. It Does Not Change.
An Iraqi man out on patrol with U.S. soldiers takes a break beneath a bridge. Photo by Nathan S. Webster.

A Journalist’s Favorite Image Mirrors a  Loss

September 23, 2020
A journalist learns of death that paralleled the moment he took his favorite picture.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Break-Beneath-a-Bridge-web.jpg 734 979 Nathan Webster https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Webster2020-09-23 09:26:102020-12-04 14:47:57A Journalist’s Favorite Image Mirrors a  Loss

A Military Family’s Love Thrives or Dies Thanks to the Marine Corps

February 14, 2018
Nathan Eckman wrote off the idea of having a relationship while he was in the Marine Corps. When he met Emily, the Corps helped forge their relationship.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/N_E6.jpg 665 1000 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2018-02-14 20:59:002020-12-04 14:48:59A Military Family’s Love Thrives or Dies Thanks to the Marine Corps

There Is Love Enough In This World For Everybody, If People Will Just Look.

September 11, 2016
Human conflict is as old as humanity, so why have these last 15 years felt so particularly dark and divided? Katie Hansen reflects on growing up and beginning a family in a post-9/11 world.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Hansen9.jpg 639 960 Katie Hensen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Katie Hensen2016-09-11 19:44:402020-12-09 01:19:04There Is Love Enough In This World For Everybody, If People Will Just Look.

The Lore of Uncle Wally Leads a Family From Bagram to Meuse-Argonne

September 16, 2020
Uncle Wally’s service was lore. And the monument—erected in France—loomed in her imagination. A military spouse traces her family’s generations at war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Meuse-Argonne-France-war-reinactment-1.jpg 1120 2100 Joanna Guldin-Noll https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joanna Guldin-Noll2020-09-16 09:32:072020-11-09 19:23:53The Lore of Uncle Wally Leads a Family From Bagram to Meuse-Argonne

Learning the Power of Connection and Companionship

February 7, 2018
David Chrisinger grapples with his guilt about not having served and draws on his own experience of feeling powerless to connect with a friend who did.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/BrettandDavidafteraTrainingRun-1.jpg 578 1200 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2018-02-07 20:59:202020-12-16 12:57:55Learning the Power of Connection and Companionship

The Army She Knew Wasn’t Orderly or Disciplined. It Was Filled With Messy Humanity

July 7, 2017
Nina Semczuk oversaw 25 soldiers and all the human mess that goes along with that. But would a civilian executive see the value in her experience?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/download-3-22.jpeg 720 1280 Nina Semczuk https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nina Semczuk2017-07-07 18:59:422020-11-24 00:04:05The Army She Knew Wasn’t Orderly or Disciplined. It Was Filled With Messy Humanity

Fixed Bayonets—Paratroopers and Banzai at Grubbs Ravine

December 17, 2020
In this excerpt from Kevin Maurer’s 2020 book, Rock Force, paratroopers are almost overrun by a banzai charge aimed at pushing them off the high ground.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Jones-briefs-his-staff-web-2.jpg 869 1438 Kevin Maurer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kevin Maurer2020-12-17 09:34:172020-12-17 09:34:17Fixed Bayonets—Paratroopers and Banzai at Grubbs Ravine

The Frog’s Revenge Came in the Form of Iraqi Rockets

January 31, 2018
Augusto Giacoman’s humanity was reduced to instinct as the rockets began to hit, and he understood how the frog he’d encountered as a child must have felt.
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Nothing Prepares You For War

November 2, 2016
Noah Smith witnessed the transformation of Afghan cities while serving as Army Special Forces. He learns that war economy can't stabilize like community can.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/noah1.jpg 960 1280 Noah Smith https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Noah Smith2016-11-02 14:53:172020-12-16 13:06:47Nothing Prepares You For War

The Unknown Legacy of Military Mental Health Programs

October 2, 2019
After 9/11, the U.S. military created hundreds of mental health programs, and many did not closely track spending or record their outcomes.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/1631740.jpg 3586 5338 Daniel DeFraia https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Daniel DeFraia2019-10-02 11:09:392020-11-23 20:47:45The Unknown Legacy of Military Mental Health Programs

Marines’ Wives Are All the Same, She Thought. And Then She Met Liesel

July 17, 2017
Joy Craig writes in an open letter about the chasm between Marines' wives and female Marines, and about a budding friendship that has softened her distrust.
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She Needs a Background Check and a Day Pass to Visit Her Father’s Grave, Part 2

September 26, 2018
Kelly McHugh-Stewart picked up her ritual black coffee and red carnations, one for each member of her growing family, to lay at her father’s gravesite.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FtLeavenworth2.jpeg 1875 2500 Kelly McHugh-Stewart https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly McHugh-Stewart2018-09-26 12:14:112020-12-16 13:32:41She Needs a Background Check and a Day Pass to Visit Her Father’s Grave, Part 2

