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Link to: The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.

The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.

The costs will be time. We will have precious little of it with our sailors. The costs are real people and real families.

JENNY LYNNE STROUP
Link to: The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.
Link to: The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.
Link to: The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.

The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.

The costs will be time. We will have precious little of it with our sailors. The costs are real people and real families.

JENNY LYNNE STROUP
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Joe Simboli holds a picture of himself in a tank. Photo courtesy of Michele DeMarco.

We Trudged Through an Unknown, Unexperienced Evil—Unaware How That Evil Took Hold in Us

May 11, 2022|in Reflections | Joseph Simbol Jr.

Joseph Simboli Jr., of the 89th Infantry Division, helped liberate Ohrdruf, the first Nazi concentration camp discovered by American forces in April 1945.

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“It’s All Bullshit”: Broken Military Justice System Jeopardizes Trust and Puts Service Members at Risk

May 6, 2022|in Newsroom | Thomas J. Brennan

Rather than push reform, the Marine Corps closes ranks, girds up to protect a culture that is, itself, its legal system’s worst enemy.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/banner-jago-4-web.jpg 548 1000 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2022-05-06 09:42:462022-05-06 10:41:32“It’s All Bullshit”: Broken Military Justice System Jeopardizes Trust and Puts Service Members at Risk
Briana Céspedes, blue dress, center, and other service members rally at a U.S. military base in Korea in support of Cuban protesters in July. Photo courtesy of the author.

“We Were So Hungry We Ate Our Fear”–Those Without Freedom Risk Their Lives For Change

May 4, 2022|in Reflections | Briana Céspedes

What could we do as our brothers and sisters risked their lives back home? Nothing except yell from across the ocean and tell them we stand with them. 

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_0122-web.jpg 600 900 Briana Céspedes https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Briana Céspedes2022-05-04 09:30:572022-05-04 14:43:48“We Were So Hungry We Ate Our Fear”–Those Without Freedom Risk Their Lives For Change

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FROM OUR FELLOWS

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

October 17, 2018|in Reflections | M.L. Doyle

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”

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Years Later, Loss at War Resonates at Home

June 11, 2016|in Reflections | Thomas J. Brennan

Our global community is and continues to be ever more affected by war. Responsible and constructive conversation is more important than ever.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/download10.jpg 1002 1500 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2016-06-11 15:34:002021-06-07 17:38:40Years Later, Loss at War Resonates at Home

Baseball Games in Tokyo and a White House Tour—“I Bet It Never Smells Like Fart in There”

December 2, 2020|in Reflections | Sloan Green

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.”

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Then-Vice-President-Joe-Bidens-Limo-e1607528697447.jpg 412 640 Sloan Green https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sloan Green2020-12-02 09:30:312021-11-19 17:37:21Baseball Games in Tokyo and a White House Tour—“I Bet It Never Smells Like Fart in There”

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

January 31, 2018|in Reflections | Augusto Giacoman

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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EXPLORE TOPICS

GENDER

“Unwavering, Staggering” Military Spouse Unemployment Could Change After Pandemic

January 20, 2022|in Newsroom | Julie Zack

For military spouses, employers’ acknowledgment that workers can be just as productive from home could put an end to giving up careers for the military.

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HEALTHCARE
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|in Newsroom | David Goldstein

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.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hospital.jpg 772 1024 David Goldstein https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Goldstein2021-08-27 09:04:182021-11-19 02:37:38Past Pandemics Devastated the U.S. Military, Teaching Lethal Lessons
HUMAN RIGHTS

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

August 19, 2020|in Reflections | 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 09:09:522021-04-28 00:36:09‘I Decided to Become the Safe Place that I so Desperately Needed’
INVESTIGATIONS
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.”

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/1000w_q95-web.jpg 539 911 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2021-02-04 10:46:482021-04-27 21:26:27Senior Marine Corps Counsel Ridicules Sexual Assault Survivor at Court-Martial Hearing
MILITARY FAMILIES

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

April 28, 2021|in Reflections | Thomas J. Brennan

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

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Obscure-web.jpg 600 900 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2021-04-28 18:12:452021-11-19 17:15:49“Lost Trust and Confidence” — How the Military Covers Up Officer Misconduct and Why That’s Harmful to Democracy
SCIENCE & TECH

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

June 30, 2021|in Investigations, Newsroom | Sonner Kehrt

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.”

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Lejeune-feature-web.jpg 1126 2100 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2021-06-30 17:00:382021-11-19 16:12:21How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap During the Defense Department’s Fight Against Climate Change
POLICY
C.J. Pfutzner, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory mechanical engineer, runs to get on station to man the fire hose as Steven Tuttle, NRL combustion and reacting transport section head, adjusts the NRL-developed emulsified crude oil burner system’s airflow to administer emissions testing for the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the NRL Chesapeake Bay Detachment in 2019. Photo by Nicholas Pasquini, courtesy of the Naval Research Laboratory.

