fbpx

Support award-winning reporting on military service and war.

Help us grow
The War Horse
  • About
  • Writing Seminars
  • Our Impact
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Link to: Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 

Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story

The day after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, managing editor Kelly Kennedy tells us what it was like to first report on burn pits.

SONNER KEHRT
Link to: Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 
Link to: No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

Another day of training in the books—and another night spent letting loose the inner beast.

TOM WYATT
Link to: No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

Link to: Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 
Link to: Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 

Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story

The day after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, managing editor Kelly Kennedy tells us what it was like to first report on burn pits.

SONNER KEHRT
Link to: No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.
Link to: No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

Another day of training in the books—and another night spent letting loose the inner beast.

TOM WYATT

  • Gender
  • Healthcare
  • Human Rights
  • Military Families
  • Policy
  • Reflections
  • Science
Airman 1st Class Mary Amstead, 23rd Wing judge advocate general law paralegal, poses with an assortment of alcohol bottles at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Illustration by Airman 1st Class Daniel Snider, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

August 10, 2022|in Reflections | Tom Wyatt

Another day of training in the books—and another night spent letting loose the inner beast.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Drinking-web.jpg 599 900 Tom Wyatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tom Wyatt2022-08-10 07:58:252022-08-10 07:58:25No One Promised Tomorrow so We Lived for Today. But Before Victory Came, I Flamed Out.

I Had Seen What ‘Lock and Load’ Meant to This Drunk and Rowdy Rabble, and I Wanted Out

August 3, 2022|in Reflections | Captain R. Van

This was “Old Navy,” with its emphasis on secrecy, drinking, and sexually disparaging language and acts. But it sure was fun.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Chief-Int-Pg-2-Bowling-ball-feature-web.jpg 556 900 Captain R. Van https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Captain R. Van2022-08-03 09:06:092022-08-03 09:06:09I Had Seen What ‘Lock and Load’ Meant to This Drunk and Rowdy Rabble, and I Wanted Out

Information Is a Weapon, Same as a Gun. We Can Measure the Value of Both in Blood.

July 27, 2022|in Reflections | Nathan Webster

What kind of inconvenience does getting shot by Americans measure out to be for an Iraqi shepherd?

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/US-Patrol-1900x705-1.jpg 705 1900 Nathan Webster https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Webster2022-07-27 09:33:342022-07-27 09:33:34Information Is a Weapon, Same as a Gun. We Can Measure the Value of Both in Blood.

THE LATEST

July 14, 2022

“Quietly Heroic”—Journalist Returns to Ukraine with American Veterans to Help Her People

July 13, 2022

We Didn’t Just Fold a Flag. We Delivered the Gratitude of a Nation to Our Hero. 

July 7, 2022

As Troops Face Mounting Demands to Serve in Crises, Civilian Employers Are Firing Them

July 6, 2022

They Want to Know the World Cares and That They Are Not Alone

June 30, 2022

“It’s Scary as Hell”—PFAS Exposure a “Widespread” Problem for Troops, Families Nationwide

Award-Winning Journalism in Your Inbox

  • Email address

FROM OUR FELLOWS

“I Thought You’d Be Bigger”—a Soldier and Irish Mist Adrift in the Fog of War

July 4, 2018|in Reflections | Brendan O 'Byrne

Brendan O’Byrne returned home from the Korengal to a chorus of civilians calling him a hero. For years he’s struggled to define that word for himself.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/irish-mist.jpg 610 1200 Brendan O 'Byrne https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Brendan O 'Byrne2018-07-04 15:41:162020-12-04 14:59:54“I Thought You’d Be Bigger”—a Soldier and Irish Mist Adrift in the Fog of War

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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

October 1, 2017|in Investigations, Newsroom | Thomas J. Brennan

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

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

July 7, 2017|in Reflections | Nina Semczuk

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
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|in Reflections | Eric Tangeman

“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

EXPLORE TOPICS

GENDER

“Proudly She Served”–Their Tragedies and Triumphs Taught Me What True Courage Is

June 8, 2022|in Reflections | Steve Alpert

Hearing their stories and then telling their stories in paint made me stand a little taller and gave me confidence to take on more challenging projects.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/portraits-2.jpg 600 1900 Steve Alpert https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Steve Alpert2022-06-08 09:14:272022-06-08 09:14:27“Proudly She Served”–Their Tragedies and Triumphs Taught Me What True Courage Is
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
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.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Joseph-Simboli-web-6.jpg 600 900 Joseph Simbol Jr. https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joseph Simbol Jr.2022-05-11 09:21:422022-05-16 09:51:24We Trudged Through an Unknown, Unexperienced Evil—Unaware How That Evil Took Hold in Us
INVESTIGATIONS

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

June 3, 2021|in Investigations | Courtney Mabeus

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 Mabeus2021-06-03 10:27:382021-11-19 16:55:24“They’re Like Sitting Ducks” — Treasury Renews Controversial VA Banking Service Amid Proceedings, Allegations of Defrauded Veterans
MILITARY FAMILIES
Sean Paul, left, and his gunner charcoaled their faces as Iraq launched scud missiles just after U.S. troops crossed the border. Troops used charcoal as a way to absorb any chemical agents as they donned their gas masks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Note to Self: When They Come for You in the Night, Don’t Give Up. Fight Back. 