A Marine Loses Trust in the Military Branch He’d Pledged to Serve

March 28, 2018
Waiting in the lobby of the mental health unit, Francisco Martínezcuello wonders when, in his then-17-year career, he stopped trusting the Navy.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Afghanistan2.jpg 667 1000 Francisco Martínezcuello https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Francisco Martínezcuello2018-03-28 20:33:442020-11-23 23:19:21A Marine Loses Trust in the Military Branch He’d Pledged to Serve

A Fake Raid, A Fake Village, and a Sinking Track

July 29, 2020
"We’re piled on top of each other at 15, sometimes 20 at a time, in a vehicle built for 12." A Marine reflects on a narrow escape at sea.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/crowded-aav-web.jpg 1182 2100 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2020-07-29 08:21:562020-12-04 14:47:38A Fake Raid, A Fake Village, and a Sinking Track

“They Weren’t Supposed to Die”—Losing a Soldier to Mishap at the Army National Training Center

March 14, 2018
Nina Semczuk arrived at the National Training Center in California prepared to train; she wasn’t prepared for a fellow soldier to die.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Myunit_sTacticalOperationsCenterTOCsetup.jpg 676 1200 Nina Semczuk https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nina Semczuk2018-03-14 20:09:042020-12-04 15:30:37“They Weren’t Supposed to Die”—Losing a Soldier to Mishap at the Army National Training Center

Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 3

September 13, 2018
Drew Pham writes about his experiences going to war as a migrant after September 11th in this four part series for The War House. This is 3 of 4.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ACH-47ChinookoftheTenthMountainDivision_sCombatAviationBrigade.jpg 1419 1391 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-09-13 13:24:152020-12-16 12:59:57Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 3

“He Tried to Kill Me in His Sleep”—a Military Spouse Learns How Gridlock Gets You Killed

May 16, 2018
As traffic slowed to a stop and the color drained from his face, Liesel Kershul began to see that Tom had changed. Then he tried to kill her in his sleep.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tom-monkeyv2.jpg 610 1200 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2018-05-16 15:21:152020-12-04 14:58:54“He Tried to Kill Me in His Sleep”—a Military Spouse Learns How Gridlock Gets You Killed

The Army Medic in the Hole

August 26, 2020
“I can’t believe this is how I’m going to die,” thought an Army medic after falling down a well. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. No one is going to rescue us.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Adam-in-a-Hole.jpg 720 960 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2020-08-26 09:31:132020-11-23 15:21:27The Army Medic in the Hole

“Like Iron-Filled Tears”—My First Time Seeing a Dead Body in a Combat Zone

June 27, 2018
He bore his son’s body to the Americans’ base and let the blood drip and congeal on the wooden deck. And then he left, and left the blood behind.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/as-iron-filled-tears.jpg 609 1200 Jackie Munn https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jackie Munn2018-06-27 15:35:302020-12-04 14:26:57“Like Iron-Filled Tears”—My First Time Seeing a Dead Body in a Combat Zone

Betrayal, Sedatives, and the Long Road Home

March 11, 2020
The Army had been her life until it turned into her enemy. A former combat medic reflects on the ultimate betrayal of giving her all in service and feeling abandoned in return.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/lake-beer-can.jpg 312 640 Nicole Johnson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nicole Johnson2020-03-11 10:00:402020-12-04 17:52:08Betrayal, Sedatives, and the Long Road Home

After 30 Years and Four Wars, One Explosion Opened the Floodgates

June 14, 2017
"Colonels don't bleed," John Sims' friend said before Sims deployed to Afghanistan. Shortly after, a suicide car bomber blew up the first SUV in Sims' convoy.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img-5.jpg 708 500 John Sims https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png John Sims2017-06-14 15:18:002020-12-04 17:43:12After 30 Years and Four Wars, One Explosion Opened the Floodgates

Putting Down Our Guns and Ammo for a Tray of Hummus

August 8, 2018
Nathan and his unit traveled to Oman in 2013 to train with its military. Quickly, training evolved into an experience the Corps had not prepared them for.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/putting-down-our-guns.jpg 1016 2000 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2018-08-08 16:05:472020-12-16 13:09:52Putting Down Our Guns and Ammo for a Tray of Hummus

When Life as a Military Spouse Got Hard, Amber Was Always There

July 4, 2017
Liesel Kershul felt isolated and struggled to make friends when she and her Marine moved to Germany. Their adopted dog Amber helped change that.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AmberSanDiego.jpg 1125 1500 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2017-07-04 20:49:062020-11-24 00:06:09When Life as a Military Spouse Got Hard, Amber Was Always There
Lyman Abbott's Order to Report Letter from the U.S. Army, 1940.