“We Must Do Our Part to Mitigate Climate Change”—The Military’s Pollution Problem

January 6, 2022|in Newsroom | Sonner Kehrt

The military may be taking the threat of climate change seriously, but without reporting requirements, there’s a lack of transparency and accountability.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Crude-oil-web.jpg 558 900 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2022-01-06 08:51:122022-01-06 13:00:55“We Must Do Our Part to Mitigate Climate Change”—The Military’s Pollution Problem

TRENDING

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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“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

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 09:07:452021-04-27 22:16:06Afghan Peace Process Puts Life in Limbo for Generations of U.S. Allies, Former U.S. Interpreters

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

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 12:14:112021-11-19 21:12:35She Needs a Background Check and a Day Pass to Visit Her Father’s Grave, Part 2

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/blob2.png 600 800 William Gehrung https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png William Gehrung2016-11-30 19:37:282020-12-04 18:06:11In The Absence Of Trust And Confidence

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 14:40:162021-06-07 17:43:47My Religion Of Death And Praying To Kill

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.
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Sherman Gillums speaks with Marine Sgt. Alphonso Lee Lopez during a ward visit to the San Diego VA Spinal Cord Injury unit in 2005. Photo courtesy of the author.

“Heroes Also Need Heroes”–Robbed of a Chance at Combat, Marine Joins Another Fight

February 9, 2022
The reality that my time in uniform had ended took over every waking thought I had. How close I'd come to living my dream became part of the torture.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sherman-gillums-jr-visiting-patients.jpg 546 900 Sherman Gillums Jr. https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sherman Gillums Jr.2022-02-09 09:13:062022-02-09 09:13:06“Heroes Also Need Heroes”–Robbed of a Chance at Combat, Marine Joins Another Fight

Life Marches On and Only a Few Hold Onto the Echoes of History

November 17, 2021
Are we granted quick glances through windows to our pasts? Do we dare allow these things to reach us in this life? 
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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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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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/roberts.sarah_hero-header.jpg 751 1436 Katie Toth https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Katie Toth2017-07-25 21:43:232021-11-20 00:54:23Forging Purpose And Community One Mile At A Time

“How Would We Know When It Was Over?”–Perspective Is Power in Forever Wars

October 27, 2021
Since leaving the military, I’ve searched my soul for answers. Did I spend three years of my life fighting a lost cause?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/helicopter-web-2.jpg 1435 2100 Morgan Lerette https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Morgan Lerette2021-10-27 08:52:202021-11-18 21:45:46“How Would We Know When It Was Over?”–Perspective Is Power in Forever Wars

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 18:13:552021-11-20 00:50:20Cooking Quieted Her Mind and Helped Rachael Harris Find Peace After Military Service
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.
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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 17:36:092021-06-07 19:00:33Because This Moment Simply Is

The Grieving for Afghanistan Must be Done as a Community

August 24, 2021
Like an aircraft struggling to move the weight of two decades’…
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/attack-web.jpg 1400 2100 E.M. Liddick https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png E.M. Liddick2021-08-24 09:07:572021-11-19 02:44:12The Grieving for Afghanistan Must be Done as a Community
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/6410714-web.jpg 600 900 Andrea Scott https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Scott2020-11-06 09:30:022021-04-27 23:07:33“Everybody We Deal With Is Trained to Kill”—Why Don’t We See Widespread Police Brutality 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.
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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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/flag-folding-feature-web.jpg 585 1200 Maggie Seymour https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maggie Seymour2020-02-19 09:58:372021-11-19 20:19:21The Military Funeral—”Taps Doesn’t Harden You. It Breaks You.”
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/us-marines-use-serveillance-equipment-to-study-surrounding-territory-web.jpg 1063 2100 Reed Bonadonna https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Reed Bonadonna2021-06-16 08:57:012021-11-19 16:35:35A Two-Decade Journey of Close Calls From Lebanon to Kuwait and Iraq

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aerial2.jpg 1000 1500 Tim Patterson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tim Patterson2016-09-11 20:14:282021-06-07 19:32:48Thinking Brainlessly With Their Spinal Cords

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/No-Use-Crying-Hero.jpg 800 1280 Jackie Munn https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jackie Munn2018-05-09 17:28:362020-12-16 13:34:15Spilt Milk, Giggling Girls, and No Use Crying

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 20:43:582021-11-19 22:08:56Zero Tolerance: The Defense Department’s Decades-Long Failure To End Sex Crimes In Uniform

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ScreenShot2017-07-11at1.01.14PM-e1524853395935.png 421 891 Andrea Januta https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Januta2017-07-11 19:16:422021-09-09 21:50:13How The Marines United Investigation and Scandal Unfolded

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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Marines-transported-web.jpg 1400 2100 Brian Dykeman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Brian Dykeman2021-05-26 08:11:042021-11-19 16:45:41An Early Morning Helicopter Crash and a Lost Feeling of Invincibility
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Brett-Whitney-Foley-Wedding-Portrait-web.jpg 402 604 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2021-07-15 09:30:362021-11-19 15:23:30The Five Essentials of Storytelling. A Survivor’s (Excerpt) Guide to Writing about Trauma

