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The War Horse

100 stories curated from The War Horse.

FAMILY
I Still Have Hundreds of Texts From the Fall of Kabul. They Remind Me of the Promises We Broke

Illustration by Aaron Provost for The War Horse, based on photo by Sgt. Samuel Ruiz/U.S. Marine Corps " /> The message came from an Afghan man who had worked closely with the U.S.

Sep 17
SERVICE
Hegseth Made the Fitness Test Harder for Women in Combat Roles. Most Female Marines Are Passing

A female Marine completes an abdominal plank as part of her physical fitness test in 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl.

Sep 15
LEGACY
The Global War on Terrorism Is Over—Except for the Veterans Who Fought It

The author next to his Humvee after it was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2005. (Photo courtesy of Michael Pereira) " /> This month marks 25 years since the attack on Sept.

Sep 10
SERVICE
They Served Through America’s Post-9/11 Wars. 25 Years Later, What Did That Service Mean?

Navy Corpsman Paul Brown on patrol in Afghanistan. " /> If not for what happened on Sept. 11, 2001 , Valeria Casillas probably would not have joined the military.

Sep 8
SERVICE
Jungles, Woods, and Deserts: The Army Was a Passport to the Wilderness I Loved

U.S. Army photo by Trey Woodard " /> The life-affirming embrace of the wilderness has always filled me with wonder, its green arms making me feel more vital and connected with every plant, bug, and...

Sep 3
HEALTH
VA Probe Opened in Response to The War Horse Coverage

The Northport VA Medical Center in Northport, New York. " /> The Department of Veterans Affairs opened an Inspector General probe in February in response to a War Horse investigation alleging that...

Sep 2
LEGACY
Where the Pentagon Can’t Go, a Small Nonprofit Searches for America’s War Dead

Filipino laborers excavate a trench in the Philippine city of Marawi during a search for three U.S. servicemen executed by Japanese forces in 1942.

Sep 1
SERVICE
They Survived an Iran War Drone Attack. Six Months Later, They’re Struggling to Get Care

Soldiers with the 11th Combat Aviation Brigade fly two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters over the Operation Inherent Resolve area of operations in Iraq and Syria, Feb. 4, 2022.

Aug 27
FAMILY
How to Be a Proper Military Wife: Dress Modestly, Smile, and Keep Opinions to Yourself

Photos courtesy of Alexa LeCureux " /> I was 21 years old when my husband and I received tickets to our first Air Force Ball in Okinawa, Japan.

Aug 26
LEGACY
He Earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Why Did It Take Decades To Receive It?

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. James Capers, Jr. receives the Medal of Honor from President Donald J. Trump during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 18, 2026.

Aug 20
LEGACY
I Typed Forms While Other Men Went to War. That Shame Shaped My Life

“On behalf of the president of the United States, the people of the United States, and myself, I want to thank you for your service to our country.” He called me Mr. Thompson. Not “specialist.

Aug 19
SERVICE
Military Sexual Trauma Survivors Can’t Sue the Government. A New Bill Could Change That

Teal shoes are displayed outside Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in April 2018 as part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Aug 13
SERVICE
The Marines Created a Warrior. But I Forgot How to Be a Woman

Joseph Jacob, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island " /> I secured my M-16 to my rack after a long, scorching day on the rifle range and touched my stomach.

Aug 12
SERVICE
25 Years Later, Will the Global War on Terrorism Ever End?

Marines render a final salute to fallen comrade Pfc. Vincent M. Frassetto, who was fatally wounded by an improvised explosive device attack while on a vehicle patrol to Al Asad, Iraq, on Sept.

Aug 10
ADVOCACY
Their Military Careers Were Cut Short in Combat. Now They’re Fighting Congress for Their Full Benefits

Brian Tuthill/ Marine Corps Base Hawaii " /> The fall lasted only seconds, but the consequences would span a lifetime. Under the cover of darkness in Balad, Iraq, Army Sgt.

Aug 6
FAMILY
Everybody Wanted to Visit the Wounded Soldier. I Wanted to Be Left Alone

S. Army Signal Corps " /> It was only a month after the roadside bombing. I was still in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center , Germany, in June 2006, undergoing successive rounds of surgery.

