Opinion
Before we move on: 2 painful lessons from the Iran war
There are two lessons I want my civilian neighbors to carry forward from this conflict: the dangers of gamifying war and of waging it unconstitutionally.
Opinion
Not just a ‘flawed design’: Charting a new course for the GWOT Memorial
A GWOT Memorial Foundation founder argues in this op-ed that concerns over the proposed memorial extend beyond design and into organizational priorities.
My grandpa was killed in World War II. I met him through his letters home.
My grandpa never came back from World War II. I found his final resting place in France.
Opinion
Why Congress must end the remarriage penalty for military survivors
A policy that causes surviving spouses to lose their benefits if they remarry suggests their sacrifice ends the moment they seek a new chapter in life.
A combat infantryman stood in the gap. Made the calculation. Pulled the trigger. But at what cost?
"There is a profound, sickening duality in being thanked for your service by people who would be horrified if they ... saw what that service required."
Opinion
How chest-thumping rhetoric erodes service member safety
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's brash rhetoric is profoundly destabilizing for actively-serving military families, this military spouse argues.
Opinion
If chaplains are ‘officers second,’ which staff corps officers are next?
Removing rank insignia from chaplains sets a precedent for treating staff officers differently than others, the author of this op-ed argues.
A web of sensors: How the US spots missiles and drones from Iran
If a missile is launched from Iran toward a U.S. military base in the region, how do service members know in time to stay safe?
Opinion
Why military fellowships at civilian universities matter
Before dismantling programs like Senior Service College fellowships, the Pentagon should carefully reconsider the full value they provide to the military.
Desperate for help, a Marine battles phone trees, hold music and indifference
The system is callous. Not maliciously. It just happens. Checkbox by checkbox. Door by door. Doctor by doctor.
Opinion
Veterans aren’t campaign props — Congress must start acting like it
"We hear endless speeches praising our service. But respect without action is meaningless," argues DAV National Adjutant and CEO Barry Jesinoski.
He hunted roadside bombs in Iraq. Now he hunts adventure to combat PTSD.
Veteran retreats taught him how to kayak, ski and forgive himself.
Opinion
Drone warfare requires new age of battlefield medicine
"We should not wait for American soldiers to be engaged in a drone war to modernize how we train, equip and support those tasked with saving them."
Opinion
Why Greenland’s takeover by the US is not needed for Golden Dome
Golden Dome is problematic for many reasons. Don’t let it be used to justify the annexation of a NATO ally’s territory as well.
I decided not to go on a patrol in Iraq. An IED killed my friends
Nearly 20 years later, a soldier still grapples with his decision. "Their deaths were a failure. My failure."
A Marine father, an Air Force son and the distance between them
My father believed trauma and discipline would result in success and a stronger livelihood. And so he enlisted. Years later, I did, too.
Why every day can feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ in the military
For troops, "Groundhog Day" captures something they immediately recognize: days repeat, routines harden and progress feels frozen.