‘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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/dave-boe-feature-3.jpg 635 1481 Dave Boe https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dave Boe2020-09-09 09:43:252021-04-28 00:04:47‘Time Heals Old Wounds. So Does a Bottle of Rum’

As Afghan War Nears its End, a Marine’s Guilt Intensifies

May 19, 2021
“My mind won’t let go,” writes a Marine veteran of Afghanistan. “The farther I get from those days, the heavier my guilt.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/patrol-web.jpg 1243 2048 Russell Hellyer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Russell Hellyer2021-05-19 07:29:392021-11-19 17:07:15As Afghan War Nears its End, a Marine’s Guilt Intensifies
Soldiers with C Co. 1/12th Cavalry Regiment prepare to deploy near Bong Son, in Vietnam, in 1966. Photo courtesy of the author.

Remembering Journalist Sam Castan and His Deadly Ride with Crazy Horse

June 30, 2021
“Memories of Sam’s death haunted me for decades,” writes a former Army public affairs officer about the death of a journalist during the Vietnam War.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/01_Night-patrol-briefing_smooth-web.jpg 1143 2100 Marvin J. Wolf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Marvin J. Wolf2021-06-30 09:01:512021-11-19 16:18:05Remembering Journalist Sam Castan and His Deadly Ride with Crazy Horse

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’

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/C2-EluLickingTenley.jpg 1000 1500 Tenley Lozano https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tenley Lozano2016-09-28 18:17:222021-06-07 20:36:53Service, Sexuality, and Stereotypes Of A Female Veteran

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DSCF5166.jpg 1000 1500 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2017-08-23 22:14:062020-12-04 18:02:12He Craved Normalcy, But He Could Think Only of Getting Back to War

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

June 17, 2021
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/tourniquet-900.jpg 496 900 Jennifer Orth-Veillon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jennifer Orth-Veillon2021-06-17 08:45:552021-11-19 16:33:03From Death Threats to a French Dandy, Afghan Contractors Abandoned by the U.S. Struggle to Find Asylum Abroad
Ensign Cierra Swiney, from Georgia, assigned to amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, uses a sound-powered telephone in the starboard bridge wing. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary D. Behrend, courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

No Shortage of Bad Leaders: Sailor Recalls Hostile Captain Who Set a Toxic Tone

December 15, 2021
There's nothing wrong with a captain giving officers a good chewing out. But it was hard to respect a leader who saw only the worst in others.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Bridge-2-featured.jpg 1051 2100 Thibaut Delloue https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thibaut Delloue2021-12-15 08:53:152021-12-15 08:53:15No Shortage of Bad Leaders: Sailor Recalls Hostile Captain Who Set a Toxic Tone
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Survival-web.jpg 599 900 Joshua Plummer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joshua Plummer2021-07-21 09:33:072021-11-19 15:17:47SERE School: Where Military-Grade Hide-and-Seek Meets a Life-and-Death Struggle
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 09:42:522021-04-27 22:57:31“I Screamed Into My Radio to Ignore the Order”—Pardoned Soldier’s Comrade Still Lives With Guilt of Murdered Civilians
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 09:30:302021-11-19 20:46:32“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”

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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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 09:38:412021-11-19 17:50:07‘I Have Had All I Can Take’ — the Final Months of Legendary War Reporter Ernie Pyle
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.
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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”?
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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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/his-eyes-lifted.jpg 650 1280 Sarah Holzhalb https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sarah Holzhalb2018-07-18 15:48:172020-11-23 22:38:56The Coast Guard, a Rubber Dinghy, and Plucking “Fleeing Souls”

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

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

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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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.
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.

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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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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Promotion-2010-web.jpg 339 604 Sadia Ali Heil https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sadia Ali Heil2021-06-02 08:53:162021-11-19 16:49:13Remembering the Service and Sacrifice of Muslim Veterans Among the Crescents and Stars of Arlington National Cemetery

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

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/clinic.jpg 991 1500 Adele Levine https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Adele Levine2016-07-13 19:20:572021-06-07 17:51:12The Man with Half a Head
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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Smoke-web.jpg 1400 2100 Miko Yoshida https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Miko Yoshida2021-03-03 09:31:312021-04-27 20:58:52“What Is There to Say?” Shared Experiences and “an Epic War-Porn Trailer”

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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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

“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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Blackwater-contractors-practice-at-shooting-range-in-Green-Zone-Baghdad.jpg 838 900 Morgan Lerette https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Morgan Lerette2020-10-21 09:06:122021-04-27 23:29:11“I Hope She’s Scarred for Life” — Recalling My Time as a Blackwater Mercenary

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/download-4-4.jpeg 1406 2500 John Sims https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png John Sims2017-08-16 19:57:362021-11-20 00:45:25Learning How to Talk About War Helped Their Family Heal

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hero-header.jpg 680 1300 Adam Stone https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Adam Stone2017-08-09 16:39:422020-12-04 17:48:26Armed Only With Colored Flags, He and His Fellow Marines Combed the Wreckage Site

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.
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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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Bradley-Gunnery-Field-Manual-Cover_Page_1.jpg 3509 2712 Michael Carson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michael Carson2019-05-08 09:00:332020-12-04 15:00:13“I Was Still Pretending”—a Road Trip and Worry for a Little Boy

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.
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 09:47:402021-11-19 18:11:01A Lesser-Known Group At Risk of Suicide—Children of Servicemembers

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 20:56:292021-06-07 20:43:04When Tearful Goodbyes Were Foreign
Alex Perez, far right, with his shipmates on the USS Samuel B. Roberts in 1988. Photo courtesy of the author.