Aug 5
SERVICE
My Little Sister Is Deployed in the Middle East. Her Base Was Hit

U.S. forces conduct air defense operations during Operation Epic Fury. (Photo by U.S. Army) " /> My little sister has been in the military for 19 years, serving in Germany, U.S.

Jul 29
SERVICE
Shrapnel, Broken Bones, and Head Trauma: New Records Show How U.S. Troops Were Wounded in Iran War

A U.S. Army air defense artilleryman conducts maintenance on an MIM-104 Patriot missile system in the Middle East. (Credit: US Department of Defense) " /> The United States recorded at least 17...

Jul 28
SERVICE
Trump Promised Redemption for Troops Who Refused Covid Shots. A Year Later, Many Are Still Waiting

Staff Sgt. Bruna Souza, 102nd Medical Group, administers a COVID-19 vaccine during an immunization clinic at Otis Air National Guard Base, Feb. 6.

Jul 23
FAMILY
Military Spouse Life Prepared Me for Almost Anything. Then Came Retirement

Photos courtesy of Tina G. Williams " /> This spring, my family ended up living in two hotel rooms in Helena, Montana. Within weeks, we had lost both our home and my husband’s civilian job.

Jul 22
LEGACY
Every Ambush in Vietnam Held Surprises. This One Ended in Death

Photos courtesy of Stanley Ross " /> More than five decades after 1968 , an especially violent year of the war, the rain, hunger, and calamity in Vietnam’s Central Highlands remain etched in my mind.

Jul 15
SERVICE
Hegseth Ordered a New Study of Women in Combat. Critics Say It’s Built to Reach One Conclusion

Female Marines fire rifles during an all-female marksmanship event in 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Angela Wilcox) " /> Two months before Pete Hegseth appeared in front of Congress to...

Jul 14
COMMUNITY
A Veterans Organization Has Millions in the Bank. Why Did It Seize a Small Chapter’s Donation?

Former members of DAV Chapter 6 in Sacramento gather outside their longtime headquarters. (Photo by Paul Kitagaki Jr. for the Sacramento Bee) " /> This story was published in partnership with The...

Jul 9
FAMILY
My Father Was a Decorated Black Soldier With a Secret: Me

Photos courtesy of S. Renée Phillips " /> There was no celebration when my mother learned she was pregnant—only a conversation.

Jul 8
LEGACY
I Watched an Execution. Was She a Viet Cong Spy—or Just Fighting for Her Country?

Miniatures of the Vietnamese National Police, nicknamed the “White Mice” by U.S. service members. (Photo courtesy of Hobby Bunker) " /> The sun was a physical weight that afternoon, an oppressive,...

Jul 1
HEALTH
Veterans With Gulf War Illness Were Finally Seeing Progress. Then Congress Cut Funding

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Army) " /> It’s easy for Ron Brown to remember when his health problems first began. It was early March 1991, and Brown’s Army unit was in Khamisiyah, where Iraqi forces had...

Jun 25
HEALTH
I Once Made My VA Therapist Cry. Then an AI Chatbot Got Me Talking About War and Guilt

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " /> I tried to schoolyard-taunt an AI language model once. My wife wasn’t home. I was bored and had to find another outlet for my childish male energy.

Jun 24
HEALTH
A Marine Walked Into Rehab Like He Owned the Place, But Learned You Can’t BS a Horse

I had gone from one of the most powerful political figures in San Diego to a complete outcast. I was unfaithful in my marriage, which morphed into accusations that flattened everything in their path.

Jun 17
SERVICE
‘Sounds Like a Mutiny.’ Secret Recording Exposes Claims of Toxic Leadership After a Marine’s Suicide

U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico salute during a relief and appointment ceremony in December 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl.

Jun 11
FAMILY
The Vietnam War Killed My Father Decades After His Tour. Am I a Middle-Aged Gold Star Child?

Photos courtesy of Karen Hartman " /> I stood in a Brooklyn post office renewing my teenage son’s passport, hoping to board a plane by summertime.

Jun 10
SERVICE
How Trump’s First 500 Days Has Reshaped Life for Troops and Veterans

(Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett) " /> It’s June 4, which marks the 500th day of President Donald Trump’s second term. Here at The War Horse, we’ve tracked every twist and turn related to the...

