Topic: Mental Health

Children from a nearby village pose for a photograph in Zharay district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in 2012. Photo by Spc. Jason Nolte, courtesy of U.S. Army.

“I Screamed Into My Radio to Ignore the Order”—Pardoned Soldier’s Comrade Still Lives With Guilt of Murdered Civilians

When Clint Lorance ordered his men to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan, the soldiers came home and struggled to assuage their feelings of guilt.
Thae Ohu stands on a railroad track during Dec. 2018. Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.

Gag Order: How Marine Corps Culture Silenced a Victim of Sexual Assault

A rape victim asked the military for help. Then her fellow Marines turned against her. Now she’s battling mental illness and an attempted murder charge.
The body of Ernie Pyle was laid to final rest in the new Punchbowl Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Oahu July 19, 1949

‘I Have Had All I Can Take’ — the Final Months of Legendary War Reporter Ernie Pyle

‘The Hurt Has Finally Become Too Great’
Thae Ohu stands on a railroad track during Dec. 2018. Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.Courtesy of Michael Hinesley.

Gag Order: How Marine Corps Culture Silenced a Victim of Sexual Assault

A rape victim asked the military for help. Then her fellow Marines turned against her. Now she’s battling mental illness and an attempted murder charge.
The “Dirty Bastards” quick reaction force, made up of both American and Italian soldiers, poses at Forward Operating Base Lavaredo in Afghanistan in 2012. Photo courtesy of Nate Tilton.

How Being “In on the [Racist] Joke” Silences Service Members

Service members often feel compelled to laugh along at racist jokes and comments.

When “Be Strong” Is Bad Advice for Military Spouses

A military spouse wants to redefine what having strength looks like.

‘Time Heals Old Wounds. So Does a Bottle of Rum’

A father reconnects with his ex-wife during their son’s graduation from Army basic training. “I told her she was a good mother.”

Finding Peace in Lederhosen

A jaded Gulf War veteran needed a break, and found it in a small Bavarian town. A reflection by Dave Boe

The Army Medic in the Hole

“I can’t believe this is how I’m going to die,” thought an Army medic after falling down a well. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. No one is going to rescue us.”