July 20, 2022|in Reflections | Sean Paul

Through it all—the good and the bad—always remember you will achieve your goal. Keep your chin up, endure, and always remember: It will be OK.

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/face-paint.jpg 368 604 Sean Paul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sean Paul2022-07-20 09:43:012022-07-20 09:43:01Note to Self: When They Come for You in the Night, Don’t Give Up. Fight Back. 
SCIENCE & TECH
U.S. service members were intentionally exposed to toxic agents, such as nitrogen mustard, during World War II. Photo courtesy of the Naval Research Laboratory.

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

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

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

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
POLICY

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

April 8, 2021|in Investigations, Newsroom | Kelly Kennedy

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

https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/MOPP-feature.jpg 550 1224 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2021-04-08 08:32:212021-11-19 17:22:42Gulf War Illness Treatments Discovered. Will Veterans Affairs Officials Listen Now?

TRENDING

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

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

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

I Finally Understood That This Thing We Call War Is Real and Hurts People

November 11, 2021
Realizing war causes pain and suffering to those brave enough to face it, I felt shock and empathy for all those in service.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Museum-crop-web.jpg 600 900 Virginia Hudson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Virginia Hudson2021-11-11 08:40:182021-11-18 21:12:02I Finally Understood That This Thing We Call War Is Real and Hurts People

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

January 15, 2020
A Marine Corps officer’s story of pain, stress, and a call to action to start honest conversations about mental health
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_4179-large.jpg 1360 2048 Janell Hanf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Janell Hanf2020-01-15 10:00:062021-11-19 20:22:11No Really, How Are You Doing? Asking Important Questions About Military Suicide
Lee Herron, left, and David Nelson are commissioned as second lieutenants on June 7, 1967, after graduating from Texas Tech University. Photo courtesy of the author.

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

February 17, 2021
For decades, he searched for information about a friend killed during in Vietnam, a journey that ended visiting the gravesite with the Marine’s mother.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nelson-and-Herron-web.jpg 838 1196 David Nelson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Nelson2021-02-17 09:14:292021-04-27 21:13:51A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War

“Come on, You Sons of Bitches, Do You Want to Live Forever?”– A Hero Rises Among Heroes

March 2, 2022
In a room full of Medal of Honor recipients, Dan Daly provides inspiration.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/14_Roberts-featured.jpg 472 681 Charley Roberts https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Charley Roberts2022-03-02 09:11:182022-03-02 09:11:18“Come on, You Sons of Bitches, Do You Want to Live Forever?”– A Hero Rises Among Heroes

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
Members of the New Jersey National Guard’s A Troop and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Division, converse with U.S. Capitol Police before performing a roving patrol at the U.S. Capitol, where just hours later a vehicle rammed a police barricade and a suspect killed one USCP officer and sent another to the hospital. The troops pulled patrol at the Capitol after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Whitney Hughes, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

He Liked the Pro-America, Pro-Constitution Vibe. But He Liked the Rage, Too.

June 23, 2022
The KKK is shifting toward a more militia-style environment, targeting veterans for recruitment, valuing their skills and preying on their patriotism.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Capitol-2-web.jpg 601 900 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2022-06-23 08:58:242022-07-07 08:45:52He Liked the Pro-America, Pro-Constitution Vibe. But He Liked the Rage, Too.

When Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

September 11, 2016
Following 9/11, Matthew Hefti left college to serve in the Air Force. Hefti reflects on his promises to remember and all the things he chooses to forget.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Hefti2.jpg 1125 1500 Matthew Hefti https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Matthew Hefti2016-09-11 20:45:172021-06-07 19:45:13When Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

Marines United: New Symptom. Old Problem.

July 14, 2017
Sexual assault and harassment in the military are nothing new, but the advent of the internet has kicked the enduring impact on victims up a notch.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DanRather.png 755 1440 Andrea Januta https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrea Januta2017-07-14 20:51:232021-09-09 21:49:06Marines United: New Symptom. Old Problem.
Capt. Dave Kenney, Headquarter Support Battalion platoon leader (right), 1-37 Field Artillery, prepares to send a squad in to clear the objective during a training exercise at Forward Operating Base Endurance. Mosul, Sept. 9, 2004. Photo courtesy of Staff Sergeant Gretel Weiskopf

The Stories I Share as a Woman Veteran

December 18, 2019
A former Army photojournalist and combat medic grapples with how much people should know about war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1451.jpg 1200 1626 Gretel Weiskopf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gretel Weiskopf2019-12-18 08:30:192021-11-19 20:38:20The Stories I Share as a Woman Veteran

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.

Betrayal, Sedatives, and the Long Road Home

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

From Deployment to Homecoming. And a Pregnancy During Lockdown.

August 25, 2021
Four days after he returned home from deployment, our first lockdown in England began. We went from extreme separation to extreme togetherness.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BOA-39-web.jpg 459 900 Anne Boaden https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anne Boaden2021-08-25 08:53:552021-11-19 02:41:19From Deployment to Homecoming. And a Pregnancy During Lockdown.

