Frequent moves, BX clothing, and commissary meals made it difficult to befriend others, a problem that persisted into adulthood thewarhorse.org/air-force-ch...

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Our profile on Marine Javier Ortiz Rivera that set the standard for our decade of reporting: providing an essential platform for stories about veterans and military families that Americans need to hear. Read the first story we published: thewarhorse.org/echoes-proje...

There are almost 50,000 service members currently deployed to the Middle East with more Marines set to join them soon: thewarhorse.org/military-fam...

Writing ‘pilot error’ would mean spending the rest of your day explaining your attitude to someone who outranked you. thewarhorse.org/air-force-fi...

Troops deployed to the border have brought with them expertise in surveillance and unmanned aircraft systems, supercharging a surveillance network that worries civil liberties experts. Read our investigation in partnership with @theborderchronicle.bsky.social thewarhorse.org/southern-bor...

More than 40% of the southern U.S. border has been handed over to the military Airwars visualised the changes for a major investigation by @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social and @theborderchronicle.bsky.social thewarhorse.org/southern-bor...

One year into Trump's military border buildup: 20,000+ troops, 40% of the border now military zones, battlefield tech in U.S. cities — yet thousands still cross monthly. Our investigation with @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social exposes the illusion of national security. Read the full investigation🔗🦂:

Today we launched an investigation with @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social on Trump's declaration of a "national emergency" and what that means for border communities a year into the declaration. More than 40% of the U.S.-Mexico border is now under military control.

Trump says the border is sealed. The reality is messier. [via @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social]

An investigation into how President Trump’s emergency declaration expanded military power, blurred legal lines, and helped spread the use of military-grade technology thewarhorse.org/southern-bor... In partnership with @theborderchronicle.bsky.social

‘When the injured become people who should never have been part of the fight, it cracks any wall you built.’ thewarhorse.org/civilian-cas...

With Operation Epic Fury growing in the Middle East, four families share how they manage the anticipation and separation of deployment thewarhorse.org/military-fam...

With quotas, waivers, and salesmanship, recruiters race to meet monthly goals when only a fraction of the nation qualifies to enlist thewarhorse.org/military-rec...

A veteran embarked on a spiritual journey to recover from Iraq, divorce, and an arrest. But then the rockets came flying. thewarhorse.org/marine-caugh...

The Defense Department is months behind on addressing a new law’s mandate to fight pregnancy-related mood and anxiety disorders. From @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social:

The Defense Department is months behind on addressing a new law’s mandate to fight pregnancy-related mood and anxiety disorders. thewarhorse.org/military-mom...

Trump threatened military action if Iran didn't negotiate a nuclear deal almost a year ago. Iran said it was at war with the US in Dec. 2025. The military buildup in the region reached its peak in late Feb. 2026. thewarhorse.org/what-led-to-...

A timeline of the buildup to US attack on Iran thewarhorse.org/what-led-to-...

We're hiring a Managing Editor! We're looking for a strategic thinker and problem-solver to manage and grow our editorial team, work with reporters, editors, and partners to publish stories that explore the biggest issues facing the military and veterans. Learn more: thewarhorse.org/listings/ite...

The system is callous. Not maliciously. It just happens. Checkbox by checkbox. Door by door. Doctor by doctor. thewarhorse.org/marine-menta...

The years I spent in the shadow of West Point’s Confederate monuments made me who I am today. Sitting in lectures about West Point’s guiding values of duty, honor, and country. Actually living those values was shaped in resisting alma mater’s Confederate idols. thewarhorse.org/black-soldie...

They will search for remains of four US Army soldiers, including a general who became a hero to many Filipinos after his refusal to obey Japanese orders led to his execution. thewarhorse.org/world-war-ii...

‘So many of my assumptions about the world and how to better it were turned upside down.’ thewarhorse.org/black-soldie...

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: American servicemen and women came back from World War II to bigotry, exclusion, and overt racial violence—precisely because they had served their country.

The number of veterans seeking mental health treatment continues to rise, but the number of psychologists at VA dropped last year for the first time in a decade thewarhorse.org/va-psycholog...

