The War Horse | Nonprofit journalism about military service.

When I Hear a Far-off Boom, I Imagine the Worst

“I knew I wasn’t in Afghanistan. I knew soldiers weren’t dying in the distance. But in reality, that knowledge didn’t matter.”

MAURICE NAYLON

“The Enemy Is Lurking in Our Bodies”—Women Veterans Say Toxic Exposure Caused Breast Cancer

As the last troops leave the “forever wars,” doctors say they’re seeing more women veterans with breast cancer—younger than the national average.

KELLY KENNEDY

When I Hear a Far-off Boom, I Imagine the Worst

“I knew I wasn’t in Afghanistan. I knew soldiers weren’t dying in the distance. But in reality, that knowledge didn’t matter.”

MAURICE NAYLON

“The Enemy Is Lurking in Our Bodies”—Women Veterans Say Toxic Exposure Caused Breast Cancer

As the last troops leave the “forever wars,” doctors say they’re seeing more women veterans with breast cancer—younger than the national average.

KELLY KENNEDY

A Veteran’s Odyssey After Hanging up the Uniform in an America He Doesn’t Recognize

“The story of Odysseus is the story of the day after—what happens when the battle is done? … My service wasn’t an accomplishment. It was a liability.”

JOHN THAMPI

Members from the 15th Medical Group host an open house for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in 2018. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman, courtesy U.S. Air Force.

“The Enemy Is Lurking in Our Bodies”—Women Veterans Say Toxic Exposure Caused Breast Cancer

October 14, 2021|in Investigations, Newsroom | Kelly Kennedy

As the last troops leave the “forever wars,” doctors say they’re seeing more women veterans with breast cancer—younger than the national average.

A Veteran’s Odyssey After Hanging up the Uniform in an America He Doesn’t Recognize

October 13, 2021|in Reflections | John Thampi

“The story of Odysseus is the story of the day after—what happens when the battle is done? … My service wasn’t an accomplishment. It was a liability.”

Soldiers who died together in Egypt during World War II fighting in North Africa in what is seen as one of the most decisive battles of the war. Photo courtesy of the author.

A Global Crossroads of Military History Buried in an Egyptian Desert

October 6, 2021|in Reflections | Kathlyn Clore

Egypt’s deserts have long demanded the attention of men like my husband, working in the name of Western governments locked in power competition.

THE LATEST

All/Explainer/Features/Investigations/Newsroom/Reflections

September 29, 2021

“My Streaming Service”—Soldier Relives Traumas Like Reruns on Journey to Heal

September 23, 2021

“I Never Left Anybody”—Fighting for Veterans Left Behind by the Country They Served

September 22, 2021

“Hold on to something!”—A Moment that Shifted the Fate of the USS Samuel B. Roberts Crew

September 15, 2021

Corpsman-Turned-Covid-19 Frontliner: Delta Isn’t a “Political Stunt”

September 8, 2021

Point of Impact: An Untold Story of Escape From the Pentagon on 9/11 and the Forever Wars That Followed

July 26, 2017

She Found Solace in Art and Artifacts During War, and When She Came Home.

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

June 17, 2021

From Death Threats to a French Dandy, Afghan Contractors Abandoned by the U.S. Struggle to Find Asylum Abroad

June 3, 2021

“They’re Like Sitting Ducks” — Treasury Renews Controversial VA Banking Service Amid Proceedings, Allegations of Defrauded Veterans

May 20, 2021

“Nearly All” VA Claims for Gulf War Illness “Improperly Denied”

April 8, 2021

Gulf War Illness Treatments Discovered. Will Veterans Affairs Officials Listen Now?

February 4, 2021

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

August 12, 2021

Exposed: Burn Pits May Force the Military to Acknowledge Generations of Poisoned Veterans

July 15, 2021

The Five Essentials of Storytelling. A Survivor’s (Excerpt) Guide to Writing about Trauma

June 30, 2021

How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap During the Defense Department’s Fight Against Climate Change

June 17, 2021

From Death Threats to a French Dandy, Afghan Contractors Abandoned by the U.S. Struggle to Find Asylum Abroad

June 3, 2021

“They’re Like Sitting Ducks” — Treasury Renews Controversial VA Banking Service Amid Proceedings, Allegations of Defrauded Veterans

September 22, 2021

“Hold on to something!”—A Moment that Shifted the Fate of the USS Samuel B. Roberts Crew

September 15, 2021

Corpsman-Turned-Covid-19 Frontliner: Delta Isn’t a “Political Stunt”

September 8, 2021

Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

September 1, 2021

“What Had We Done to Jeffery?”–Marine Relives Role in Hazing

August 25, 2021

From Deployment to Homecoming. And a Pregnancy During Lockdown.