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

September 22, 2021
“The explosion created a 20-foot hole along the bottom of the ship’s hull. I saw a ball of flame and felt a rush of hot air on my face and arms.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/group-shot-web.jpg 547 942 Alex Perez https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Alex Perez2021-09-22 07:01:542021-11-18 22:11:48“Hold on to something!”—A Moment that Shifted the Fate of the USS Samuel B. Roberts Crew

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 19:44:402021-06-07 19:23:34There Is Love Enough In This World For Everybody, If People Will Just Look.
Marines from Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, take five on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in northern Laos, in February 1969, as part of Operation Dewey Canyon. Photo courtesy of the author.

Baptism by Fire: Becoming a Marine in Practice as Well as by Name

December 22, 2021
In that instant, for the first time, I truly felt like a member of the Marine air/ground team.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Capt.-Joel-Ward-2nd-from-left-on-RT.922-Laos-web.jpg 632 900 Ronald Winter https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ronald Winter2021-12-22 09:12:202021-12-22 09:12:20Baptism by Fire: Becoming a Marine in Practice as Well as by Name

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
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

When “Be Strong” Is Bad Advice for Military Spouses

June 3, 2020
A military spouse wants to redefine what having strength looks like.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FullGallery104-high-3.jpg 600 2000 Jenna Levin https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenna Levin2020-06-03 09:40:112020-11-23 16:31:39When “Be Strong” Is Bad Advice for Military Spouses
Johnnie Gilpen, left, works in the emergency room for children at Oklahoma University’s Health Sciences Center with Dr. Ryan Brown. Photo courtesy of the author.

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

September 15, 2021
"Why did you fall asleep at the wheel?” My answer: It’s a pitfall of being a juggler in the largest ongoing circus in the world—the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Johnnie-and-Dr-Brown-Thanksgiving-2020-OUHSC-Childrens-Er-1.jpeg 364 672 Johnnie Gilpen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Johnnie Gilpen2021-09-15 09:35:242021-11-18 22:15:26Corpsman-Turned-Covid-19 Frontliner: Delta Isn’t a “Political Stunt”

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

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/332efsgroupphoto5b25d.jpg 425 640 Eric Chandler https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Eric Chandler2016-10-19 19:08:462021-06-07 20:49:00The Day I Held My Fire
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.

I Am Vanessa Guillen

July 15, 2020
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

Aperol Spritzes and Dreams of Post-Pandemic Biergartens in Lindau

March 17, 2021
Marriage counseling alongside soldiers from Special Operations Command was not what a military spouse imagined for her first trip to Europe. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/machi-potff1-web-crop.jpg 1047 2100 Vivienne Machi https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Vivienne Machi2021-03-17 09:07:302021-04-27 20:37:11Aperol Spritzes and Dreams of Post-Pandemic Biergartens in Lindau

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

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.”

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 14:37:562021-11-19 22:11:12My Heart, a Fallow Field. A Letter to My Unborn Daughter.

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

February 3, 2021
Thirty years ago, Operation Desert Storm began. The so-called 100-hour war went rather quickly and smoothly. But the memories never ended.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Dave-GW-Reading-web.jpg 900 812 Dave Boe https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dave Boe2021-02-03 09:37:192021-04-27 21:29:16“Halt, or I’ll Shoot”—an Army Veteran Reflects on Operation Desert Storm

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

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 09:50:212021-11-19 18:14:00The Army Made Me Religious—Even Though I Still Don’t Believe in God

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TimotejNagy-1200x550.jpg 550 1200 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2017-03-04 16:33:142021-11-20 01:11:43An Attack From Within: Male Marines Ambush Women In Uniform

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

February 10, 2021
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 08:35:552021-04-27 21:17:12“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

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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A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit calms down an infant at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, on Aug. 28. Photo by Cpl. Davis Harris, courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps.

“The War Is Over. Cheers.”–Where Do Veterans Land When the Fighting Is Done?

March 16, 2022
War was a distant part of our lives and we just moved on with the day. What did it mean to me that the war was ending in chaos?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/baby-1900x1036-web.jpg 1035 1900 Steve Wahle https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Steve Wahle2022-03-16 09:41:522022-03-16 09:41:52“The War Is Over. Cheers.”–Where Do Veterans Land When the Fighting Is Done?

