Topic: Military Families

‘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.”
The author, Jackie Munn, and her husband celebrate their wedding. Courtesy of Visionari Photography

Crossing the Line of Departure as a Woman in Special Operations

Jackie Munn and her husband quietly said their last goodbyes before she boarded the C-17 headed to Afghanistan and her Cultural Support Team assignment.
Hoppin chatting with cadets at the Air Force Academy before a Board of Visitors meeting.

Forced Pivots and Finding Purpose as a Military Spouse

How the founder of the National Military Spouse Network reignited her career after years out of the workforce

“It Is Cancer”—Reflecting on My Husband’s Diagnosis After Going to War

In the VA’s emergency room, Molly Pearl and her husband made the imperceptible shift between soldier and patient, wife and caregiver.
Roy and Andrew van Wey in Husaybah, Iraq. Photo courtesy of the author.

“They Didn’t Make It?”—When Your Brother’s Homecoming Starts in a Burn Ward

After an IED exploded in Iraq, a badly burned Marine asks his brother if his teammates survived. “He knows I won’t lie to him. We are both warriors.”
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.

A Military Spouse’s Journey From Annoyance to Advocacy

A military spouse seeks to change an antiquated narrative.

Answering the Call for Veterans and Military Families ‘Suffering in Silence’

Vets4Warriors, a mostly donations-based phone support program, seeks to end the stigma of vets getting help and the shame of asking for it.

Running for My Life After Returning From War

How a high-functioning facade masked a critical bout of depression for a former Army sergeant. 

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

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