“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

“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

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

February 8, 2017
Civilians are always asking what war is like. Dustin Jones wonders what to tell them about his deployment, or if he even should.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/flag.jpg 1000 1500 Dustin Jones https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dustin Jones2017-02-08 21:00:332020-11-24 00:23:19You Don’t Know, and I Don’t Wanna Tell Ya
Nathan Lowry says he attempted to practice his Arabic with anyone willing to listen during his first deployment, including this hefty Barbary macaque. Photo courtesy of Nathan Lowry.

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

December 9, 2020
“Guess it’s time to find The Lion King in Pashto.” A Marine studies Disney classics in Arabic to prepare for the Iraq war only to be sent to Afghanistan.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Nathan-Lowry-with-macaque-3.jpg 1110 2100 Nathan Lowry https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Lowry2020-12-09 09:30:362021-11-19 17:33:52To Prepare for War, Dubbed Disney Classics and a Detour to the “Wild West”
Navy LT Stephen Thompson, the author’s son, in Afghanistan, 2013. Photo courtesy Sarah Colby

When It’s Hard to Be a Military Mom

April 22, 2020
It was one thing to be a military spouse during peacetime. It was quite another to have a spouse and eventually a child serve during a war.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LT-Thompson-Afghanistan-2013-Credit-Unknown.jpg 638 960 Sarah Colby https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sarah Colby2020-04-22 09:42:482021-11-19 18:06:54When It’s Hard to Be a Military Mom

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

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
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”
James Donzella worked, for a while, as a colonel’s driver in Pleiku, Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the author.

Pedal to the Metal in a White-Knuckled Race Against Time

June 15, 2022
As I brought the jeep to a screeching halt in front of the terminal entrance, I noticed the colonel’s face had drained of color.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/jeep-2-web.jpg 1066 1398 James Donzella https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png James Donzella2022-06-15 09:12:082022-06-15 09:12:08Pedal to the Metal in a White-Knuckled Race Against Time

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

March 31, 2021
“We spend a lot of our time wondering, mostly alone, sometimes aloud,” writes a Marine officer, “if what we’re doing makes any difference, to anyone.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Syria-web.jpg 1137 2100 John Vrolyk https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png John Vrolyk2021-03-31 09:25:572021-04-27 19:36:40The Marine Corps’ Fight to ‘Degrade and Defeat ISIS’ Using ‘Reagan-Flavored’ Kool-Aid

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

April 11, 2018
Anxiety over the military sexual trauma she withstood plagued Rachael Harris when she came home. Her adopted dog, Fern, barreled through those walls.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Notamorninggirl.jpg 1124 1500 Rachael Harris https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Rachael Harris2018-04-11 22:18:102021-11-19 22:05:51My Therapy Dog’s Name Is Fern And She Taught Me Gratitude
An ammunition specialist carries a 105 mm armor-piercing, discarding sabot round, to be used in an M1 Abrams tank, during Desert Shield. Photo by Sgt. Brain Cumper, courtesy of U.S. Army.

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

February 25, 2021
The Pentagon expected roughly 40% of Americans would be wounded or killed but “the Iraqi army wasn’t nearly as formidable as everyone made them out to be.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Ammunition-specialist-web.jpg 605 900 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2021-02-25 14:45:462021-04-27 21:04:19Fighting to Go Home: Operation Desert Storm, 30 Years Later
An Iraqi man out on patrol with U.S. soldiers takes a break beneath a bridge. Photo by Nathan S. Webster.

A Journalist’s Favorite Image Mirrors a  Loss

September 23, 2020
A journalist learns of death that paralleled the moment he took his favorite picture.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Break-Beneath-a-Bridge-web.jpg 734 979 Nathan Webster https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathan Webster2020-09-23 09:26:102021-04-27 23:56:22A Journalist’s Favorite Image Mirrors a  Loss
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

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

March 24, 2021
As a woman, I never knew if a soldier was approaching me to correct a crooked beret or to ask for my number,” writes an Army veteran of Fort Hood.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/candle-web.jpg 762 2000 Bettina Hindes https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Bettina Hindes2021-03-24 09:47:362021-04-27 20:32:55Becoming a Veteran After Choosing to Forget My Military Service at Fort Hood

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? 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/LEGACY_-40X78-Oil-on-linen.jpg 417 800 Steve Alpert https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Steve Alpert2021-11-17 09:01:302021-11-18 20:47:52Life Marches On and Only a Few Hold Onto the Echoes of History

“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

Care Packages a Powerful Symbol of the Military-Civilian Divide

December 16, 2020
Many care packages included notes calling troops “heroes,” and gratitude for “protecting America’s freedom.” These, to many of us, rang hollow.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/troops0-deliver-care-packages-900x600-1.jpg 600 900 Andrew James McCormick https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrew James McCormick2020-12-16 09:30:442021-04-27 22:23:46Care Packages a Powerful Symbol of the Military-Civilian Divide
Naylon on an operation in a village outside of Bagram, Afghanistan, 2014. Photo credit: Spc. Jamill Ford for U.S. Army

