Circumstances, Misfortunes or Fortunes

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.
Heidi Agostini embedded with the Regimental Combat Team 7 Female Engagement Team during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010. Marjah, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Sgt. Megan Sindelar

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

For female service members, putting off children and career advancement are linked. Yet, research shows that military women are at a higher risk of infertility. What is the Defense Department doing about this dilemma?

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

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

Talking With a 9/11 Witness Helped Him Connect With History

David Chrisinger wondered if he was intruding on sacred ground when he visited the museum at Ground Zero. A conversation with a witness changed that.

A Marine’s Dilemma: Who Bears Responsibility for War?

I never fought in combat and never killed. And if I am honest with myself, I am a little bit ashamed of that.
The 2018 NORAD Tracks Santa Operation Center at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, on Christmas Eve. Photo by Staff Sgt. Alexandra M. Longfellow, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

‘Faster Than Starlight’—How Troops Track Santa’s Trek Across the Globe

How does Santa do it? A lot of it is classified, but Santa most likely operates within his own space-time continuum.
Russell Worth Parker with then-three-year-old daughter having a Christmas tea party with her dad by Skype while he was deployed.

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

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

One Marine’s Struggle to Find Purpose After Military Service

Nearly two years after separating from the Marine Corps, Nathan Eckman struggles to define "service" and understand how to serve as a civilian.
Ryan Pavel helps a group of Iraqi soldiers work through a land navigation exercise. Photo courtesy of the author.

A Presumption of Guilt: The Uncomfortable Identity of a ‘Disabled’ Veteran Who Feels Like an Imposter

Had I been shot in the kneecap and collected compensation for loss of full use of my leg, I would feel less guilty about compensation.