Award-Winning Journalism in Your Inbox

FROM OUR FELLOWS

Diving Shipwrecks of Futures Past During Navy Dive School

October 3, 2018|in Reflections | Tenley Lozano

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.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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

April 25, 2018|in Reflections | Augusto Giacoman

Augusto Giacoman parked his Stryker under the streetlights and then the bomb exploded. What happened next is a hazy mixture of memory and nightmare.

Caption: The Silent Drill Platoon performs at Quantico’s Lejeune Hall. According to the Corps, the platoon “exemplifies the professionalism associated with the United States Marine Corps.” Photograph by Gunnery Sgt. Ezekiel Kitandwe

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

February 4, 2021|in Investigations, Newsroom | Thomas J. Brennan

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

Advocates Activated by Marines United Are Gathering Strength

July 21, 2017|in Investigations, Newsroom | Andrea Januta

Marines United has resurfaced the Defense Department’s “silent epidemic.” Advocates are determined not to let the conversation die again.

EXPLORE TOPICS

GENDER

Becoming a Veteran After Choosing to Forget My Military Service at Fort Hood

March 24, 2021|in Reflections | Bettina Hindes

As a woman, I never knew if a soldier was approaching me to correct a crooked beret or to ask for my number,” writes an Army veteran of Fort Hood.

HEALTHCARE

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|in Reflections | Alison Maruca

Even with sound decision-making by a capable and loyal team, the wrong leader can make any mission feel doomed.

HUMAN RIGHTS

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|in Reflections | Domenique Cino

His blue shirt was not enough to hold back that much water.

INVESTIGATIONS

From Death Threats to a French Dandy, Afghan Contractors Abandoned by the U.S. Struggle to Find Asylum Abroad

June 17, 2021|in Investigations | Jennifer Orth-Veillon

The Taliban wants him dead. Because he worked for the Americans. But he didn’t ask for help from the people he saved by throwing away everything he had.

MILITARY FAMILIES

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

February 10, 2021|in Reflections | Jenny Lynne Stroup

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

SCIENCE & TECH

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.

Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment

September 29, 2020|in Investigations | Amanda Miller

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

POLICY

U.S. service members were intentionally exposed to toxic agents, such as nitrogen mustard, during World War II. Photo courtesy of the Naval Research Laboratory.

Exposed: Burn Pits May Force the Military to Acknowledge Generations of Poisoned Veterans

August 12, 2021|in Investigations, Newsroom | Sonner Kehrt

Since World War II, the military has poisoned countless service members through toxic exposures and secret testing.

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.

“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.

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.

Soldiers at Camp Funston, Kansas, are quarantined while recovering from the Spanish flu in 1918. The flu infected about 500 million people around the world. Photo courtesy National Archives.

Past Pandemics Devastated the U.S. Military, Teaching Lethal Lessons

August 27, 2021

It was an opportunistic disease. It chose no side in the conflict. The military had a public health emergency on its hands with few tools to fight it.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

The Grieving for Afghanistan Must be Done as a Community

August 24, 2021

Like an aircraft struggling to move the weight of two decades’…

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.

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.

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.

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

August 19, 2020

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

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.

Taking Unresponsive Leadership To Task as a Black Woman Army Officer

July 28, 2021

During her military career, she felt alone. As a Black woman. An officer. As a survivor of sexual assaults. Alone to battle mental illness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The F/A-18 Hornet Mark Fox flew when he faced a MiG during Operation Desert Storm being restored to display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Photo courtesy of Fox.

30 Years On, Veterans Recall the Desert Storm Air War

January 21, 2021

People tend to remember Desert Storm as a short, easy war. Compared with the “forever” wars, that makes sense: a 100-hour blip in the annals of history.

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.

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.

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.

After coming out, the author trained for and ran the 2015 40th Marine Corps Marathon to celebrate her 60th birthday. Photo by Annie Sutherland, courtesy of the author.

After the “Witch Hunt” of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a Decade of Pride

June 23, 2021

Every time my small inner voice gave me a nudge to the rainbow side of life, my socialized side said, “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re happily married.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’

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.

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.

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.

Removing My Armor

June 12, 2019

How a former Army videographer learned to cope with trauma and rebuild her life.

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.

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.

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.

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

July 9, 2020

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The first AV-8B Harrier jet from Marine Attack Squadron 211 lands at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, in 2012. Lt. Col. Chris Raible, a Pittsburgh native, landed the jet. Photo by Cpl. Lisa Tourtelot, courtesy U.S. Marine Corps.

I Took the Last Picture of a Good Man

August 20, 2021

As a Marine’s Grieved in Afghanistan, She Helped Another Family Process a Loss

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?