Leaders Are Forged as a Rocket Falls

June 17, 2020
In a time of crisis, initiative trumps authority when authority fails to lead.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pic-3-1800x600-1.jpg 600 1800 Maurice Naylon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Maurice Naylon2020-06-17 09:27:392020-12-04 18:57:21Leaders Are Forged as a Rocket Falls
investigations

The Impact of Our Reporting About Marines United

March 4, 2017
The War Horse and Reveal broke the Marines United nude photo scandal March 4, 2017. The U.S. Marines Corps and Navy leadership and Congressional politicians responded quickly to the scandal in the weeks following publication.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/investigations.jpg 600 1000 Anna Hiatt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anna Hiatt2017-03-04 19:15:282021-11-20 01:08:16The Impact of Our Reporting About Marines United

Like Roses And Mustard Gas

September 11, 2016
Gerardo Mena left active duty with the Navy ten years ago. Friends died at war overseas and continue to die at home by suicide. On the 15th anniversary of 9/11, he recalls a eulogy for a friend.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10.jpg 640 640 Gerardo Mena https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gerardo Mena2016-09-11 20:16:122021-06-07 19:37:25Like Roses And Mustard Gas

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_3161.jpg 665 1000 Brandon Lingle https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Brandon Lingle2016-08-06 18:02:202021-06-07 18:29:57Relics Of War And The Stories They Share
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Charles Dane adds weight to the bar during a 2018 Defense Department Warrior Games powerlifting practice at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dane was medically retired from the military after a 19-year career. Photo by Cpl. Juan Madrigal, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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

July 9, 2020
An overhaul of the Army, Air Force, and Navy’s medical services doesn’t appear to be going to plan, with 10 kidney transplant recipients left in the lurch.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Kidney2-900-600.jpg 600 900 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2020-07-09 09:30:332020-11-23 16:15:26Your Kidneys Are Failing and Your Doctor Has Just Deployed. Now What?

Sharky’s and “The Golden Boy”—Military Justice Abandons the Vulnerable to Protect the Powerful

April 28, 2022
The Marine Corps has hidden the track records of attorneys whose misconduct and disregard for the rule of law has jeopardized the welfare of Marines.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1000w_q95.jpg-50-web.jpg 586 1000 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2022-04-28 09:12:282022-07-21 12:38:50Sharky’s and “The Golden Boy”—Military Justice Abandons the Vulnerable to Protect the Powerful
Hoppin chatting with cadets at the Air Force Academy before a Board of Visitors meeting.

Forced Pivots and Finding Purpose as a Military Spouse

September 4, 2019
How the founder of the National Military Spouse Network reignited her career after years out of the workforce
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/air-force-academy-e1567617103969.jpg 827 1439 Sue Hoppin https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sue Hoppin2019-09-04 13:12:412020-12-04 17:59:19Forced Pivots and Finding Purpose as a Military Spouse
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
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

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.”

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

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

I’ve Never Looked More Dignified on a Hike

March 26, 2019
After Sweden enacted gender-neutral conscription in early 2018, Teresa Fazio traveled there to ask how it works and what the U.S. can learn.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/COLOR-EDIT-Hike-ready.jpg 1333 2000 Teresa Fazio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Teresa Fazio2019-03-26 13:00:092021-11-19 21:03:50I’ve Never Looked More Dignified on a Hike

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/333070_2296013450748_1960900_o.jpg 563 1000 Nina Semczuk https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nina Semczuk2017-09-06 16:48:432020-12-04 17:50:17Balancing Authority and Understanding as a Young Lieutenant

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

June 30, 2021
The DOD treats climate change as a catastrophic threat to national security. “A shrinking polar ice cap doesn’t just mean thinking about polar bears.”
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
Stephen Caldwell hugs his father, the namesake of his newborn son, after returning home from Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of the author.

‘I Daydreamed About Being a Hero’

August 23, 2021
For years, he waited to go to Afghanistan, to use his training, to prove himself. Now he tries to define ‘why.’
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Marine-Reservist-Stephen-Caldwell-embraces-father-at-Homecoming-from-service-in-Afghanistan.jpg 517 900 Stephen Caldwell https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Stephen Caldwell2021-08-23 09:22:172021-11-19 02:47:04‘I Daydreamed About Being a Hero’
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?

Learning to Listen on Denali

February 1, 2017
Margaux Mange helped teach Pat Gault to seek out war stories of all stripes. Their chance meeting on Denali changed his life.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4banger.jpg 834 1455 Pat Gault https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Pat Gault2017-02-01 20:05:592020-12-16 12:58:36Learning to Listen on Denali

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

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

Going Back To The Slaughterhouse For Souvenirs Of The War

September 11, 2016
Pete Lucier missed the fighting days of the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars. He describes the lack of strategy plaguing this era of war on the anniversary of 9/11.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1000w_q95.jpg 667 1000 Peter Lucier https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Peter Lucier2016-09-11 22:01:052021-06-07 20:23:09Going Back To The Slaughterhouse For Souvenirs Of The War

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

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

January 31, 2018
Augusto Giacoman’s humanity was reduced to instinct as the rockets began to hit, and he understood how the frog he’d encountered as a child must have felt.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/CPTGiacomanbeforearaidinSadrCity.jpg 1125 1500 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-01-31 19:12:102020-11-23 23:29:43The Frog’s Revenge Came in the Form of Iraqi Rockets
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.

