Army veteran vows to keep living after one brother was killed in the Iraq War and another committed suicide after returning with PTSD and injuries.
Iraq
Posted inNewsroom
The First Battle of Fallujah: ‘We Hurt Ourselves in So Many Ways’
Twenty years on, the battle is viewed as a turning point in the Iraq war, serving as a reminder of the complexities and consequences of modern warfare.
Posted inReflections
The Ripples of War Are Only Beginning to Spread. Is America Ready?
Twenty years after America invaded Iraq, a veteran and spouse imagines the war’s costs will only grow.
Posted inReflections
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.
Posted inNewsroom
Sharky’s and “The Golden Boy”—Military Justice Abandons the Vulnerable to Protect the Powerful
The Marine Corps has hidden the track records of attorneys whose misconduct and disregard for the rule of law has jeopardized the welfare of Marines.
Posted inNewsroom
30 Years On, Veterans Recall the Desert Storm Air War
People tend to remember Desert Storm as a short, easy war. Compared with the “forever” wars, that makes sense: a 100-hour blip in the annals of history.
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 inReflections
“I Hope She’s Scarred for Life” — Recalling My Time as a Blackwater Mercenary
Blackwater employees were “integral” to rebuilding Iraq, but with limited oversight, contractors had “no ethical obligation” to the country’s citizens.
Posted inReflections
An Army Interrogator, His Grandfather, and a Bond Across Two Wars
“My parents, like most Chinese immigrants, valued education as the ultimate achievement,” writes veteran Hunter Lu. “The military was for dumb people.”
Posted inReflections
A Journalist’s Favorite Image Mirrors a Loss
A journalist learns of death that paralleled the moment he took his favorite picture.
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 inReflections
Hellfires and “Half-Smashed Bugs” in Sadr City
As a platoon searched for bombs, the enemy tried to attack them. It didn’t end well.