My Father Died Over 60 Years Ago. I Feel That I‘m Just Now Meeting Him

September 18, 2019
His father served in World War II and remade his life, one that a son is finally discovering.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Order-to-Report-Letter-e1568826344442.jpg 1805 2507 Larry Abbott https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Larry Abbott2019-09-18 13:03:412020-12-16 13:05:01My Father Died Over 60 Years Ago. I Feel That I‘m Just Now Meeting Him

Old West Pistoleros and My Love of Machine Guns

March 7, 2018
Jerad W. Alexander fired his first machine gun at 12 and was hypnotized. Not many years later, patrolling Iraqi streets, he learned the weapon's power.
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“It Would Be a Mistake to Underestimate Russia”: The New Cold War That’s Emerging in the Arctic

November 19, 2020
As Arctic ice shrinks, and climate change makes routes easier to traverse, a military struggle for control looms. Russia is already trying to claim it.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/green-berets-in-arctic-warfare-training-on-glacier-in-Seward-Alaska.jpg 763 1280 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2020-11-19 09:30:242020-12-04 17:35:06“It Would Be a Mistake to Underestimate Russia”: The New Cold War That’s Emerging in the Arctic

She Swallowed Hard, Shed Some Tears

September 11, 2016
Anna Hiatt remembers, but not how she once hoped she would. For her the anniversary of 9/11 brings memories of her grandfather, Fight Club, anthrax and when she noticed Washington D.C. — a once open city — shrink.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/towers.jpg 680 1300 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2016-09-11 19:14:262020-12-16 13:33:22She Swallowed Hard, Shed Some Tears

Strong Responses Follow News of Nude Photos Shared by Marines

April 13, 2017
There have been strong responses from the top of the military hierarchy to the Marines United scandal involving marines sharing nude photos without consent.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/AP_16342055685569-web-660x440.jpg 440 660 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-04-13 18:31:082020-11-24 00:14:39Strong Responses Follow News of Nude Photos Shared by Marines

Everything Is Supposed To Be Quiet After A Massacre

September 11, 2016
Army PFC JP Lawrence deployed to Iraq after the 2006 Sunni Awakening. He shares stories of the Post-9/11 Iraq invasion & reflects on false narratives of war.
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She Found Solace in Art and Artifacts During War, and When She Came Home.

July 26, 2017
Lyndsey Anderson uses the lessons she learned as a young woman at war to connect through art and mentorship with civilians both young and old.
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She Needs a Background Check and a Day Pass to Visit Her Father’s Grave, Part 1

September 19, 2018
Kelly McHugh-Stewart lost her military ID when she turned 21, and in turn, the ability to easily visit her father’s grave at Fort Leavenworth.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/visit-fathers-grave.jpg 956 1440 Kelly McHugh-Stewart https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly McHugh-Stewart2018-09-19 13:33:352020-12-16 13:32:23She Needs a Background Check and a Day Pass to Visit Her Father’s Grave, Part 1

Finding Peace in Lederhosen

June 10, 2020
A jaded Gulf War veteran needed a break, and found it in a small Bavarian town. A reflection by Dave Boe
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Like Roses And Mustard Gas

September 11, 2016
Gerardo Mena left active duty with the Navy ten years ago. Friends died at war overseas and continue to die at home by suicide. On the 15th anniversary of 9/11, he recalls a eulogy for a friend.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10.jpg 640 640 Gerardo Mena https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gerardo Mena2016-09-11 20:16:122020-12-16 13:00:19Like Roses And Mustard Gas

Answering the Call for Veterans and Military Families ‘Suffering in Silence’

August 14, 2019
Vets4Warriors, a mostly donations-based phone support program, seeks to end the stigma of vets getting help and the shame of asking for it.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_1512-1080x675.jpg 675 1080 Michael Gaynor https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michael Gaynor2019-08-14 10:36:102020-12-04 17:48:07Answering the Call for Veterans and Military Families ‘Suffering in Silence’

One Small Mistake, a Helicopter Crash, and a Combat Memorial

May 13, 2020
One small mistake causes the unnecessary death of a Cobra pilot in a combat zone.
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The Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “Changed Everything”

September 27, 2017
Dan Misch spent nights on the Naval Academy bleachers crying and struggling to decide if he should leave or continue serving under Don't Ask Don't Tell.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1923373_510304064521_8951_n.jpg 401 604 Dan Misch https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dan Misch2017-09-27 19:37:082020-11-23 23:38:08The Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “Changed Everything”

Echoes Project: Javier Ortiz Rivera

June 1, 2016
After she heard that her husband had died, Veronica remembers screaming for the Marines and chaplain to leave, but they wouldn’t.
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My Religion Of Death And Praying To Kill

July 5, 2016
Pete Lucier joined the Marine Corps to be confident, righteous and to kill. Read on about his reality of killing, loss of faith and memories of war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/12366453_1096937590324994_2273114348581622753_n.jpg 720 960 Peter Lucier https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Peter Lucier2016-07-05 14:40:162020-12-16 13:05:24My Religion Of Death And Praying To Kill

Cooking Quieted Her Mind and Helped Rachael Harris Find Peace After Military Service