“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

“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

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

April 25, 2018
Augusto Giacoman parked his Stryker under the streetlights and then the bomb exploded. What happened next is a hazy mixture of memory and nightmare.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Recall-and-Regress-the-war-horse-header.jpg 1050 1600 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2018-04-25 15:45:092020-12-16 13:13:09Remembering the Day I Parked Our Stryker on Top of an IED

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
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

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
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
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”
Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Sam Castro; his wife, Liz; and their two sons, Enrique and Vicente. Photo by Trish Alegre-Smith, courtesy of SoYourLife Photography.

“Don’t Go Here. They’ll Kill You.”—LGBTQ Troops, Families Face Mounting Discrimination With New Laws

June 9, 2022
“Service members should not have to choose between serving their country and protecting and serving their family.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Castro-family-web.jpg 643 900 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2022-06-09 09:19:382022-06-09 16:51:43“Don’t Go Here. They’ll Kill You.”—LGBTQ Troops, Families Face Mounting Discrimination With New Laws

His Closest Brush With Combat Was a Dramatic Helicopter Landing

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

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/820885_10200520605958032_237597265_o.jpg 844 1500 Joy Craig https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Joy Craig2017-07-17 20:56:032020-12-16 13:02:17Marines’ Wives Are All the Same, She Thought. And Then She Met Liesel

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
Marines perform during a sunset parade on July 10, 2018. Photo by Lance Cpl. James Bourgeois, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

How “Sugar Daddy Deals” and a “Black Book” Deny Service Members Justice

April 7, 2022
“At some level, the knowledge that your system is unjust can lead units to fracture. It can directly harm readiness.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1000w_q95.jpg-27.jpg 667 1000 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2022-04-07 09:42:542022-07-21 12:35:13How “Sugar Daddy Deals” and a “Black Book” Deny Service Members Justice

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
Ia Drang Valley Battle

A Long-Awaited Reunion for Two Black Veterans

November 27, 2019
An older incarcerated veteran gets a visit from a former combat infantryman that he served with in Vietnam.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Ia-Drang-Valley-Battle.jpg 419 640 R. Tyson Smith https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png R. Tyson Smith2019-11-27 09:25:502021-11-19 20:49:20A Long-Awaited Reunion for Two Black Veterans

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

April 21, 2021
A Military Child Learns What It Means to Be an American. By Leaving - “So, where are you from?”... I didn’t know where I was from.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Quevy-web-2.jpg 772 1280 Nathalie Grogan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nathalie Grogan2021-04-21 08:00:212022-05-25 08:46:25A Military Child Learns What It Means to Be an American. By Leaving

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

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
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

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

November 11, 2016
Seven years ago this month Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter suffered grievous wounds after shielding another Marine from a grenade blast in Afghanistan. Somehow, he survived. This is the story of his remarkable recovery.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/KYLECARPENTER_TWH_EliotDudik_66.jpg 1000 1500 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2016-11-11 21:27:102021-11-20 01:13:30Rebuilding Honor: How Kyle Carpenter Came Back From The Brink Of Death

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

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
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

Ignore The Awful Times, And Concentrate On The Good Ones

September 11, 2016
Michael Penney ran through the halls of his high school when 9/11 first happened. On the tenth anniversary he ran through fields and canals in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Afghan.-over-watch-michaelJ.Penney.jpg 540 720 Michael Penney https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Michael Penney2016-09-11 19:23:152021-06-07 19:15:36Ignore The Awful Times, And Concentrate On The Good Ones
The sun rises over Forward Operating Base Bermel, Paktika province, Afghanistan, in 2006. Photo courtesy of the author.

The Countryside Is as Much a Place of Peace as War

June 1, 2022
The Afghan countryside is where the white-hot heart of the Taliban has always beaten strongest.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Picture3_SunriseonForwardOperatingBaseBermel-2007_JMacAdam.jpeg 623 924 J.G.P. MacAdam https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png J.G.P. MacAdam2022-06-01 09:22:042022-06-01 09:22:04The Countryside Is as Much a Place of Peace as War

War Memorials, a Honeymoon, and the Conflict of Life

November 21, 2018
Liz O’Herrin Lee finds peace in an unknown future in the presence of Australia’s living memorial built by and for the country’s World War I veterans.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/13-–-Cover-Lee.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 Lee2018-11-21 13:28:162020-11-23 21:23:06War Memorials, a Honeymoon, and the Conflict of Life

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
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

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

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

“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

Playing on the Edges of Empire: Special Operations Forces Face Uncertain Future

November 4, 2021
SOF exists to fight in uncertainty, but with the war in Afghanistan officially over, it’s about to enter a world of competitors and state actors looking for an adjusted world order.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/divers-crop-web.jpg 511 900 Kevin Maurer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kevin Maurer2021-11-04 09:15:532021-11-18 21:32:31Playing on the Edges of Empire: Special Operations Forces Face Uncertain Future
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
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
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