Jun 4
SERVICE
Yes, I Served in Iraq. But What if People Mistake Me for a Hero?

Illustration by Kim Vo " /> The Department of Motor Vehicles was a good place to lose your identity, not find it, especially 30 minutes before closing.

Jun 3
FAMILY
My Grandpa Was Killed in World War II. I Met Him Through His Letters Home

Photos courtesy of Gina Wolf. Illustration by Kim Vo " /> I grew up in the house my great-grandparents built, a home where four generations shared laughter, loss, and celebrations.

May 27
LEGACY
Why Is It Taking So Long to Identify America’s Unknown Fallen Heroes?

(Photo courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission) " /> Buried beneath the curved, sweeping rows of white marble crosses and Stars of David at the Manila American Cemetery lies a special...

May 21
FAMILY
The Worst Job in the Marines: Telling Parents Their Child Was Dead. It Was Also an Honor

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Amelia Kang " /> I wasn’t at my new assignment more than two weeks before I had to tell someone their son had died.

May 20
HEALTH
Military Suicide Prevention Training Did Not Prepare Me for the Deaths of My Friends

Jessika Braden/ U.S. Marine Corps " /> When I think of suicide, I don’t think of annual training slides, 22 pushup challenges, or the “thoughts and prayers” from social media posts.

May 13
BENEFITS
Hiring, Overtime, and AI: VA Is Processing Veterans’ Disability Claims Faster Than Ever

Illustration by Ernest Kroi " /> Chip was a radio relay operator and repairman in the Marine Corps (Photo courtesy of Chip) " src="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

May 7
FAMILY
I Love My Air Force Husband. My Feelings About the Government He Serves Are More Complicated

It was covered in the American flag and read “God Bless America.” The image forced my car back into park. I sat in the lot trying to understand the power those three words held over me.

May 6
SERVICE
Medill Study: Military Bases and the Communities Around Them Have Lost Local News Coverage

Across the United States, nearly 2.5 million people, more than the entire population of New Mexico, live on or near military bases.

Apr 30
SERVICE
A Combat Infantryman Stood In the Gap. Made the Calculation. Pulled the Trigger. But At What Cost?

Pvt. Cameron Pedersen during a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq,in 2008. Photo by Sgt. John Crosby/115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment " /> A decade has passed since I last felt the thud of a mortar...

Apr 29
HEALTH
‘Got to Get Fixed:’ Billing Delays, Coverage Issues Still Plague Tricare Patients and Providers

Nearly every day for months, Lorelei Evans, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, received a call or text from a doctor’s office trying to collect on some of her family’s $86,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Apr 23
FAMILY
Another Conflict Roils the Middle East. A Marine Warns the War Will Come Home

I kicked in doors in the Middle East; I watched friends bleed. I know what war really looks like when the cameras leave and the speeches end.

Apr 22
HEALTH
We Were Marines Who Did Everything Together. Then My Name Appeared in His Suicide Note

Illustration by Kim Vo " /> I joined the Marine Corps because junior college didn’t take. A semester and a half of C-minus ambition told me I needed something louder, something sharper.

Apr 15
SERVICE
Drone Warfare Has Dramatically Changed the Battlefield. Is the US Medical Corps Ready?

(Photo by U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Christie R. Smith) " /> On a serene Saturday afternoon, thousands of miles from conflict, soldiers with the California Air National Guard are...

Apr 9
SERVICE
A Transient Life and Hard Goodbyes: The Realities of My Lonely Military Childhood

Photos courtesy of Herbert Mintz. Illustration by Kim Vo " /> When my military family received orders to transfer to another duty station, my dad would organize our packing effort, chart a course,...

Apr 8
SERVICE
The Jet Had a Glitch. Was It Mechanical Error, Pilot Error, or Something Dumber?

Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/null-37-e1774618249697.jpeg?fit=400%2C172&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Apr 1
SERVICE
A War Zone, Minus the War: One Year Later, Has the Military Really Secured the US-Mexico Border?

Photo by Omar Ornelas for The War Horse " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Border-cover-image.png?fit=400%2C267&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Mar 26
FAMILY
We Were Winning in the Middle East. But the Civilian Casualties Kept Coming

Photo by Robert Fabich " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/null-4.png?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Mar 25
SERVICE
Inside the Wait for War: Military Families Brace for What Comes Next

Photos courtesy of the Banks and Baginsky families, and U.S. Navy. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3.png?