July 26, 2017
When she joined the Navy, Rachael Harris brought her grandfather's recipe for sour cream cornbread, but she left active duty lost and confused. Rediscovering her love for food helped her find her way home.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/WH032Z0232.jpg 667 1000 Michael Gaynor https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michael Gaynor2017-07-26 18:13:552020-12-04 17:55:22Cooking Quieted Her Mind and Helped Rachael Harris Find Peace After Military Service
Portrait of a woman Triptych, by Artist Steve Albert

A Calling Through Art, Decades After Choosing Not to Serve

December 30, 2020
“My name should be on that wall.” A civilian reflects on choosing not to join the military during the Vietnam War and his journey to create art about war.
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Reliving Military Sexual Trauma on Her Last Day of Active Duty

July 28, 2017
Joy Craig hadn't wanted to spend her last morning of active duty reliving sexual assaults, but there she sat in the base NCIS office, talking with an agent.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Joy1-1.jpg 597 896 Joy Craig https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joy Craig2017-07-28 18:03:382020-12-16 13:12:58Reliving Military Sexual Trauma on Her Last Day of Active Duty

Opening The Window And Making Love To The World

September 11, 2016
Adrian Bonenberger served as an Army infantry officer in Afghanistan. He draws parallels between his own service in Afghanistan and wars of yesteryear - the Cold War and Operation Desert Storm.
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Two voters in Kirkuk in Iraq’s first election of a democratic government since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 display their ink-stained fingers in 2005. Photo courtesy of the Defense Department.

“I Still Find Hope”—Purple Fingers, Steel Rain, and Getting “Messy” in a Combat Zone

October 28, 2020
Service members have voted by mail since World War II. “My nation trusted me,” writes Joshua Manning, who cast ballots while deployed to several countries.
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When Tearful Goodbyes Were Foreign

October 5, 2016
Robert Lucier reflects on his progression from young recruit to grizzled, salty Marine. He describes what it means to "be a Marine 24/7."
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BobLucier_1.jpg 420 628 Robert Lucier https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Robert Lucier2016-10-05 20:56:292020-11-24 00:37:40When Tearful Goodbyes Were Foreign

Photographing Innocence Amidst The Chaos And Silence Of War

April 12, 2017
Dan Bellis' memories from war swirl among the grains of sand he shared with civilians. He describes his wordless interaction with Afghan children.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OrgunGirls.jpg 997 1500 Dan Bellis https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dan Bellis2017-04-12 17:31:392020-12-16 13:09:13Photographing Innocence Amidst The Chaos And Silence Of War

“One Stinking, Terrifying Hell”—When Soldiers and Butterflies Go to War

April 18, 2018
Elizabeth O’Herrin found solace in writing about her war, and she wonders and wishes she could ask her grandfather if he felt relief in writing about his.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/5.-Gainesville-early-80s.jpg 933 1400 Liz O'Herrin Lee https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liz O'Herrin Lee2018-04-18 15:51:022020-12-04 15:05:38“One Stinking, Terrifying Hell”—When Soldiers and Butterflies Go to War

Brother, Forgive Me. “I Cannot Carry the Consequences of This War Alone.”

February 21, 2018
In Joe, Drew Pham found a supportive peer and guide. One careless act threatened their relationship, forcing Drew to really consider what Joe means to him.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4_0376.jpg 667 1000 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-02-21 18:01:272020-12-04 17:52:51Brother, Forgive Me. “I Cannot Carry the Consequences of This War Alone.”

Letters From War and Drawing “The Line Between Respect and Caution”

October 16, 2019
A former Army soldier grapples with an unresolved confessional to her late mother.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Pino_letters_02.jpg 4000 6000 Yvette Pino https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Yvette Pino2019-10-16 12:23:412020-12-16 12:59:38Letters From War and Drawing “The Line Between Respect and Caution”

He Craved Normalcy, But He Could Think Only of Getting Back to War

August 23, 2017
As a veteran, Drew Pham understands craving both normalcy and war, but as his kid brother struggles with the same push and pull, Drew feels lost to help.
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“I Hope She’s Scarred for Life” — Recalling My Time as a Blackwater Mercenary

October 21, 2020
Blackwater employees were “integral” to rebuilding Iraq, but with limited oversight, contractors had “no ethical obligation” to the country’s citizens.
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Less Than a Year After 9/11, She Fell in Love With a Marine

August 11, 2017
Liesel Kershul and her now-husband had been together only a few months when he was ordered to deploy. In their 15 years together, they've known only war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LieselandTom2007.jpg 453 604 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2017-08-11 20:10:402020-12-16 12:58:59Less Than a Year After 9/11, She Fell in Love With a Marine

Hold My Housing Until I’m Ok—”I Don’t Trust Myself”

October 31, 2018
David Chrisinger learned to treat a writer’s words with the proper care before publication after a student veteran was pushed to the brink of suicide.
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Talking With a 9/11 Witness Helped Him Connect With History