Pop Bangers, “Barbie Girl,” and IED Explosions

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

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

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

The 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
coronavirus

The Circus Is Coming to Town

March 25, 2020
As the United States grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, a former corpsman trained in infectious disease epidemiology understands what’s at stake.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/AdobeStock_306423053.jpg 1309 2450 Johnnie Gilpen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Johnnie Gilpen2020-03-25 09:48:262021-11-19 18:16:28The Circus Is Coming to Town
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

“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

Less Than a Year After 9/11, She Fell in Love With a Marine

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

“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
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
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

“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
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.”
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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/nate1.jpg 1061 1500 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2017-11-01 18:37:022020-12-16 13:08:07One Marine’s Struggle to Find Purpose After Military Service
Dillon Fishman looks through binoculars aboard the USS Tortuga during amphibious training in southeast Asia when he served as the executive officer of the landing force. Photo courtesy of the author.

Her Willingness to Speak Truth in Spite of Fear Left a Lasting Impression

November 24, 2021
I still remember the day when my mentor said, “We gotta go see about a chick who was banging the baseball coach while her husband was away.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Tortuga-1-web.jpg 1400 2100 Dillon Fishman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Dillon Fishman2021-11-24 07:12:472021-11-24 07:12:47Her Willingness to Speak Truth in Spite of Fear Left a Lasting Impression

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

Military Suicide a Different Kind of Plague

May 1, 2019
After two men from the same unit killed themselves, maddening questions about life take their place for those who remain.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Kilo-company-lines-up.jpg 3080 5472 Nate Eckman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Nate Eckman2019-05-01 12:00:332021-11-19 21:01:11Military Suicide a Different Kind of Plague

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

May 13, 2020
One small mistake causes the unnecessary death of a Cobra pilot in a combat zone.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Afghanistan-2-005-2100x700-web.jpg 700 2100 Anne Boaden https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Anne Boaden2020-05-13 09:40:062021-11-19 18:04:18One Small Mistake, a Helicopter Crash, and a Combat Memorial

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.”
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
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.
Roy and Andrew van Wey in Husaybah, Iraq. Photo courtesy of the author.

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

August 12, 2020
After an IED exploded in Iraq, a badly burned Marine asks his brother if his teammates survived. “He knows I won’t lie to him. We are both warriors.”
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/roy-and-andrew-van-wey-iraq.jpg 469 604 Andrew van Wey https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Andrew van Wey2020-08-12 09:35:582021-11-19 17:44:06“They Didn’t Make It?”—When Your Brother’s Homecoming Starts in a Burn Ward
Family, friends, and loved ones visit gravesites in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on Memorial Day in 2019. Every year over Memorial Day weekend, more than 142,000 visitors come to Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Elizabeth Fraser, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

I Have a Future Because of Those at Arlington, Where the Ground Is Sown With Tears

May 25, 2022
They rest together, these disparate generations, due to a lack of available space: Arlington is running out of it.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Memorial-day-feature-web.jpg 1034 1900 Ivan F. Ingraham https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Ivan F. Ingraham2022-05-25 08:42:392022-05-25 08:42:39I Have a Future Because of Those at Arlington, Where the Ground Is Sown With Tears

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
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.

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”

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

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

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

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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/100704-Z-FR744-057.jpg 1004 1500 J.P. Lawrence https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png J.P. Lawrence2016-09-11 19:39:492021-06-07 19:18:53Everything Is Supposed To Be Quiet After A Massacre

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

Rage and the Manger

December 25, 2019
Back from a deployment and triggered by the mundane, a former infantry officer discovers his unprovoked rage. 
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1st-PLT-Christmas-Dinner-feature.jpg 490 1389 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2019-12-25 09:00:082021-11-19 20:41:03Rage and the Manger

“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

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.

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”

Advocates Activated by Marines United Are Gathering Strength

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

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

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

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

Photographing Innocence Amidst The Chaos And Silence Of War

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

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.
Kacy Tellesen and Kyle Huth on a sweep-and-clear mission in Haqlaniyah, Iraq. Photo courtesy of the author.

Now When I Think About Valentine’s Day, I Think About Grenades

November 3, 2021
Unlike the movies, the scene doesn’t cut away after a tragedy. You can’t flash forward to a better time.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Kasy-Tellesen-and-Kyle-Huth-sweep-andclear-mission-Haqlaniyah-Iraq-web.jpg 640 960 Kacy Tellessen https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kacy Tellessen2021-11-03 09:37:412021-11-18 21:41:22Now When I Think About Valentine’s Day, I Think About Grenades
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

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

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”
Emily Miller celebrates National Coming Out Day at Harvard Business School with the school’s LGBT student association.

Gay Veteran Sees Racism as a Tougher Fight

June 24, 2020
All movements must include the fight against racism—and that looks different from other protests.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LGBT-Student-Association-at-Harvard-web-2.jpg 637 900 Emily Miller https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Emily Miller2020-06-24 09:13:592021-11-19 17:54:52Gay Veteran Sees Racism as a Tougher Fight

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 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

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
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”

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

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

Learning to Breathe Through the Journey of Addiction and PTSD

July 6, 2017
Heroin allowed Jenny Pacanowski to escape her PTSD in small doses. To get sober she had to deal with her trauma head-on, or accept that she would die.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/banner.jpg 475 713 Jenny Pacanowski https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jenny Pacanowski2017-07-06 20:00:562021-11-20 01:02:58Learning to Breathe Through the Journey of Addiction and PTSD

“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

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
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?

