Topic: Human Rights

Amanda Huffman, left, and other cadets from Detachment 035 work on team building through the low course at California State University, Fresno. Photo courtesy of the author.

The Military Pushed Me to Listen and My Worldview Shattered. Now, I Can Rebuild.

I assumed seeing the world and meeting new people would reinforce what I already believed. Instead, I have seen my convictions slowly crack and crumble.
Retired Army Capt. Katie Blanchard speaks with a nurse before surgery Sept. 6, 2019, at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. A coworker Blanchard had reported as threatening poured gasoline over her and lit her on fire. Blanchard could not recover damages from the government because of the Feres Doctrine. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Katherine Spessa, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

Feres Helps Military Avoid Accountability for Harm. New Ruling Could Be a Chance for Justice.

For decades, the Feres doctrine has protected the military from lawsuits over things like training mishaps, medical malpractice, and sexual assault.
Sean Paul, left, and his gunner charcoaled their faces as Iraq launched scud missiles just after U.S. troops crossed the border. Troops used charcoal as a way to absorb any chemical agents as they donned their gas masks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Note to Self: When They Come for You in the Night, Don’t Give Up. Fight Back. 

Through it all—the good and the bad—always remember you will achieve your goal. Keep your chin up, endure, and always remember: It will be OK.

“Quietly Heroic”—Journalist Returns to Ukraine with American Veterans to Help Her People

There’s a long legacy of women fighting in wars, and they’re always welcome behind the scope of a rifle pointing at Russian invaders.

More Than 40% of Troops Face Limited or No Access to Abortion Care, Study Shows

Even before the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, abortion care for military women was extremely limited.
Members of the New Jersey National Guard’s A Troop and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Division, converse with U.S. Capitol Police before performing a roving patrol at the U.S. Capitol, where just hours later a vehicle rammed a police barricade and a suspect killed one USCP officer and sent another to the hospital. The troops pulled patrol at the Capitol after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Whitney Hughes, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

He Liked the Pro-America, Pro-Constitution Vibe. But He Liked the Rage, Too.

The KKK is shifting toward a more militia-style environment, targeting veterans for recruitment, valuing their skills and preying on their patriotism.

Wounded Knee Massacre ‘Tarnishes’ Integrity of Medal of Honor

After soldiers killed women and children at the end of the Indian Wars, the soldiers received the military’s highest award.
Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Sam Castro; his wife, Liz; and their two sons, Enrique and Vicente. Photo by Trish Alegre-Smith, courtesy of SoYourLife Photography.

“Don’t Go Here. They’ll Kill You.”—LGBTQ Troops, Families Face Mounting Discrimination With New Laws

“Service members should not have to choose between serving their country and protecting and serving their family.”
Toward the end of another long day, Mike, a Team Rubicon security adviser and retired Army Special Forces officer, listens to music with a teenager at an orphanage in Lviv. They sit together as if they’ve known each other for years. In Ukraine, myriad aspects of the human experience are on display. But through the trauma, fear, and grief threads a natural gravitation toward bonding with others: in the bomb shelters, in the food lines, in the streets, and in the homes. Everywhere. Mike asked that his last name not be used for security reasons.

They Want to Know the World Cares and That They Are Not Alone

The Ukrainian people were grateful for us, and that gratitude made us feel small and humbled.