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.

Pumpkin Head and the Horror Show

May 29, 2019

A former infantry officer contemplates the numbing effects of war and inhumanity.

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.

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.

Jen Burch with a boy who had lost his leg after being hit with an improvised explosive device and the boy’s father at a military hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of the author.

The Sorrow and Defeat of Watching the Taliban Reclaim Afghanistan

August 18, 2021

While deployed, she thought she’d seen the worst of war. Now, as the Taliban reclaims Afghanistan, she worries about the children living under their rule.

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.

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.

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."

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

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

February 24, 2021

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.

“I Drew the Line at Lying to Reporters”—a Military Spokesman Calls for Increased Accountability and Transparency

April 28, 2021

“These issues will continue to plague our military if both uniformed and civilian leadership don’t stand up” and demand “real accountability.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

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.

U.S. Marine sniper scouts use surveillance equipment to study the surrounding territory. Photo courtesy of U.S. National Archives.

A Two-Decade Journey of Close Calls From Lebanon to Kuwait and Iraq

June 16, 2021

When a Marine officer transferred to the reserves, he believed he’d only be activated for “something with a clear purpose.” Then he was deployed to Iraq.

An Early Morning Helicopter Crash and a Lost Feeling of Invincibility

May 26, 2021

“You may have noticed that only one of the birds came back last night. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, there was a crash. Everybody is gone.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sonner Kehrt on Healy’s flying bridge, far above the Arctic Circle. Photo courtesy of author.

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

January 20, 2021

When the Covid-19 lockdowns began, a Coast Guard officer reflected on her military deployment to the Arctic Circle and the familiar feeling of isolation.

“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.

Care Packages a Powerful Symbol of the Military-Civilian Divide

December 16, 2020

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Military Child Learns What It Means to Be an American. By Leaving

April 21, 2021

“So, where are you from?” The question used to throw me whenever…

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.

U.S. Army Pfc. Alexis York, left, and Spc. Zekia Heath, both cannon crew members with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion 107th Field Artillery Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, stand watch near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, March 3, after the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class R.J. Lannom Jr., courtesy of U.S. Army.

“Our Backgrounds Are Not Monolithic”—a Look Inside the Military’s Conversation About Extremism in Uniform

April 7, 2021

“There are a lot of Three Percenters on base, one soldier said.” Another asked “why we weren't talking about Black Lives Matter or Antifa” in uniform?

“Lost Trust and Confidence” — How the Military Covers Up Officer Misconduct and Why That’s Harmful to Democracy

April 28, 2021

A revered infantry officer was fired after a “credible” investigation of domestic violence. Marine generals forced a military spokesman to cover it up.

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.

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”?

New York City’s lower Manhattan skyline and the newly completed One World Trade Center Building are illuminated by two beams of light representing the remembrance of the American citizens lost Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by David Tucker, courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

September 8, 2021

“Good things happened after the bad,” writes Eric Chandler. But 20 years on, there is a painful contrast to the national unity that followed the attacks.

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.

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.

Future Marines from Marine Corps Recruiting Station Fort Worth get a taste of what recruit training will be like during the station’s Annual Pool Function in 2019.

“What Had We Done to Jeffery?”–Marine Relives Role in Hazing

September 1, 2021

"I’ll never forget his screams echoing off the block walls of the barracks. No one came to investigate. No one ever came to investigate."

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.

My Afghan Interpreter Earned His U.S. Citizenship. Then He Left.

August 19, 2021

He served with Marines and earned U.S. citizenship. His wife’s was denied. Now, they wait in Kabul, for the Taliban or her visa—whichever arrives first.

Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

May 17, 2017

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.

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.

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.

Sailors hand out food to local families during a community relations event at a Salvation Army site in Philadelphia in 2019. Community relations events could help lessen the military-civilian divide.

Are Service Members Heroes, Victims, or Villains? You decide.

July 14, 2021

“My West Point siblings are neither convenient scapegoats nor two-dimensional nerd-warriors. They are first and foremost my siblings.”

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Infil: Where Two-Dimensional PowerPoints and Rock Talk Meet “Visceral Lethality”

March 10, 2021

“Reality sank in as we donned our combat gear in the ready room,” writes a former Army infantry officer. “In combat, do you ever really have control?”

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.

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.

A squad leader gives a radio update behind a smoke screen. Photo courtesy of the author.

“What Is There to Say?” Shared Experiences and “an Epic War-Porn Trailer”

March 3, 2021

“We heard a distinct thud and soon heard the report on the radio,” writes a veteran of Sangin, Afghanistan. “A Marine had stepped on an IED.”

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.

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

August 22, 2018

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.

“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.

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.