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

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

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

August 19, 2021
He served with Marines and earned U.S. citizenship. His wife’s was denied. Now, they wait in Kabul, for the Taliban or her visa—whichever arrives first.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Marine-with-kids-1.jpeg 1400 2100 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2021-08-19 08:20:252021-11-19 02:57:25My Afghan Interpreter Earned His U.S. Citizenship. Then He Left.

Fixed Bayonets—Paratroopers and Banzai at Grubbs Ravine

December 17, 2020
In this excerpt from Kevin Maurer’s 2020 book, Rock Force, paratroopers are almost overrun by a banzai charge aimed at pushing them off the high ground.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Jones-briefs-his-staff-web-2.jpg 869 1438 Kevin Maurer https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kevin Maurer2020-12-17 09:34:172021-04-27 22:20:28Fixed Bayonets—Paratroopers and Banzai at Grubbs Ravine

Things Are Going to Get Hot Before Long. I Hope and Pray I Come Out of It All Right.

April 13, 2022
I know I am forever grateful for what Ernest Pugh has given me, and he will live in my heart as he did in Dad’s.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Lawrence-Pugh-their-parents-Ernest-Pugh-featured.jpg 299 446 Christy Stephens Martin https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Christy Stephens Martin2022-04-13 09:45:132022-04-13 14:53:33Things Are Going to Get Hot Before Long. I Hope and Pray I Come Out of It All Right.

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

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

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

Losing the Fear That He Abandoned His Men

January 18, 2017
War stories can sometimes read like confessionals. David Chrisinger encourages a student Marine Veteran to confide in the reader instead.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TeamRWBStorytellingCamp2016II.jpg 1000 1500 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2017-01-18 20:29:042020-12-16 13:01:08Losing the Fear That He Abandoned His Men
Members from the 15th Medical Group host an open house for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in 2018. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman, courtesy U.S. Air Force.

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

October 14, 2021
As the last troops leave the “forever wars,” doctors say they’re seeing more women veterans with breast cancer—younger than the national average.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Breast-cancer-awareness-web.jpg 758 960 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2021-10-14 08:51:532021-11-18 21:57:00“The Enemy Is Lurking in Our Bodies”—Women Veterans Say Toxic Exposure Caused Breast Cancer
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, a Coast Guardsman, and an Army veteran raise their right hands as they recite the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony aboard USS Constitution in June. “The United States is and will forever be a nation of immigrants,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said during the ceremony. “Your stories—and the cultures, customs, and traditions you bring to America—exemplify that we have more to unite us than to divide us.” Photo by Mass Communication Spec. 1st Class Raymond D. Diaz III, courtesy of U.S. Navy.

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

September 23, 2021
Veterans mustered resources to swiftly bring home stranded Afghan allies and are working together to do the same for deported U.S. veterans.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ceremony-web.jpg 601 900 Jennifer Orth-Veillon https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Jennifer Orth-Veillon2021-09-23 10:04:432021-11-18 22:08:02“I Never Left Anybody”—Fighting for Veterans Left Behind by the Country They Served
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”

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

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.”

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

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

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
Janell Hanf and Marines from her unit celebrate at the end of the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Photo courtesy of the author. 

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

January 6, 2021
Women have served in the Corps for more than 100 years, but are still treated like a novelty, stunting the transition to an inclusive military culture.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Janell-Hanf-on-Mud-Run-with-Marine-team.jpg 1198 2100 Janell Hanf https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Janell Hanf2021-01-06 09:42:372021-04-27 22:06:32“I’m Not a Sir”—Dearth of Women Causes Marines to Expect Male Leadership

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

Drown Proofing, Khaki Shorts. Some Things About Dive School Don’t Change

July 5, 2017
Tenley Lozano jumped at the chance to become a Coast Guard diver, proudly passing the tests every prospective diver undergoes. Water knows no gender.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Class12-10DrownProofing2.jpg 563 1000 Tenley Lozano https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tenley Lozano2017-07-05 19:06:072020-12-04 17:56:59Drown Proofing, Khaki Shorts. Some Things About Dive School Don’t Change

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

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

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

“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

Years Later, Loss at War Resonates at Home

June 11, 2016
Our global community is and continues to be ever more affected by war. Responsible and constructive conversation is more important than ever.
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

Shedding the Shame of Being Called a Military “Dependa”

August 29, 2018
Liesel Kershul faced crushing shame feeling that being a military spouse has kept her from fulfilling her potential. After 15 years, she’s found peace.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/shedding-the-shame.jpg 610 1200 Liesel Kershul https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Liesel Kershul2018-08-29 13:11:332020-12-16 13:33:49Shedding the Shame of Being Called a Military “Dependa”

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

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

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

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.

