Shawna Bush had been blissfully ignorant during her pregnancy: happy, excited, and expecting the best out of motherhood. It took just two days for the wrecking ball of postpartum depression to demolish her joy and leave her sobbing on the couch. “It hit me like a train,” Bush said. “I was not expecting any of […]
Jennifer Brookland
Jennifer Brookland is a regular contributor to The War Horse who served as a special agent in the Air Force before she received her master’s in journalism from Columbia University. She’s covered military and veterans issues for North Carolina Public Radio and child welfare for the Detroit Free Press. She was also a 2022 War Horse fellow.
These Military Moms Turned Their Homes Into Day Cares. Then DOD’s Inspectors Came Knocking
Military spouses say defense department regulations hamper family child care centers, even as the military faces child care shortage.
‘Nobody to Watch My Twins.’ Military Spouses Quit Jobs, Families Bust Budgets in Scramble for Child Care
Child-care providers staffing upended by DOD hiring freeze, leaving military families without adequate care for their kids.
Veterans Reunite with ‘Precious Cargo’ 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon
Woman who escaped the fall of Saigon as a toddle finds the veterans that helped her resettle in America
The Hidden Costs of Caregiving: Meet the Kids Taking Care of Wounded Veterans
Kids who take care of their wounded veteran family member go unnoticed by government agencies like Veteran Affairs and are left out of the caregiving conversation.
Holding On When Leaving Feels Like Letting Go
I feel a sense of bereavement that I know, even in the moment, is outsized. But in a few weeks, my family will not own this home anymore.