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 06:39:062021-04-27 23:34:12Camouflaged as Polling Workers, National Guard Presence During Primaries Fuels Worries of Militarized Presidential Election

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

Even Democracy Requires Constant Vigilance From Corrosive Attacks Within

January 19, 2022
It was a typical day for the guardsmen already used to “weird and crazy” things happening outside the protective bubble they formed around the Capitol. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/support.jpeg 600 900 T.L.K https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png T.L.K2022-01-19 09:26:442022-01-19 09:26:44Even Democracy Requires Constant Vigilance From Corrosive Attacks Within

Operation Straggler: Their War May Have Ended, but They Weren’t Prepared for Surrender

February 16, 2022
We were going to drive them out of their hiding places, round them up, and ship them back to their families. At least that was the plan.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/group-in-front-of-quonset-hut-web-1.jpg 812 1337 Robert L. Foster https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Robert L. Foster2022-02-16 08:05:162022-02-16 08:05:16Operation Straggler: Their War May Have Ended, but They Weren’t Prepared for Surrender

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
Members of the 82nd Airborne head into Iraq on Feb. 24, 1991. Photo courtesy of the author.

Stolen Valor Is So Grubby—Stolen for What? To Impress Who?

November 10, 2021
Why would he need to claim even my tiny war? That insignificant skirmish? He’d already claimed a Purple Heart—did he need Grenada? Panama?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/members-of-82nd-airborne-head-into-iraq-feb-24-1991.jpg 543 900 Nathan Webster https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Webster2021-11-10 09:16:122021-11-18 21:27:56Stolen Valor Is So Grubby—Stolen for What? To Impress Who?

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 14:53:172021-06-07 21:02:38Nothing Prepares You For War

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 20:44:332021-11-20 00:43:24Marine Corps Publishes, Then Deletes, Name Of First Woman Infantry Officer

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
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Burnpits-more-throwing-600.jpg 600 903 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2020-08-07 09:51:092022-01-12 09:56:56“It’s so inaccurate”—How the VA Is Failing to Track Veterans Burn Pit Claims
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
Egypt’s deserts have long demanded the attention of men like my husband, working in the name of Western governments locked in power competition.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Dinty-feature-web.jpg 502 900 Kathlyn Clore https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kathlyn Clore2021-10-06 08:59:422021-11-18 22:01:46A Global Crossroads of Military History Buried in an Egyptian Desert
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Training2-2000x600-1.jpg 600 1999 Patricia Kime https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Patricia Kime2020-06-11 09:13:152020-11-23 16:27:34Without Birth Control Help, Marines’ Readiness Suffers
Brian Thompson laughs near local children while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2007. Photo courtesy of the author.

Movies Don’t Prepare You for What Happens When the Action Dies Down

January 12, 2022
This is the part that movies didn’t prepare me for. Sometimes, that memory comes up unexpectedly, like when I see a group of kids running.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Thompson.Afg-web.jpg 1008 1800 Brian Thompson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Brian Thompson2022-01-12 09:26:122022-01-12 09:26:12Movies Don’t Prepare You for What Happens When the Action Dies Down
Louisiana National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers distribute food and water to citizens after Hurricane Ida, at Mahalia Jackson Theater, New Orleans, Louisiana, in September. Photo by Sgt. Renee Seruntine, courtesy U.S. Army National Guard.

“People Are Relying on Us”—National Guard Evolves to Fight Wars, Secure Homefront

October 21, 2021
"Whatever the mission—combat deployments, Covid, wildfires, civil disturbances, or severe storms—the National Guard answered every call."
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Distribute-Ida-web.jpg 600 900 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2021-10-21 08:55:452021-11-18 21:48:56“People Are Relying on Us”—National Guard Evolves to Fight Wars, Secure Homefront

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.
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”
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."
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Boot-camp-web.jpg 600 900 Russell Hellyer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Russell Hellyer2021-09-01 08:14:402021-11-19 02:34:58“What Had We Done to Jeffery?”–Marine Relives Role in Hazing

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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“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 15:51:022021-11-19 22:02:36“One Stinking, Terrifying Hell”—When Soldiers and Butterflies Go to War

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 21:10:542021-06-07 20:12:03Farewell, Hello, Farewell, Hello.
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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Benjamin-Abel-and-Eric-Ellingson-prior-to-parachute-jump-Raeford-West-Drop-Zone.jpg 1024 1336 Benjamin Abel https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Benjamin Abel2020-11-25 09:50:352021-04-27 22:46:27“You Either Went to War or You Didn’t”—How Deployments Divide the Veteran Community

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
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 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

“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 09:30:432021-04-28 00:09:10“You Sound Like a Pervert”—Getting Lucky With Meatybob

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

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/AP_17073553368300-591x440.jpg 440 591 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-04-16 15:28:352020-12-16 13:07:23Officials Scramble to Punish Marines Responsible for Nude Photo Scandal
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Portrait-of-a-Woman-Triptych-by-artist-Steve-Alpert-1500x650-1.jpg 650 1500 Steve Alpert https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Steve Alpert2020-12-30 09:30:312021-04-27 22:09:45A Calling Through Art, Decades After Choosing Not to Serve

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/anderson-vav-3-1.jpg 1000 1500 Jack Crosbie https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jack Crosbie2017-07-26 19:04:412021-11-20 00:48:30She Found Solace in Art and Artifacts During War, and When She Came Home.

