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The War Horse
Christmas in Combat: Another Date to Cross Off as We Hoped to Make It Home
I deployed eight times to combat environments around the world. I missed Christmas with my family on three of them.I’ve celebrated on a Naval ship in the Mediterranean and in both Europe and Afghanistan with sailors and soldiers from a…
They Fought in Iraq’s Bloodiest Battle. Will Their Kids Be the Next Generation of Marines? Fallujah…
Today, when more than 300 second lieutenants graduate from the intensive training known as The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia, Aaron and Jennifer Cunningham will beam from the audience as their only son, Mason, takes his next step in…
Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans
When I reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, I was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two years of college ROTC, I really had no idea of what to expect.The first few days at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio,…
What Sexual Assault Survivors in the Military Say about the Next Four Years Pete Hegseth is Fighting…
A Navy submariner who said she was sexually assaulted multiple times. An Army major who chose to never report her assault. A Marine Corps sexual assault response coordinator who worries she is being discriminated against because she’s a…
Back Home from a Peacetime Deployment. Is That What War Is? Of Course Not.
It all felt so familiar, which was jarring. We’d been listening to white noise for long enough that turning back to the clear channel was comforting, but a little too loud. Like stepping outside before your eyes adjusted.Before takeoff,…
Inside the Military’s LGBTQ Witch Hunts Trump’s Return to the White House is Resurfacing Questions…
On weekends, Staff Sgt. Todd VanCantfort, an armed forces police officer in San Antonio, Texas, targeted gay bars in search of anyone in the military. One time, at the direction of his supervisor, he ditched his light blue and navy uniform…
The Berlin Wall Would Soon Tumble, Divided States Would Reunite. My Work Was Done.
Editor’s Note: This story was published in partnership with San Quentin News and was written during a writing seminar for incarcerated veterans in April hosted by The War Horse at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Tens of…
My Army Service Required Embracing the Suck—and Squeezing in a Few Good Laughs
Serving in the military is a lot of things. Absurd and funny are definitely part of the story.When people think about service, they think about combat or embracing the suck, and they are not wrong. However, my experience in the Army…
Shooting the War: A Marine Combat Photographer Remembers Fallujah
Photos by CPL. TREVOR GIFTOne Christmas morning, Trevor Gift’s parents gave him a 35 mm film camera. He started shooting photos for the high school paper, and when he saw Full Metal Jacket, in which the main character became a combat…
Leg Irons, Memories of Service, and What Might Have Been Echo From Behind Bars
Editor’s Note: This story was published in partnership with San Quentin News and was written during a writing seminar for incarcerated veterans in April hosted by The War Horse at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Tens of…
Play Hard. Get Dirty. Use Good Saop.