Mar 19
SERVICE
Tuition, Training, Housing: How to Sell the Military as the Path of Least Resistance

Photo courtesy of David Chetlain " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/null-3.png?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Mar 18
SERVICE
A Marine Went on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land to Heal from War. War Found Him Anyway

Photos courtesy of Michael Pereira and Wiki Commons. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pereira.png?

Mar 11
HEALTH
Mental Health Issues Plague New Moms in the Military. The Pentagon Is Supposed to Help

Adapted from an illustration by Svetlana Larshina " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image.png?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Mar 5
FAMILY
His Family Legacy Led Him to the Military. But He Found Contentment as a Family Man

Photos courtesy of Michael Kingslayer " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kingslayer-collage-2.png?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Mar 4
SERVICE
What led to Operation Epic Fury?

USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile on Saturday during Operation Epic Fury. (U.S. Navy Photo) " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Mar 2
HEALTH
Desperate for Help, a Marine Battles Phone Trees, Hold Music, and Indifference

Photo courtesy of Evan Slusser " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/null-18-e1771601565430.jpeg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Feb 25
LEGACY
American MIA Group and Filipino Muslim Government Unite to Bring Home World War II Servicemen

(Photos courtesy of Fort family, Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.com) " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-2.png?

Feb 19
LEGACY
I Thought Removing Confederate Names Meant Black Soldiers’ Legacy Mattered. Then, the Names Were Restored

Photo courtesy of Jack Lowe " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/null-5-e1770999718480.jpeg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Feb 18
HEALTH
‘I Felt Like a Factory Worker.’ Why VA Psychologists Are Burning Out

(Illustration by Ernest Kroi) " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-2.jpeg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Feb 12
HEALTH
He Hunted Roadside Bombs in Iraq. Now He Hunts Adventure to Combat PTSD

Casey Elliott during a reading and discussion session at an Outward Bound retreat in 2022. (Photo courtesy of the author) " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Feb 11
FAMILY
I Decided Not To Go On a Patrol in Iraq. An IED Killed My Friends

Photos courtesy of author, James Danna, and the Blair family " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/image-3.png?

Feb 4
LEGACY
Black in the Military: A Proud and Complex History

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Anderson " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Oath-feature.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Feb 2
HEALTH
Finding Solace In Chickens: One Veteran’s Fight To Save His Flock and Mental Health

Todd Combs holds one of his pet chickens Sunday, July 13, 2025, in the backyard of his Kenosha Road home in Kettering. JEN BALDUF/STAFF " data-image-caption=" Photo by Jen Balduf/Dayton Daily News "..

Jan 29
SERVICE
A Marine Father, an Air Force Son, and the Distance Between Them

Photo courtesy of Michael Hyon Johnson " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Distance-Between-Them.webp?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.

Jan 28
COMMUNITY
I Carried Death’s Shroud With Me From Afghanistan. But I Do Not Fear It

Photos courtesy of Cindy Seipert. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Cindy_Seipert-Death.webp?

Jan 21
SERVICE
After 30 Years in the Military, an Army Colonel Asks: Who Am I Without the Uniform?

Photo courtesy of Alan M. Evans " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Evans-Alan-MAJ-Iraq-2003.webp?fit=400%2C246&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Jan 14
HEALTH
A Veteran’s Search for Healing Led to an Ibogaine Trip and an Epiphany: ‘I’ve Got to Let It Go’

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Marc Dervaes sat straight-backed in a circle of 10 men at a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico.

Jan 8
HEALTH
Curing Insomnia with Magic: How One Veteran Finally Got a Good Night’s Sleep

The ridiculous thing about war is that I remember being excited. For the first 90 days or so, I was constantly excited, and I don’t mean in a “joyous,” emotionally positive way.

Jan 7
SERVICE
A Look Back at Our Most Impactful News Stories of 2025

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/News-1.webp?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Dec 29
HEALTH
A Look Back At Some of Our Favorite Reflections of 2025

There are many ways to measure this year’s “top” essays: Which ones garnered the most readers? Which ones sparked the liveliest conversations? Those metrics count, of course.