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 09:33:472021-11-19 20:53:06From One Battle to Another. “A New Fight I Never Expected.”
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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Community-relations-web.jpg 1402 2100 Joel Cuthbertson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joel Cuthbertson2021-07-14 08:44:592021-11-19 16:02:57Are Service Members Heroes, Victims, or Villains? You decide.
Larry Freeland stands in front of his CH-47 Chinook during the Vietnam War. Photo courtesy of the author.

“I’m Lucky to Be Alive Tonight”–Journals of War and Peace From Two Sides of the World

March 30, 2022
I didn’t want to unduly burden my family. Journalizing late into my evenings helped me to occasionally relax and release some stress.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/chinook-web.jpg 320 637 Larry Freeland https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Larry Freeland2022-03-30 08:33:192022-03-30 08:33:19“I’m Lucky to Be Alive Tonight”–Journals of War and Peace From Two Sides of the World

“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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/6493443-web-2100x1066-1.jpg 1066 2100 T.L.K https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png T.L.K2021-01-27 09:39:362021-04-27 21:35:27“Stay in Place”—a D.C. Guardsman Reflects on Military Orders to “Do Nothing” During the Siege on the U.S. Capitol

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
Lt. Gen Robert Cone (right), III Corps commanding general, and the corps’ senior noncommissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr., receive a briefing from Fort Hood law enforcement officers, including Eric Tangeman (center), outside the shooting site at Fort Hood. Thirteen people died and 30 more were wounded in the 2009 incident.

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

September 29, 2021
“Although the shows have been canceled, many of us don’t have the ability to press stop—to stop watching and find something new.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hood-web.jpg 1224 1840 Eric Tangeman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Eric Tangeman2021-09-29 09:45:502021-11-18 22:05:17“My Streaming Service”—Soldier Relives Traumas Like Reruns on Journey to Heal

“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 10:49:152021-11-19 20:55:41“Wars Are Real, Bullets Can Kill.”—Recalling the Death of My Invincibility
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. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/training-wall-web.jpg 667 1000 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2020-03-04 10:00:042021-11-19 19:00:06Moral Waivers for War—”I Was Shocked, but We Needed Men.”

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
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 09:30:382021-04-27 23:01:49“War Never Changes”—a Marine, a “Hardcore Warrior,” and a Connection Across Generations in Uniform

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 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 09:32:072021-04-28 00:00:30The Lore of Uncle Wally Leads a Family From Bagram to Meuse-Argonne

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Salute-web.jpg 626 960 Michelle Gradnigo https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michelle Gradnigo2021-07-28 08:23:402021-11-19 03:15:48Taking Unresponsive Leadership To Task as a Black Woman Army Officer

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

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

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
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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SpaceForcelaunch-1000x1000-1.jpg 1091 1000 Rowan Philp https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Rowan Philp2020-05-28 09:39:432020-11-23 16:33:39The Newest Military Branch—the Space Force

“They let us talk. They listened.” Adapting to Survive a War I Never Understood

May 5, 2021
“Elders questioned our motives, what we wanted, when we would leave,” writes a veteran of Afghanistan. “They let us talk. They listened.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shura-3-900x486-1.jpg 486 900 Joe Stanek https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joe Stanek2021-05-05 09:01:492021-11-19 17:12:25“They let us talk. They listened.” Adapting to Survive a War I Never Understood
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.
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 08:18:522021-04-27 21:09:21Chemicals. Chemicals. And More Chemicals. A Veteran Reflects on Her Time in Desert Storm

The Suicide Bombing of December 21 and What Came After

December 11, 2019
A reporter’s journey through war, trauma and healing
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MOSUL-IRAQ-DH1.jpg 1632 2464 Jeremy Redmon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jeremy Redmon2019-12-11 09:55:112021-11-19 20:44:01The Suicide Bombing of December 21 and What Came After

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/some-journeys-home.jpg 679 1300 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2017-09-27 19:25:162020-12-16 13:33:59Some Journeys Home From War End With a Bullet
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
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/VMA-2-web.jpeg 409 900 Lisa Tourtelot https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Lisa Tourtelot2021-08-20 09:33:302021-11-19 02:51:00I Took the Last Picture of a Good Man

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.

