The Global War on Terrorism began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. It never officially ended. Instead, the war expanded. U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, while counterterrorism operations spread across the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere. The United States withdrew its last troops […]
Global War on Terror
Posted inReflections
We Were Winning in the Middle East. But the Civilian Casualties Kept Coming
I watched our medics and nurses work on a small child, one of several who arrived at our makeshift forward surgical unit in northeast Syria. We had been running traumas for eight months, and the team knew what they were doing. I could see that the child had a clear airway, his color looked good, […]
Posted inReflections
Fear and Uncertainty Followed the Sept. 11 Attacks. What Was Real and What Was a Good Headline?
After the Twin Towers came down in the 9/11 terrorist attack, military families lived with fear and anxiety.
Posted inNewsroom
Point of Impact: An Untold Story of Escape From the Pentagon on 9/11 and the Forever Wars That Followed
When Flight 77 hit the Pentagon, the Marine Corps and Defense Department prepared for war. Two decades later, this is that story of service and sacrifice.
Posted inReflections
“I Still Find Hope”—Purple Fingers, Steel Rain, and Getting “Messy” in a Combat Zone
Service members have voted by mail since World War II. “My nation trusted me,” writes Joshua Manning, who cast ballots while deployed to several countries.
Posted inNewsroom
Mystery Seizures Haunt Marine Units a Decade after Deployment
Seizures among veterans are surging. Some blame PTS and TBI. Others blame toxic exposures.
Posted inNewsroom
“It’s so inaccurate”—How the VA Is Failing to Track Veterans Burn Pit Claims
VA figures show an astonishingly low rate of approval of burn pit claims: Of the 10,588 claims, 2,360 veterans had their benefits granted and 8,228 were denied.
Posted inNewsroom
The Surge Nobody’s Talking About: The U.S. War in Somalia
America has engaged in military operations against terrorists in East Africa for years, but a lack of transparency about civilian casualties is causing concern.
Posted inReflections
“Hellraisers,” Tinder Dates, and the Curse of the White Cloud
All he wanted was to see combat. Fortunately, he missed out.
Posted inReflections
The Military Funeral—”Taps Doesn’t Harden You. It Breaks You.”
When it’s time to bury a Marine, feelings of pride and admiration can’t always supersede the other emotions that can topple everything.
Posted inNewsroom
“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”
Tangled alliances with allies and their foes make this one messy war.
Posted inNewsroom
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.