Dec 22
SERVICE
Q&A: How Did the U.S. Patrol the Caribbean for Drug Smuggling Before It Started Blowing Up Boats?

A small boat crew from Coast Guard cutter Donald Horsley pursues suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, Oct. 3, 2018. (U.S.

Dec 18
SERVICE
We Pined for the Comforts of Home. We Got Tube Socks and Old Candy for Christmas Instead

Photo courtesy of Zach West. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Care-packages-cover.jpg?

Dec 17
HEALTH
Are You a Veteran Struggling to Get Mental Health Care? These Resources May Help

VA photo by G. Edward Johnson " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/VA-Building-cover.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Dec 11
HEALTH
‘I Feel Lost.’ Anxiety Grows Among Veterans Cut off From VA One-on-One Therapy

Photos courtesy of Phoebe Ervin, Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ervin-cover-web.jpg?

Dec 11
FAMILY
I Left the Military and Tried to Heal, But I Was Unraveling. This Helped Me Reset

Photos courtesy of Samantha Juan. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Juan-cover-1.jpg?

Dec 10
HEALTH
A Marine Fights a New War. This Time With Her Own Body

Photos courtesy of Tamara Geyer. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/geyer-cover-web.jpg?

Dec 3
BENEFITS
VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cease-cover.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Dec 2
SERVICE
The Army Had a Crazy Thanksgiving Plan. I Had a Chainsaw

Photos courtesy of Matt Stone. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ranger-scroll-cover-web-2.jpg?

Nov 26
FAMILY
Air Force Veteran Didn’t Need Permission to Drink—or Find New Path to Sobriety

Photos courtesy of Heather King " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/permission-cover-web.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Nov 19
LEGACY
A List of the Veterans Florida Executed in 2025

Edward James Vet history: U.S. Army Crime: Convicted for the murder of an eight-year-old girl and her grandmother in 1993. Execution date: March 20, 2025 Jeffrey Hutchinson Vet history: U.S.

Nov 13
SERVICE
Florida’s Governor Is a Veteran. So Are Seven Inmates He’ll Send to the Execution Chamber This Year

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/death-row-cover.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Nov 13
SERVICE
‘I Won’t Shed Any Tears the Day I Leave.’ Letters Home From Marine Officer Candidates School

Photo courtesy of Marine David Nelson " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Letters-from-a-Burr-Headed-Idiot.webp?

Nov 12
ADVOCACY
I Wanted Peace, Freedom, and to Vote in Vietnam. The Air Force Was Not Amused

Photo courtesy of Marine Corps Archives " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/voting-absentee-web-resized-cropped.webp?

Nov 5
LEGACY
Vietnam Was Scary Enough. Friday the 13th Added To Our Fear

Photo courtesy of Stanley Ross " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/launcher-web-scaled.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Oct 29
SERVICE
A Massive Fraud Probe, a Botched Investigation, and the Thousands of Soldiers Who Paid

Photo courtesy of Luis Visalden " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Luis-Army-cap-cover.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Oct 23
SERVICE
They’ve Never Been Arrested. Why Does the FBI List Thousands of Service Members as Potential Criminals?

Illustration by Ernest Kroi " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/COVER-ILLUSTRATION-HORIZONTAL-1-scaled.jpg?

Oct 23
LEGACY
What Caused Maurice’s PTSD: The Vietnam War or Being Black in America?

Photo courtesy of Sue Blaustein " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/on-the-patio-web.jpg?fit=400%2C224&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Oct 22
HEALTH
I Was Exposed to 150 Blasts While Deployed to Iraq. My Brain Was Changed

Photo courtesy of Katie Strain " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/in-vehicle-web.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Oct 15
FAMILY
These Military Moms Turned Their Homes Into Day Cares. Then DOD’s Inspectors Came Knocking

Photos courtesy of Julia Bardsley and Denise Clark. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/FCC-cover-web.jpg?

Oct 9
SERVICE
Forced to Leave Because of Her Gender Identity, a Sailor Found a New Way to Serve

Photo courtesy of Paula Neira, Chris Stone/Times of San Diego, LaShawn Sykes/USN Military Sealift Command. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Oct 8
SERVICE
After a Tour in Iraq, His Dog Gave an Army Veteran Something to Live For

Photo courtesy of Stan Lake " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stan-and-Randolph-on-his-last-day-web.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.