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 20:43:582022-07-28 10:47:33Zero Tolerance: The Defense Department’s Decades-Long Failure To End Sex Crimes In Uniform

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

Second Suicide Battalion: Where Military Justice Weaponizes Mental Health

April 15, 2022
Rampant disregard for the rights of the accused is not just commonplace, it is deeply entrenched in the military justice system.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/EGA-feature-1220x630-1.jpg 630 1200 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2022-04-15 09:34:472022-07-21 12:31:33Second Suicide Battalion: Where Military Justice Weaponizes Mental Health

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
An air traffic controller uses binoculars to look for birds or other hazards that can damage aircraft. Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Nathaniel Hudson

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

May 20, 2020
An investigation into an air traffic controller’s personal life in the era of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell felt like a rippling current of judgement.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/binoculars-1100x733-1.jpg 733 1100 Shairi Engle https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Shairi Engle2020-05-20 09:44:202021-11-19 18:00:43Losing “Pretty Girl” To “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

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
A U.S. Marine mourns at a memorial service in September for the 13 service members who were killed in action in Kabul, Afghanistan, at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. Photo by Cpl. Brennan J. Beauton, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Veterans Will Tell Their Stories—Shaping the Narrative of the Forever Wars

November 11, 2021
They already tell the tales, stories that will need to be sorted into something we can bear, that will help us heal.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Japan-web.jpg 600 900 Kelly Kennedy https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Kelly Kennedy2021-11-11 08:50:432021-11-11 08:52:42The Veterans Will Tell Their Stories—Shaping the Narrative of the Forever Wars
Josiah Koleosho an hour before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 2003. Courtesy Josiah Koleosho.

Finding My Calling While Treating a Casualty Inside Friendly Lines

January 22, 2020
He saw gore and death, but he also saved lives. There are certain things a former corpsman will never forget or take for granted.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image0.jpeg 960 1280 Josiah Koleosho https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Josiah Koleosho2020-01-22 09:55:172021-11-19 20:25:20Finding My Calling While Treating a Casualty Inside Friendly Lines

When I Think About Losing My Son

April 17, 2019
David Chrisinger found the words to express a devastating personal loss after teaching a military veteran how to write about her own feelings of sadness and uncertainty.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/When-I-think-about-my-son-1-header3.jpg 874 1500 David Chrisinger https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png David Chrisinger2019-04-17 09:00:152020-11-23 21:18:28When I Think About Losing My Son

Losing Sense Of Self One Suicide At A Time

July 27, 2016
Gerardo Mena reunites with his Marine brethren to remember another brother lost to suicide. They tell him goodbye — losing one more part of themselves, knowing it could have been one of them.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Dylon-1.jpg 750 1000 Gerardo Mena https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Gerardo Mena2016-07-27 20:24:162021-06-07 18:23:05Losing Sense Of Self One Suicide At A Time

A Coast Guard Officer Runs Home After A Marathon Of Funerals

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

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

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

Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

May 17, 2017
Teresa Fazio hid her beer beneath a tissue - polite women didn't drink. She received prasad, like communion, and searched for salvation amidst memories of Iraq.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sgtudaysingh.jpg 667 1000 Teresa Fazio https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Teresa Fazio2017-05-17 18:27:472020-12-04 17:54:44Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

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

The Afghan Girls I Couldn’t Save

July 24, 2016
Rape and police beatings occurred in Afghan prisons. Tim Patterson recounts police violence in Afghanistan—and the memories that continue to haunt him.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/camels.jpg 1000 1500 Tim Patterson https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Tim Patterson2016-07-24 18:58:072021-06-07 18:07:56The Afghan Girls I Couldn’t Save

Echoes Project: Javier Ortiz Rivera

June 1, 2016
After she heard that her husband had died, Veronica remembers screaming for the Marines and chaplain to leave, but they wouldn’t.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/20160416-MattEich-0792.jpg 667 1000 Thomas J. Brennan https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Thomas J. Brennan2016-06-01 21:38:582021-06-07 17:19:56Echoes Project: Javier Ortiz Rivera
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

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

Pumpkin Head and the Horror Show

May 29, 2019
A former infantry officer contemplates the numbing effects of war and inhumanity.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/pumpkin-head-the-war-horse.jpg 753 1223 Augusto Giacoman https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Augusto Giacoman2019-05-29 09:00:402020-12-16 13:09:32Pumpkin Head and the Horror Show

“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
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
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Richard Carmichael with the Warfighter Exchange Service Team, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, disposes of trash at the burn pit in Forward Operating Base Zeebrudge, Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2013. Photo by Sgt. Anthony L. Ortiz, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 

August 11, 2022
The day after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, managing editor Kelly Kennedy tells us what it was like to first report on burn pits.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/burn-pit-afghanistan-2013-web.jpg 1267 1900 Sonner Kehrt https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Sonner Kehrt2022-08-11 09:11:262022-08-11 09:28:11Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 
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

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

Unclear All-clear And A Requisite For Air

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

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

January 20, 2022
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.
https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Spouse-employment-web-featured.jpg 497 900 Julie Zack https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png Julie Zack2022-01-20 09:05:082022-01-20 09:05:08“Unwavering, Staggering” Military Spouse Unemployment Could Change After Pandemic