Veteran retreats taught him how to kayak, ski, and forgive himself. thewarhorse.org/veteran-retr...

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Gen.(Ret.) Larry Spencer was considered one of the best high school players in Maryland and dreamed of playing in the NFL. But there was a catch. thewarhorse.org/football-dre...

War Horse reader Jim Carden was inspired to write a song based on Michael’s Reflection. Listen to it here: thewarhorse.org/marine-fathe...

Nearly 20 years later, a soldier still grapples with his decision. ‘Their deaths were a failure. My failure.’ thewarhorse.org/soldier-frie...

Black people's stories have often been overlooked in the nation’s historical record and narratives about military life. In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting their stories to help enrich our understanding of war, sacrifice, identity, and community. thewarhorse.org/black-people...

Veterans lean on emotional support animals to help cope with their PTSD, but there are challenges to keeping them thewarhorse.org/veteran-figh...

My father believed trauma and discipline would result in success and a stronger livelihood. And so he enlisted. Years later, I did, too. thewarhorse.org/marine-fathe...

Explore our new and improved War Horse website! This update is a promise to continue holding the powerful to account, bring underreported military stories to light, and lift the voices of the military community. All while staying ad and paywall free thanks to the generosity of donors like you.

In the B-hut, Humvee, or hospital. In a flak vest or gown. I would die or I wouldn’t. thewarhorse.org/veteran-afgh...

Coming soon: A new War Horse experience! (Don't worry, our stories will remain paywall and ad-free!)

After war and addiction, he chased relief across the border. What followed was complicated. From our friends at @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social:

My family was happy to have me home, but they couldn’t feel the weight of what I’d lost. The Army had been more than a job; it was my compass. thewarhorse.org/army-colonel...

A common motivation among veteran participants has emerged at a clinic in Mexico offering psychedelics: The talk therapy and prescriptions offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs proved ineffective. thewarhorse.org/veteran-ibog...

Marc Dervaes went to Mexico for a brain-bending, existential jolt from a psychedelic drug that desperate military veterans are hoping will relieve their trauma. This story was supported by the @pulitzercenter.org thewarhorse.org/veteran-ibog...

Marc Dervaes journeyed to Mexico for a brain-bending, existential jolt from a psychedelic drug that more and more desperate military veterans are hoping will relieve their trauma. Then he went a second time. thewarhorse.org/veteran-ibog...

I was in Iraq in 2004. Every time outside the wire was a heart-pumping exercise in hypervigilance, nervousness, anger, and fear. I brought that home with me. thewarhorse.org/soldier-inso...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to reexamine the standards under which women have gained entry into combat roles. thewarhorse.org/military-sta...

The Coast Guard would often bring alleged smugglers back to the U.S. for criminal charges and prosecution. This year, Attorney General Pam Bondi released a memo stating the department would “rarely” prosecute low-level offenders—including those intercepted at sea. thewarhorse.org/coast-guard-...

Coast Guard crews have seized about half a million pounds of drugs this year. But instead of killing ‘enemy combatants,’ they’re sending them back home. thewarhorse.org/coast-guard-...

We circled like giddy children around a Christmas tree. What we found under those box flaps defied all our expectations. thewarhorse.org/deployed-chr...

VA insists it doesn’t limit mental health care. Some veterans say they feel betrayed by a system that promised to take care of them for the rest of their lives. thewarhorse.org/veteran-ment...

I ended up in a healing center in Mexico. I didn’t want a vacation. I wanted a lifeline. thewarhorse.org/army-veteran...

Meet Kyle Bibby, one of our 2025 Writing Seminar Fellows! The War Horse strives to tell stories of the vast array of military experiences. We know we can do better to reflect the voices of our entire community. Follow along to meet other members of the cohort. thewarhorse.org/writing-semi...

After eight years in the Marine Corps, a veteran tells her body: I decide when we quit. Tamara Geyer is a 2025 War Horse Writing Fellow thewarhorse.org/marine-healt...

VA has told nearly 40 companies to stop charging veterans for assisting with disability benefits claims. The firms insist veterans want their help. (Reported in partnership with @npr.org) thewarhorse.org/veterans-aff...