Oct 1
SERVICE
I Was No Longer an Army Nurse. As I Drove Off Base, I Was Ready to Learn Who I Could Be

Photo courtesy of Elsie Pryor " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dress-uniform-cover.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Sep 24
SERVICE
‘I Don’t Want To Be Stuck.’ Meet the Military Families Who Love To Move

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stephanie Henry and contributed photos by the Meltz, Shour, and Speckhart families. Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.

Sep 18
HEALTH
The Heartbreakingly Common Story of My Military Suicide Attempt

Photo courtesy of Evan Slusser " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eponymous-jet-cover-1.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.

Sep 17
LEGACY
POW Witness: He Was Forced to Watch an Execution of U.S. Soldiers. 80 Years After WWII, His Story Sparks a Search for Their Remains

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett. Photo of Ben Hagans, left, by Kelly Hagans. Photos at right courtesy of Brig. Gen. Guy Fort’s family, Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.

Sep 12
SERVICE
Fear and Uncertainty Followed the Sept. 11 Attacks. What Was Real and What Was a Good Headline?

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Sep 10
SERVICE
‘Not Like Calling 911’—How A National Guard Call-Up Actually Works

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Sep 5
LEGACY
On a Remote Military Base During the Vietnam War, Books Offered an Escape

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Sep 3
SERVICE
From O.J. Simpson to Paraguay, Trust and Respect Go a Long Way

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Aug 27
HEALTH
‘We Need to Terminate Treatment’: VA Mental Health Providers Say They Are Under Pressure to Limit Care

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Aug 26
SERVICE
Why Is the Army Chopping Away at Its Chopper Fleet?

Photo by U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Austin Berner " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Black-Hawk-web.jpg?

Aug 22

The War Horse

I Still Have Hundreds of Texts From the Fall of Kabul. They Remind Me of the Promises We Broke

Hegseth Made the Fitness Test Harder for Women in Combat Roles. Most Female Marines Are Passing

The Global War on Terrorism Is Over—Except for the Veterans Who Fought It

They Served Through America’s Post-9/11 Wars. 25 Years Later, What Did That Service Mean?

Jungles, Woods, and Deserts: The Army Was a Passport to the Wilderness I Loved

VA Probe Opened in Response to The War Horse Coverage

Where the Pentagon Can’t Go, a Small Nonprofit Searches for America’s War Dead

They Survived an Iran War Drone Attack. Six Months Later, They’re Struggling to Get Care

How to Be a Proper Military Wife: Dress Modestly, Smile, and Keep Opinions to Yourself

He Earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Why Did It Take Decades To Receive It?

I Typed Forms While Other Men Went to War. That Shame Shaped My Life

Military Sexual Trauma Survivors Can’t Sue the Government. A New Bill Could Change That

The Marines Created a Warrior. But I Forgot How to Be a Woman

25 Years Later, Will the Global War on Terrorism Ever End?

Their Military Careers Were Cut Short in Combat. Now They’re Fighting Congress for Their Full Benefits

Everybody Wanted to Visit the Wounded Soldier. I Wanted to Be Left Alone

My Little Sister Is Deployed in the Middle East. Her Base Was Hit

Shrapnel, Broken Bones, and Head Trauma: New Records Show How U.S. Troops Were Wounded in Iran War

Trump Promised Redemption for Troops Who Refused Covid Shots. A Year Later, Many Are Still Waiting

Military Spouse Life Prepared Me for Almost Anything. Then Came Retirement

Every Ambush in Vietnam Held Surprises. This One Ended in Death

Hegseth Ordered a New Study of Women in Combat. Critics Say It’s Built to Reach One Conclusion

A Veterans Organization Has Millions in the Bank. Why Did It Seize a Small Chapter’s Donation?

My Father Was a Decorated Black Soldier With a Secret: Me

I Watched an Execution. Was She a Viet Cong Spy—or Just Fighting for Her Country?

Veterans With Gulf War Illness Were Finally Seeing Progress. Then Congress Cut Funding

I Once Made My VA Therapist Cry. Then an AI Chatbot Got Me Talking About War and Guilt

A Marine Walked Into Rehab Like He Owned the Place, But Learned You Can’t BS a Horse

‘Sounds Like a Mutiny.’ Secret Recording Exposes Claims of Toxic Leadership After a Marine’s Suicide

The Vietnam War Killed My Father Decades After His Tour. Am I a Middle-Aged Gold Star Child?