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
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/banner-image-2-scaled.jpg 1131 2560 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2020-12-01 10:00:492021-04-27 22:42:05Gag Order: How Marine Corps Culture Silenced a Victim of Sexual Assault

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Dane-and-daughter-900x518-1.jpg 518 900 Dane Sawyer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dane Sawyer2021-01-13 09:35:012021-04-27 22:01:30Following Service in Afghanistan, Parallels Emerge as a Military Spouse Battles Covid-19

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
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
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 09:53:092021-04-27 23:52:32Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment

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 21:11:102021-06-07 18:41:21My Afghan Friend Could Be Murdered Soon
writing-seminars - war-horse-seminar-4-1400x934.jpg

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/writing-seminars/war-horse-seminar-4-1400x934.jpg 934 1400 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2016-07-25 19:34:412021-06-07 18:13:56The Redemptive Power Of Lying

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
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tagab-web.jpg 1021 2100 Corbin Chesley https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Corbin Chesley2021-04-14 09:03:272021-04-27 19:04:13“Why Are You Leaving Now?”—a Rookie Afghan Policeman, a Combat Veteran, and a Shared Loss of Naivety
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/afghan-crew-web.jpg 600 800 Jack McCain https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jack McCain2021-05-12 09:23:442021-11-19 17:09:12For an “Afghan Hand,” Explosions and Crashes Echo Loss and “a Romanticized Idea of Adventure”

“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

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
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/marktplatz01_bgdadvent-900x601-web.jpg 601 900 Dave Boe https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dave Boe2020-06-10 09:31:102020-12-04 17:58:59Finding Peace in Lederhosen
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IMG_1929-blurred-feature.jpg 528 1015 Jen Burch https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jen Burch2021-08-18 09:35:102021-11-19 02:55:10The Sorrow and Defeat of Watching the Taliban Reclaim Afghanistan
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TBS-034-web.jpg 1467 1100 Anne Boaden https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anne Boaden2020-01-08 09:55:592021-11-19 20:32:42“This Is What Closure Feels Like”—the Aftermath of Miscarriage While Your Spouse Is Deployed

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

“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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DSC013841.jpg 1072 1500 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-03-21 20:30:422020-12-04 15:31:51“We Owned the Night”—a Midnight Raid in Iraq With Screaming Banshees
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

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

October 13, 2021
“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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Sandstorm-Iraq-2008-feature.jpg 738 1424 John Thampi https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png John Thampi2021-10-13 08:43:432021-11-18 21:59:40A Veteran’s Odyssey After Hanging up the Uniform in an America He Doesn’t Recognize
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 09:35:222021-11-19 17:40:16Hellfires and “Half-Smashed Bugs” in Sadr City

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Reading-2.jpg 801 1439 Ed Adams https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ed Adams2021-06-09 09:06:002021-11-19 16:38:03A Tramadol Overdose, Delivered by Mail. “I Was Addicted. It Was Easy to Get Them.”
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Two-voters-in-kirkuk-first-election-after-fall-of-saddam-hussien-purple-fingers.jpg 900 1500 Joshua Manning https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joshua Manning2020-10-28 09:29:032021-04-27 23:23:18“I Still Find Hope”—Purple Fingers, Steel Rain, and Getting “Messy” in a Combat Zone

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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Bagram-3.jpg 833 2100 Maurice Naylon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maurice Naylon2021-10-20 09:00:472021-11-18 21:53:22When I Hear a Far-off Boom, I Imagine the Worst

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

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 18:57:322021-06-07 17:57:57A War That Began As Children
Morgan Lerette stands in front of a mural of Saddam Hussein during the ground offensive in 2003.

Falling out of love with war: It could never live up to my expectations.

February 23, 2022
Both of us wanted to be together, war and I, but ultimately realized the relationship was unsalvageable as we clung to it hoping things would change.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/saddam-web.jpg 581 900 Morgan Lerette https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Morgan Lerette2022-02-23 08:27:502022-02-23 08:27:50Falling out of love with war: It could never live up to my expectations.

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

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”

“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 09:30:242021-04-27 22:53:27“It Would Be a Mistake to Underestimate Russia”: The New Cold War That’s Emerging in the Arctic

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/MountainWarfareintheMountains.jpg 667 1000 Adrian Bonenberger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Adrian Bonenberger2016-09-11 15:35:212021-06-07 18:47:24Opening The Window And Making Love To The World

“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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Mid-March-010-banner-high-scaled.jpg 1184 2560 Nick Fox https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nick Fox2020-04-01 09:43:442020-12-04 14:59:31“I Thought I Was Going to Die”—Explosions and an Easter Sunday Service in Iraq
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?
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Capitol-web.jpg 1400 2100 Drew F. Lawrence https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew F. Lawrence2021-04-07 09:06:452021-04-27 19:30:35“Our Backgrounds Are Not Monolithic”—a Look Inside the Military’s Conversation About Extremism in Uniform
Navy Fire Control Technician 1st Class Quincy Miller embraces his family after the fast-attack submarine USS Texas arrived home after a seven-month deployment. Photo by Chief Mass Communication Spc. Amanda Gray, photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.

May 18, 2022
The costs will be time. We will have precious little of it with our sailors. The costs are real people and real families.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Little-Girls-web.jpg 427 640 Jenny Lynne Stroup https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenny Lynne Stroup2022-05-18 09:41:162022-05-18 09:49:10The Threat of War Is Shifting, and We Intend to Win. But It Will Come at a Cost.
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 10:00:092021-11-19 19:02:25Why Isn’t Infertility in Military Women a Bigger Conversation?