September 11, 2017
David Chrisinger wondered if he was intruding on sacred ground when he visited the museum at Ground Zero. A conversation with a witness changed that.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/download-39.jpeg 1280 1280 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2017-09-11 18:42:442020-11-23 23:45:23Talking With a 9/11 Witness Helped Him Connect With History

Learning to Breathe Through the Journey of Addiction and PTSD

July 6, 2017
Heroin allowed Jenny Pacanowski to escape her PTSD in small doses. To get sober she had to deal with her trauma head-on, or accept that she would die.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/banner.jpg 475 713 Jenny Pacanowski https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenny Pacanowski2017-07-06 20:00:562020-12-16 12:58:24Learning to Breathe Through the Journey of Addiction and PTSD
A Marine Corps weapons company section sets up their mortar to take communist positions under fire near Chosin Reservoir. Photo by Katie Lange, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

“War Never Changes”—a Marine, a “Hardcore Warrior,” and a Connection Across Generations in Uniform

November 11, 2020
A World War II soldier and a Marine walk into a bar. Over drinks, the two veterans discuss how to truly return home after war: Never stop serving others.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/marine-corps-sets-up-mortar-near-Chosin-Reservoir.jpg 1597 2100 Andrew van Wey https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrew van Wey2020-11-11 09:30:382020-11-11 08:16:25“War Never Changes”—a Marine, a “Hardcore Warrior,” and a Connection Across Generations in Uniform

Rule No. 1 of U.S. Navy Submarines: Don’t Crash the Submarine

January 17, 2018
Rule #2 of Submarines: Don’t Crash the Fucking Submarine.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DSC00102.jpg 864 1152 Tim Patterson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tim Patterson2018-01-17 18:10:292021-01-21 14:39:18Rule No. 1 of U.S. Navy Submarines: Don’t Crash the Submarine

“Big Bombs. Boom.”—a Pistol, the Smart Girl, and a Tragedy

August 1, 2018
Michael Carson talked philosophy and tragedy in a Mosul coffee shop. Back in the U.S. he’s still asking questions for which there are no answers.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/so-we-are-famous.jpg 916 1804 Michael Carson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michael Carson2018-08-01 15:56:182020-12-04 15:32:32“Big Bombs. Boom.”—a Pistol, the Smart Girl, and a Tragedy

After Becoming Homeless, Finding My Home and Purpose in the Marine Corps

October 25, 2017
Joy Craig's childhood was anything but stable. After graduating high school, foster care forced her out, and she was homeless. Until she enlisted.
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Fate In What I Cannot Fear

September 11, 2016
Nate Eckman believed he remembered the events of 9/11 correctly. He was wrong. A teacher from his past helped him realize the flaws in his own memories.
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A burn pit in Balad, Iraq. Photo courtesy of Dan Clare

Burn Pits—The Military’s Next Agent Orange

October 23, 2019
Burn pits have been poisoning soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 11 years. But Veterans Affairs seems reluctant to do anything about it.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/burn-pit-dark.jpg 803 1200 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2019-10-23 10:00:302020-12-04 17:53:44Burn Pits—The Military’s Next Agent Orange

Losing the Fear That He Abandoned His Men

January 18, 2017
War stories can sometimes read like confessionals. David Chrisinger encourages a student Marine Veteran to confide in the reader instead.
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The Quandary Of Perception Versus Reality

November 16, 2016
She refused to believe that perception was reality. She thought she could change perceptions. Tenley Lozano writes about stereotypes in the military.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-Quandary-Of-Perception-Versus-Reality-hero-header.jpg 800 1280 Tenley Lozano https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tenley Lozano2016-11-16 19:30:402020-11-24 00:28:33The Quandary Of Perception Versus Reality

No Really, How Are You Doing? Asking Important Questions About Military Suicide

January 15, 2020
A Marine Corps officer’s story of pain, stress, and a call to action to start honest conversations about mental health
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_4179-large.jpg 1360 2048 Janell Hanf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Janell Hanf2020-01-15 10:00:062020-12-16 13:06:38No Really, How Are You Doing? Asking Important Questions About Military Suicide

The Army Made Me Religious—Even Though I Still Don’t Believe in God

April 8, 2020
A love of community and military values became a former army sergeant’s faith.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/during-a-break-banner-web.jpg 765 1981 Kayla Williams https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kayla Williams2020-04-08 09:50:212020-11-23 16:58:53The Army Made Me Religious—Even Though I Still Don’t Believe in God

Advocates Activated by Marines United Are Gathering Strength

July 21, 2017
Marines United has resurfaced the Defense Department's "silent epidemic." Advocates are determined not to let the conversation die again.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/erika-butner.jpg 562 1000 Andrea Januta https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Januta2017-07-21 16:14:072020-12-04 17:46:15Advocates Activated by Marines United Are Gathering Strength