An Afghan National Army commando with the 6th Special Operations Kandak guards a rooftop during morning operations in Tagab District, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, in February 2013. Photo by Pfc. James K. McCann, courtesy of U.S. Army.

“Why Are You Leaving Now?”—a Rookie Afghan Policeman, a Combat Veteran, and a Shared Loss of Naivety

April 14, 2021

“The look of fear on the faces of these local policemen as we left our position is something I will never forget,” writes an Army veteran of Afghanistan.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anne Boaden, her daughter, and her son in May. Photo courtesy of the author.

From Deployment to Homecoming. And a Pregnancy During Lockdown.

August 25, 2021

Four days after he returned home from deployment, our first lockdown in England began. We went from extreme separation to extreme togetherness.

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.

How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap During the Defense Department’s Fight Against Climate Change

June 30, 2021

The DOD treats climate change as a catastrophic threat to national security. “A shrinking polar ice cap doesn’t just mean thinking about polar bears.”

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.

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.

Remembering the Service and Sacrifice of Muslim Veterans Among the Crescents and Stars of Arlington National Cemetery

June 2, 2021

During a trip to Arlington to honor Muslim veterans, an Air Force officer reflects on how her career of military service began as a Pakistani immigrant.

An all-Afghan crew prepares to launch on a medevac mission in Helmand province in 2019. Photo courtesy of the author.

For an “Afghan Hand,” Explosions and Crashes Echo Loss and “a Romanticized Idea of Adventure”

May 12, 2021

“His story is so much the story of Afghanistan: youth destroyed violently while fighting for a better home,” writes reserve Naval Officer Jack McCain.

Brett and Whitney Foley on their wedding day. Photo courtesy of the author.

The Five Essentials of Storytelling. A Survivor’s (Excerpt) Guide to Writing about Trauma

July 15, 2021

David Chrisinger teaches The War Horse’s writing seminars, the preeminent professional development program for veterans and military spouse writers.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Russell Worth Parker with then-three-year-old daughter having a Christmas tea party with her dad by Skype while he was deployed.

Three Disparate Events. Three Subsequent Days. And an Unresolved Dissonance.

August 4, 2021

As troops withdraw from Afghanistan and the Taliban regains power, a retired Marine reflects on his career in the military and what comes next.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

At Basic Training, Dad Was Sent to an Iron Chamber. It Was Filled with Mustard Gas

August 11, 2021

A secret testing program sent an entire trainee company to the hospital.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

Gulf War Illness Treatments Discovered. Will Veterans Affairs Officials Listen Now?

April 8, 2021

“That’s what made them sick.” Scientists say toxic exposures and anti-nerve agent pills, paired with DEET, poisoned veterans during the Gulf War.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

When I Hear a Far-off Boom, I Imagine the Worst

October 20, 2021

“I knew I wasn’t in Afghanistan. I knew soldiers weren’t dying in the distance. But in reality, that knowledge didn’t matter.”

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.”

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

‘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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

September 11, 2016

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.

Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class Emette Kim and Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jonathan Howland, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6, discuss rescue communications with Air Force Staff Sgt. Troy Koontz, a survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialist assigned to Air Education and Training Command, Fairchild Air Force Base, during a daylong survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) refresher training at the Marine Corps Training Area Bellows in 2016. Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Benjamin A. Lewis, courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

SERE School: Where Military-Grade Hide-and-Seek Meets a Life-and-Death Struggle

July 21, 2021

By the time we were “captured,” we were so exhausted from the cold, little sleep, the lack of food, and the countless miles that we lost all sense of time.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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

May 14, 2020

Is the Marine Corps taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously enough?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

July 8, 2020

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

“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.

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.

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.

The Marine Corps’ Fight to ‘Degrade and Defeat ISIS’ Using ‘Reagan-Flavored’ Kool-Aid

March 31, 2021

“We spend a lot of our time wondering, mostly alone, sometimes aloud,” writes a Marine officer, “if what we’re doing makes any difference, to anyone.”

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

January 27, 2021

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

April 15, 2020

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

A Tramadol Overdose, Delivered by Mail. “I Was Addicted. It Was Easy to Get Them.”

June 9, 2021

The drug abuse began when the military prescribed Tramadol for back pain. Then the VA mailed him bottles of pills. Until he overdosed in front of his kids.

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

September 30, 2020

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.

Tom Smoot upgrades HMMWV GPS transceivers in Iraq’s Diyala Province in December 2006. Photo courtesy of the author.

Excuses and a Recurring Nightmare, Brought to an End by Medals and Heroism

July 7, 2021

Six months after a soldier returned from Iraq, his nightmares of being shot ended after he heard that others were wounded and killed in the same alley.