The War Horse

Twelve years ago, Army 1st Lt. Alivia Stehlik walked the parade route for President Obama’s second inauguration, making sure everything would go smoothly. Stehlik spent weeks planning for the Army’s role in the inaugural parade, training…

The town seemed deserted. The only sounds were our footsteps on the ancient cobblestones. We wandered down the unfamiliar roads, wondering about all the closed doors and shuttered windows, when we suddenly heard rustling up ahead. We…

With the new Congress sworn in and President-elect Trump poised for his second inauguration, Republicans have queued up a number of bills that could widely expand veterans’ access to the private health care system, setting up the latest…

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…

The first thing I learned about Japan was that the summers are hot. Extremely hot and extremely humid. I learned this in August 2022 the hard way—pushing an overweight suitcase and backpack up steep hills, navigating from the vague…

For decades, tens of thousands of gay and lesbian veterans have carried the frustration and shame of being kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Recent efforts helped a small number of these veterans receive…

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…

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…

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…

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,…