Go In For A Military Haircut, Leave With A Beating

August 15, 2018
Augusto Giacoman went in for a haircut, high and tight. Then things went terribly wrong.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/go-in-for-haircut.jpg 832 1639 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-08-15 12:56:552020-12-04 18:01:37Go In For A Military Haircut, Leave With A Beating

Shedding the Shame of Being Called a Military “Dependa”

August 29, 2018
Liesel Kershul faced crushing shame feeling that being a military spouse has kept her from fulfilling her potential. After 15 years, she’s found peace.
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When “Be Strong” Is Bad Advice for Military Spouses

June 3, 2020
A military spouse wants to redefine what having strength looks like.
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“You Sound Like a Pervert”—Getting Lucky With Meatybob

September 2, 2020
The student grabbed the joystick bolted between her legs and took control of the training helicopter. “Some pilots are naturals,” the instructor said. “You aren’t.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Flying-feature.jpg 1322 2000 Anne Boaden https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anne Boaden2020-09-02 09:30:432020-12-04 15:32:20“You Sound Like a Pervert”—Getting Lucky With Meatybob

Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 4

September 14, 2018
Drew Pham writes about his experiences going to war as a migrant after September 11th in this four part series for The War House. This is 4 of 4.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AplatoonofAfghanArmysoldierswithdrawsasAmericanaircraftbombtheAlasangGharMountains.jpg 1405 1390 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-09-14 13:21:382020-12-16 13:00:04Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 4

Being Hunted by the Sadr City Sniper

July 24, 2019
There are many moments in war—the surprises, the close calls. A former infantry officer reflects on one that had both.
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Ia Drang Valley Battle

A Long-Awaited Reunion for Two Black Veterans

November 27, 2019
An older incarcerated veteran gets a visit from a former combat infantryman that he served with in Vietnam.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Ia-Drang-Valley-Battle.jpg 419 640 R. Tyson Smith https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png R. Tyson Smith2019-11-27 09:25:502020-12-04 17:39:39A Long-Awaited Reunion for Two Black Veterans
Children from a nearby village pose for a photograph in Zharay district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in 2012. Photo by Spc. Jason Nolte, courtesy of U.S. Army.

“I Screamed Into My Radio to Ignore the Order”—Pardoned Soldier’s Comrade Still Lives With Guilt of Murdered Civilians

November 18, 2020
When Clint Lorance ordered his men to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan, the soldiers came home and struggled to assuage their feelings of guilt.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Children-from-nearby-village-pose-for-photo-in-Zharay-district-Kandahar-Afghanistan.jpg 1400 2100 Mike McGuinness https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Mike McGuinness2020-11-18 09:42:522020-11-18 09:42:52“I Screamed Into My Radio to Ignore the Order”—Pardoned Soldier’s Comrade Still Lives With Guilt of Murdered Civilians

“Wars Are Real, Bullets Can Kill.”—Recalling the Death of My Invincibility

November 6, 2019
A Marine officer reflects on his youthful fearlessness—and its end.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_1744.jpg 435 719 Major Ryan W. Pallas https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Major Ryan W. Pallas2019-11-06 10:49:152020-12-04 15:31:19“Wars Are Real, Bullets Can Kill.”—Recalling the Death of My Invincibility

A Marine Officer Visits a Helicopter Crash Site. Nepal Tried to Claim Her Too.

April 4, 2018
Two years after a helicopter carrying Marines crashed in the Nepali mountains, Marine veteran Teresa Fazio encountered the wilderness that had claimed them.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Teresa-on-trail-hero.jpg 801 1200 Teresa Fazio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Teresa Fazio2018-04-04 09:00:132020-12-04 17:40:36A Marine Officer Visits a Helicopter Crash Site. Nepal Tried to Claim Her Too.

“My Eyes Welled up”—When the Purple Heart Weighs Heavy

October 18, 2017
Elizabeth O'Herrin handed the groggy patient his Purple Heart. Immediately, she worried she'd made a mistake, giving it to him so soon after his amputation.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/991070.jpg 1007 1500 Liz O'Herrin Lee https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liz O'Herrin Lee2017-10-18 20:58:532020-12-04 15:04:40“My Eyes Welled up”—When the Purple Heart Weighs Heavy

Review: “Fight Like a Girl” By Kate Germano With Kelly Kennedy

September 5, 2018
Teresa Fazio reviews Kate Germano’s new memoir, in which the retired lieutenant colonel makes the case for the reforms she made at Parris Island.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/4th-Battalion-relief-and-appointment-ceremony.jpg 619 1300 Teresa Fazio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Teresa Fazio2018-09-05 13:32:562020-12-16 13:13:46Review: “Fight Like a Girl” By Kate Germano With Kelly Kennedy

