Topic: Foreign Policy

The Coast Guard, a Rubber Dinghy, and Plucking “Fleeing Souls”
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.

Can the Pentagon Lead the Tech Sector Again?
Silicon Valley was built on defense dollars, but bureaucracy and a rise of Big Tech and startups have left the U.S. military behind in defense acquisitions.

A Fake Raid, A Fake Village, and a Sinking Track
"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.

“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”
Tangled alliances with allies and their foes make this one messy war.

Burn Pits—The Military’s Next Agent Orange
Burn pits have been poisoning soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 11 years. But Veterans Affairs seems reluctant to do anything about it.

Betrayal, Sedatives, and the Long Road Home
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.

“Wars Are Real, Bullets Can Kill.”—Recalling the Death of My Invincibility
A Marine officer reflects on his youthful fearlessness—and its end.