We pined for the comforts of home. We got socks for Christmas instead.
"Do they think we’re deployed, or homeless?" Care packages reveal Americans have little idea what modern soldiers need.
Opinion
Beware of NATO’s enlargement trap
The tragedy of NATO expansion lies not in beginning it, but in never considering when and where it might end, argues former NATO official Michael Rühle.
A drone ‘war is more silent and more deadly’ — and America is behind
If the U.S. is ever dragged into a large-scale war against an adversary like China or Iran, it will be ill-equipped for a drone-heavy background.
Opinion
Don’t let Trump let Putin miscalculate on Europe
Taken together, Trump’s policies towards Europe have an isolationist flavor with lack of clarity about U.S. commitments
The Army had a crazy Thanksgiving plan. I had a chainsaw
"That’s the Army for you. One minute you’re training to destroy the enemy, the next, you’re attending art school," writes Matt Stone for The War Horse.
How wargaming can help us prepare for modern crises
We might not be able to predict the future perfectly given the speed of change. But we can test the options for potential futures.
How Ahmed al-Sharaa ended up being welcomed to the White House
The question remains of what Trump and al-Sharaa want from each other.
Letters home from Marine Officer Candidates School
"My parents saved the weekly letters I wrote during my 10-week training. The following are excerpts from my journey to becoming a 'burr-headed idiot.'"
After World War I, séances boomed – and dead soldiers ‘wrote’ home
In March 1915, Raymond Lodge was deployed to France. By September, he was dead. A few weeks later, however, he got in touch with his family.
Vietnam was scary enough. Friday the 13th added to our fear.
"I could not shake the feeling that today was going to be a scary day," a Vietnam veteran writes in this War Horse reflection.
Recovery, resilience and returning from war in Ukraine
Soldiers have found ways to live their lives as productively as possible — and many still want to serve their country, even back at the front line.
Trump’s National Guard deployments reignite 200-year-old legal debate
"If you’re confused about what the law does and doesn’t allow the president to do with the National Guard, that’s understandable," writes Andrea Katz.
Hegseth’s style counters military’s history as engine of social change
Professors of military history say Hegseth’s actions — and plans for more — are a reversal of the role the American military has often played.
The heartbreakingly common story of my military suicide attempt
"Maybe that’s what makes this story different. Not that it’s mine, but exactly because it isn’t," a Marine veteran writes in this War Horse reflection.
He lived 3 doors down in the barracks. I carry his ghost in my pocket
"I wish the 30 soldiers who died in Alaska during my time at Wainwright had gotten to see this moment," writes Jake Johnson in this War Horse reflection.
4 in 5 US troops surveyed understand duty to disobey illegal orders
As National Guard troops head to DC, a new survey reveals service members’ understanding of the distinction between legal and illegal orders.
Why it’s hard to know the damage the US did to Iran’s nuclear program
Opinion: Analysts will need more intelligence from more sources to make a confident judgment about the effects on Fordo and Iran’s broader nuclear efforts.