Rebuilding Honor: How Kyle Carpenter Came Back From The Brink Of Death

November 11, 2016
Seven years ago this month Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter suffered grievous wounds after shielding another Marine from a grenade blast in Afghanistan. Somehow, he survived. This is the story of his remarkable recovery.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/KYLECARPENTER_TWH_EliotDudik_66.jpg 1000 1500 Thomas J Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J Brennan2016-11-11 21:27:102020-12-16 13:12:21Rebuilding Honor: How Kyle Carpenter Came Back From The Brink Of Death

Going Back To The Slaughterhouse For Souvenirs Of The War

September 11, 2016
Pete Lucier missed the fighting days of the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars. He describes the lack of strategy plaguing this era of war on the anniversary of 9/11.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1000w_q95.jpg 667 1000 Peter Lucier https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Peter Lucier2016-09-11 22:01:052020-12-04 18:01:49Going Back To The Slaughterhouse For Souvenirs Of The War
Janell Hanf and Marines from her unit celebrate at the end of the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Photo courtesy of the author. 

“I’m Not a Sir”—Dearth of Women Causes Marines to Expect Male Leadership

January 6, 2021
Women have served in the Corps for more than 100 years, but are still treated like a novelty, stunting the transition to an inclusive military culture.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Janell-Hanf-on-Mud-Run-with-Marine-team.jpg 1198 2100 Janell Hanf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Janell Hanf2021-01-06 09:42:372021-01-06 09:51:08“I’m Not a Sir”—Dearth of Women Causes Marines to Expect Male Leadership
Josiah Koleosho an hour before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 2003. Courtesy Josiah Koleosho.

Finding My Calling While Treating a Casualty Inside Friendly Lines

January 22, 2020
He saw gore and death, but he also saved lives. There are certain things a former corpsman will never forget or take for granted.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image0.jpeg 960 1280 Josiah Koleosho https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Josiah Koleosho2020-01-22 09:55:172020-11-23 20:07:21Finding My Calling While Treating a Casualty Inside Friendly Lines
Barnhill said that sometimes military families look like pinups, but more often than not there is more to the story. She believes the entire family serves, not just the service member. Photo courtesy of Jean Jacobs.

A Military Spouse’s Journey From Annoyance to Advocacy

May 6, 2020
A military spouse seeks to change an antiquated narrative.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/barnhill-husband-2100x800-1.jpg 800 2100 Jennifer Barnhill https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jennifer Barnhill2020-05-06 09:40:592020-12-04 14:49:56A Military Spouse’s Journey From Annoyance to Advocacy

Me, Also. A Cobra Pilot’s Story of Military Sexual Assault

July 31, 2019
After years of silence, a Cobra pilot opens up about her fight to bring her accused rapist to justice.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Deployment-001-1-cropped-e1564581296589.jpg 1193 1814 Anne Boaden https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anne Boaden2019-07-31 10:32:082020-12-16 13:02:40Me, Also. A Cobra Pilot’s Story of Military Sexual Assault

His Torch Beckoned Like a Searchlight

February 22, 2017
Ryan Mallek jumped at every chance to leave the wire. One night during a welding assignment in Fallujah changed that.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_0363.jpg 453 604 Ryan Mallek https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ryan Mallek2017-02-22 19:02:472020-12-04 18:02:58His Torch Beckoned Like a Searchlight

Really I’m OK

September 11, 2016
Thomas Brennan reflects on what selfless service at Ground Zero and an endless war against ideals has taught him—and how it's come to be that a new generation fights the same war that began 15 years ago.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/11175050_10153234609530139_4436228247362948602_n.jpg 540 720 Thomas J Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J Brennan2016-09-11 17:55:502020-12-16 13:11:55Really I’m OK

My Battle Buddy Was Always Smiling Before Losing His War to Suicide

November 7, 2018
J.P. Lawrence thought he knew his happy-go-lucky friend from deployment until he learned that Belland had struggled with addiction and died by overdose.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Belland-cover.jpg 1000 1500 J.P. Lawrence https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png J.P. Lawrence2018-11-07 13:36:302020-12-16 13:04:50My Battle Buddy Was Always Smiling Before Losing His War to Suicide

Sailing the Atlantic Ocean – 2005

April 19, 2017
Tenley Lozano watched the Barque Eagle's bow cut through the Atlantic Ocean's night waters, which swelled with bioluminescence and dolphins.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/horst_wessel.jpg 736 1136 Tenley Lozano https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tenley Lozano2017-04-19 18:11:372020-12-16 13:14:38Sailing the Atlantic Ocean – 2005

Afghan Peace Process Puts Life in Limbo for Generations of U.S. Allies, Former U.S. Interpreters

December 23, 2020
“My scarred body represents just a small sacrifice for our country, a country we have built without the Taliban,” said the father of a U.S. interpreter.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/tea-with-afghan-interpreters-900.jpg 496 900 Dane Sawyer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dane Sawyer2020-12-23 09:07:452020-12-23 09:07:45Afghan Peace Process Puts Life in Limbo for Generations of U.S. Allies, Former U.S. Interpreters