How Trump’s First 500 Days Has Reshaped Life for Troops and Veterans

Yes, I Served in Iraq. But What if People Mistake Me for a Hero?

My Grandpa Was Killed in World War II. I Met Him Through His Letters Home

Why Is It Taking So Long to Identify America’s Unknown Fallen Heroes?

The Worst Job in the Marines: Telling Parents Their Child Was Dead. It Was Also an Honor

Military Suicide Prevention Training Did Not Prepare Me for the Deaths of My Friends

Hiring, Overtime, and AI: VA Is Processing Veterans’ Disability Claims Faster Than Ever

I Love My Air Force Husband. My Feelings About the Government He Serves Are More Complicated

Medill Study: Military Bases and the Communities Around Them Have Lost Local News Coverage

A Combat Infantryman Stood In the Gap. Made the Calculation. Pulled the Trigger. But At What Cost?

‘Got to Get Fixed:’ Billing Delays, Coverage Issues Still Plague Tricare Patients and Providers

Another Conflict Roils the Middle East. A Marine Warns the War Will Come Home

We Were Marines Who Did Everything Together. Then My Name Appeared in His Suicide Note

Drone Warfare Has Dramatically Changed the Battlefield. Is the US Medical Corps Ready?

A Transient Life and Hard Goodbyes: The Realities of My Lonely Military Childhood

The Jet Had a Glitch. Was It Mechanical Error, Pilot Error, or Something Dumber?

A War Zone, Minus the War: One Year Later, Has the Military Really Secured the US-Mexico Border?

We Were Winning in the Middle East. But the Civilian Casualties Kept Coming

Inside the Wait for War: Military Families Brace for What Comes Next

Tuition, Training, Housing: How to Sell the Military as the Path of Least Resistance

A Marine Went on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land to Heal from War. War Found Him Anyway

Mental Health Issues Plague New Moms in the Military. The Pentagon Is Supposed to Help

His Family Legacy Led Him to the Military. But He Found Contentment as a Family Man

What led to Operation Epic Fury?

Desperate for Help, a Marine Battles Phone Trees, Hold Music, and Indifference

American MIA Group and Filipino Muslim Government Unite to Bring Home World War II Servicemen

I Thought Removing Confederate Names Meant Black Soldiers’ Legacy Mattered. Then, the Names Were Restored

‘I Felt Like a Factory Worker.’ Why VA Psychologists Are Burning Out

He Hunted Roadside Bombs in Iraq. Now He Hunts Adventure to Combat PTSD

I Decided Not To Go On a Patrol in Iraq. An IED Killed My Friends

Black in the Military: A Proud and Complex History

Finding Solace In Chickens: One Veteran’s Fight To Save His Flock and Mental Health

A Marine Father, an Air Force Son, and the Distance Between Them

I Carried Death’s Shroud With Me From Afghanistan. But I Do Not Fear It

After 30 Years in the Military, an Army Colonel Asks: Who Am I Without the Uniform?

A Veteran’s Search for Healing Led to an Ibogaine Trip and an Epiphany: ‘I’ve Got to Let It Go’

Curing Insomnia with Magic: How One Veteran Finally Got a Good Night’s Sleep

A Look Back at Our Most Impactful News Stories of 2025

A Look Back At Some of Our Favorite Reflections of 2025

Q&A: How Did the U.S. Patrol the Caribbean for Drug Smuggling Before It Started Blowing Up Boats?

We Pined for the Comforts of Home. We Got Tube Socks and Old Candy for Christmas Instead

Are You a Veteran Struggling to Get Mental Health Care? These Resources May Help

‘I Feel Lost.’ Anxiety Grows Among Veterans Cut off From VA One-on-One Therapy

I Left the Military and Tried to Heal, But I Was Unraveling. This Helped Me Reset

A Marine Fights a New War. This Time With Her Own Body

VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business

The Army Had a Crazy Thanksgiving Plan. I Had a Chainsaw

Air Force Veteran Didn’t Need Permission to Drink—or Find New Path to Sobriety

A List of the Veterans Florida Executed in 2025