“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

“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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/failure-to-fire.jpg 417 1300 Dustin Jones https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dustin Jones2017-10-18 21:07:072020-12-16 13:03:49Misfire. “My Friends Are Dying. And I Can’t Save Them.”

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/James-Jerry-Ryals-poses-in-Navy-uniform-featured.jpeg 510 900 James T. Ryals https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png James T. Ryals2021-08-11 09:18:142021-11-19 03:08:16At Basic Training, Dad Was Sent to an Iron Chamber. It Was Filled with Mustard Gas

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TheFall50.jpg 640 960 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2016-09-11 20:21:402021-06-07 19:41:02Trapped in the Amber of this Moment
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sonner-Kehrt-Coast-Guard-Deployment-on-Healy-Arctic-Circle.jpg 1068 2100 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2021-01-20 09:30:222021-04-27 21:55:06Becoming a Lobster and Surviving the Monotony of a Coast Guard Deployment to the Arctic Circle

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?”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Infil-3-web.jpg 1400 2100 Matthew Hanes https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Matthew Hanes2021-03-10 08:30:592021-04-27 20:54:57Infil: Where Two-Dimensional PowerPoints and Rock Talk Meet “Visceral Lethality”

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/dsc_7487.jpg 668 1000 Jenny Pacanowski https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenny Pacanowski2017-09-11 18:37:482020-12-16 13:15:22She Awoke to a Different World

“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.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/author-with-marines-from-his-section-web-2.jpg 700 1920 Paul Gainey https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Paul Gainey2021-04-28 09:00:262021-11-19 17:20:21“I Drew the Line at Lying to Reporters”—a Military Spokesman Calls for Increased Accountability and Transparency

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 22:10:072021-06-07 20:32:28Guns, Booze, and Suicide: How “Stupid” Saved A Life
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Jackie-Munn-wedding.jpeg 665 1000 Jackie Munn https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jackie Munn2018-10-24 13:30:372020-12-04 17:55:55Crossing the Line of Departure as a Woman in Special Operations
David Rich, left, takes a selfie with his son, Noah Rich. Photo courtesy of the author.

“War Is Indefinable”–For Some, War Is Combat. But It’s Not That Simple.

November 11, 2021
For a long time, I thought military service fit on one of two sides of a coin. It was either war, meaning combat and fighting, or it wasn’t.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/noah-rich-and-his-dad.jpg 676 900 Noah Rich https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Noah Rich2021-11-11 08:45:452021-11-18 20:59:58“War Is Indefinable”–For Some, War Is Combat. But It’s Not That Simple.
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
Since World War II, the military has poisoned countless service members through toxic exposures and secret testing.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/tests-web.png 638 1958 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2021-08-12 09:24:462021-11-19 03:00:58Exposed: Burn Pits May Force the Military to Acknowledge Generations of Poisoned Veterans

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AnAfghancivilianwatchesapassingAmericanpatrol.jpg 1423 1405 Drew Pham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Drew Pham2018-09-12 13:22:582020-12-16 12:59:17Letters To My Country That She Will Never Read, Part 2
Mohammed Nazir, far left, and Will Martin, far right, attend a post-deployment function with other members of the 49th Military Police Brigade in Fairfield, California, in 2010, shortly after a yearlong tour in Iraq. Photo courtesy of the author.

As Much Soldier as Muslim, More Patriot Than Believer

January 26, 2022
I can’t grasp how anyone can eat, sleep, and fight alongside the stunning diversity of the U.S. military and emerge more entrenched in their echo chambers.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Martin-group-web.jpg 480 720 Will Martin https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Will Martin2022-01-26 09:02:212022-01-26 09:02:21As Much Soldier as Muslim, More Patriot Than Believer
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/graduation-1-e1561478507458.jpeg 1512 2016 Maggie Seymour https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maggie Seymour2019-06-26 09:00:592020-12-04 14:48:32A Marine Officer, an Uber, and the Arrest
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 08:50:222021-11-19 17:48:24A Sailor Signs Up to Escape Poverty, Finds Terror Instead
Lisa Torem’s father played in the U.S. Army band. Photo courtesy of the author.

After Dad Died, I Cleaned Out the Garage. That’s When I Saw the Rusty Metal Box.

December 1, 2021
Inside the box, I found a folded-up, yellowed newspaper with a headline in bold print that read, “The War is Over!” and a set of dog tags.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Army-band-web.jpg 1076 2100 Lisa Torem https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Lisa Torem2021-12-01 09:15:492021-12-01 09:16:35After Dad Died, I Cleaned Out the Garage. That’s When I Saw the Rusty Metal Box.
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Jon-Stewart-and-John-Feal-selfie.jpg 1400 2100 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2020-11-03 10:55:312021-04-27 23:17:27“We’re Better Than This”—Jon Stewart, Veterans Advocates Rally for Bipartisan Burn Pit Legislation

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

June 3, 2021
The thieves stole nearly $460,000. Then the Treasury awarded them another five-year contract, despite IG audits revealing alleged fraud and mismanagement.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Comerica-feature-web.jpg 960 2100 Courtney Mabeus https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Courtney Mabeus