Echoes Project: The Homecoming

April 23, 2018
Veronica didn’t want to be at the airport when the Marines returned home from Afghanistan in April 2011.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/download-1-49.jpg 815 1200 Thomas J Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J Brennan2018-04-23 21:36:392020-11-23 23:10:50Echoes Project: The Homecoming
An air traffic controller uses binoculars to look for birds or other hazards that can damage aircraft. Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Nathaniel Hudson

Losing “Pretty Girl” To “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

May 20, 2020
An investigation into an air traffic controller’s personal life in the era of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell felt like a rippling current of judgement.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/binoculars-1100x733-1.jpg 733 1100 Shairi Engle https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Shairi Engle2020-05-20 09:44:202020-12-16 13:00:35Losing “Pretty Girl” To “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Pop Bangers, “Barbie Girl,” and IED Explosions

November 14, 2018
Augusto Giacoman danced to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” as his convoy patrolled Mosul, Iraq. And then the IED exploded.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IraqistreetasseenfromaStryker-2.jpeg 1875 2500 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-11-14 13:34:382020-12-16 13:09:22Pop Bangers, “Barbie Girl,” and IED Explosions

“Hellraisers,” Tinder Dates, and the Curse of the White Cloud

April 29, 2020
All he wanted was to see combat. Fortunately, he missed out.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2-960x720-web.jpg 720 960 Dan Elinoff https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dan Elinoff2020-04-29 09:49:552020-12-04 14:26:38“Hellraisers,” Tinder Dates, and the Curse of the White Cloud

Remembering the Day I Parked Our Stryker on Top of an IED

April 25, 2018
Augusto Giacoman parked his Stryker under the streetlights and then the bomb exploded. What happened next is a hazy mixture of memory and nightmare.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Recall-and-Regress-the-war-horse-header.jpg 1050 1600 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-04-25 15:45:092020-12-16 13:13:09Remembering the Day I Parked Our Stryker on Top of an IED
Capt. Dave Kenney, Headquarter Support Battalion platoon leader (right), 1-37 Field Artillery, prepares to send a squad in to clear the objective during a training exercise at Forward Operating Base Endurance. Mosul, Sept. 9, 2004. Photo courtesy of Staff Sergeant Gretel Weiskopf

The Stories I Share as a Woman Veteran

December 18, 2019
A former Army photojournalist and combat medic grapples with how much people should know about war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1451.jpg 1200 1626 Gretel Weiskopf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gretel Weiskopf2019-12-18 08:30:192020-11-23 20:16:24The Stories I Share as a Woman Veteran
An ammunition specialist carries a 105 mm armor-piercing, discarding sabot round, to be used in an M1 Abrams tank, during Desert Shield. Photo by Sgt. Brain Cumper, courtesy of U.S. Army.

Fighting to Go Home: Operation Desert Storm, 30 Years Later

February 25, 2021
The Pentagon expected roughly 40% of Americans would be wounded or killed but “the Iraqi army wasn’t nearly as formidable as everyone made them out to be.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Ammunition-specialist-web.jpg 605 900 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2021-02-25 14:45:462021-02-25 14:45:46Fighting to Go Home: Operation Desert Storm, 30 Years Later

Recall and Regress, Battling to Redefine Identity When Military Service Ends

May 2, 2018
Nathan Eckman wonders what a recall to service would mean for the life he’s built since exiting active duty, and if he’d answer that call.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/korea255of449.jpg 1013 1800 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2018-05-02 16:12:172020-12-16 13:12:32Recall and Regress, Battling to Redefine Identity When Military Service Ends

Sunflowers and Steel Rain

December 7, 2016
Elizabeth O'Herrin describes picking flowers and catching ladybugs as a kid. While deployed in the Middle East, sunflowers hid mortars and the land turned gray.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Deployment.jpg 1000 1500 Liz O'Herrin Lee https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liz O'Herrin Lee2016-12-07 18:38:462020-11-24 00:26:21Sunflowers and Steel Rain
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The War Horse Publishes Writing Seminar Anthology

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/THW-anthology-2019-cover900x600.jpg 600 900 The War Horse Staff https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png The War Horse Staff2020-06-09 16:26:072020-07-24 17:06:21The War Horse Publishes Writing Seminar Anthology

Transformative. Rejuvenating. Inspirational. The Impact of The War Horse Writing Seminars

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/49_Boulder-BCR-feature-high.jpg 761 2000 The War Horse Staff https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png The War Horse Staff2019-11-20 09:53:242020-12-22 13:51:28Transformative. Rejuvenating. Inspirational. The Impact of The War Horse Writing Seminars
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Informative. Honest. Fearless. The War Horse’s Audience Survey Results

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/unnamed-1.png 634 1024 The War Horse Staff https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png The War Horse Staff2019-09-24 10:51:532020-12-23 18:07:09Informative. Honest. Fearless. The War Horse’s Audience Survey Results

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