Women and LGBTQ service members’ fight for equality

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

by Jeni Brett August 19, 2020August 8, 2025

A chief petty officer stays in the Navy after she’s sexually assaulted so she can help other women, inspire culture change

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.

Reflections

I Am Vanessa Guillen

by Ruthy Muñoz July 15, 2020July 11, 2025

A veteran relives her trauma through the headlines.

Reflections

Moving Again. And Again. My Experience as a Military Spouse.

by Sarah Schmidt July 8, 2020September 29, 2025

It’s not easy to start over in a new place, and few people understand this better than a military spouse.

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

Reflections

Gay Veteran Sees Racism as a Tougher Fight

by Emily Miller June 24, 2020July 11, 2025

All movements must include the fight against racism—and that looks different from other protests.

U.S. Marine Corps drill instructors with the 4th Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Photo by Lance Cpl. Vincent White, courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps.

Newsroom

Without Birth Control Help, Marines’ Readiness Suffers

by Patricia Kime June 11, 2020September 29, 2025

Declining access to birth control services and education at boot camp are linked to increased birth rates in the first two years of military service.

Reflections

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

by Anne Boaden May 13, 2020November 19, 2021

One small mistake causes the unnecessary death of a Cobra pilot in a combat zone.

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.

Reflections

A Military Spouse’s Journey From Annoyance to Advocacy

by Jennifer Barnhill May 6, 2020September 29, 2025

A military spouse seeks to change an antiquated narrative.

Reflections

Betrayal, Sedatives, and the Long Road Home

by Nicole Johnson March 11, 2020January 14, 2026

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.

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

Newsroom

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

by Kelly Kennedy February 26, 2020January 14, 2026

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?