“A staggering total of 109 soldiers assigned to Fort Bragg died in 2020 and 2021. Dozens have lost their lives there to drug overdoses. Now, their families are demanding answers — and accountability.”
veterans
As the World Moves On, Veterans of the Afghanistan Withdrawal Struggle to Join Them
“‘I feel like I’m still there,’ a Marine told me. ‘I feel like everything that happened, happened five minutes ago.’” Reporting for Task & Purpose, Haley Britzky spoke to 15 soldiers, Marines, and airmen who were part of the Afghanistan withdrawal mission in August 2021. It’s a difficult read, but also a raw and visceral account […]
The Unseen Scars of Those Who Kill Via Remote Control
A devastating, well-reported story on the drone program of the U.S. Air Force and the lack of mental-health support for drone operators. Because they were not deployed, they seldom got the same recovery periods or mental-health screenings as other fighters. Instead they were treated as office workers, expected to show up for endless shifts in […]
Notes from Lviv
In a series of diary-like dispatches, Matt Gallagher shares a riveting on-the-ground account of training civilians for combat in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. All-day lane rotations between trainers on urban movement, dismounted recon ops, and advanced room defense. They’re getting better. Petro’s a leader. So is Symon, the law student. So is Ivan, a […]
Whose Boots on the Ground
We invest a great deal of collective energy in commemorating our war dead. But do we remember them?
Did Brian Easley Have to Die?
A desperate veteran, missing his disability payment, walked into a bank and took several people hostage. This is how he got there.
Did Brian Easley Have to Die?
A desperate veteran, missing his disability payment, walked into a bank and took several people hostage. This is how he got there.
I Must Be One of the Best, Because I’m Not One of the Worst
Iraq War veteran Phil Klay reckons with his own complicity.
Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?
While grieving her brother’s suicide, Maria Finn went to Burning Man and fell in love. Afterward, she learned why festival regulars caution against making big decisions or commitments until at least three months back into “default life.”
From a Hawk to a Dove
Vietnam Veteran Ray Cocks, who’d eagerly enlisted in 1967, was forever changed by the realities of war.