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...

My hands were nicked, my ego slightly deflated, but all my limbs were intact. I had two days to become the Michelangelo of ice carving. thewarhorse.org/ranger-ice-s...

I became the first person in my squadron to have an alcohol-related incident in three years. I wish I could say the guilt and shame were enough to keep me from drinking. That journey took another 15 years. Heather King is a 2025 War Horse Writing Fellow. thewarhorse.org/air-force-ve...

Meet Heather King, one of our 2025 Writing Seminar Fellows! Her first Reflection will be published later this week at thewarhorse.org. Follow along to meet the other members of this year's cohort and read their work.

Meet Bobby Burns, one of our 2025 Writing Seminar Fellows! The War Horse strives to tell stories that mirror the vast array of military experiences, and we know we can do better to reflect the voices and experiences of our entire community. Follow along to meet this year's cohort.

Veterans represent nearly 40% of the record number of death warrants Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed in 2025. Should their military service matter? thewarhorse.org/florida-deat...

Florida’s governor is a veteran. So are seven inmates he’ll send to the execution chamber this year. [via @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social]

At age 21, I thought I was in the best physical shape of my young life. Little did I know! thewarhorse.org/marine-lette...

“Numerous large companies are siphoning off hundreds of millions of dollars a year in veterans benefits, all to make a quick dollar on what has for decades been a free service.” This company is spending millions to profit off veterans’ benefits. An April feature from @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social:

Happy Veterans Day to everyone that's answered the call to serve our nation.

If you want to see veterans and hardened journalists cry, send them to The War Horse Writing Seminar. We marveled at their story arcs and the incredible writing leaps made in just one week. This is what commitment looks like. You’ll be able to read their Reflection essays soon at thewarhorse.org

I turned 22 years old, and for the first time in my life I was eligible to vote in a presidential election. The only problem was that I was in Vietnam. thewarhorse.org/soldier-vote...

I could not shake the feeling that today was going to be a scary day. I am not usually superstitious, but this time it was different. thewarhorse.org/vietnam-war-...

Thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans were supposed to get pardons. A year later, only four have succeeded. From our friends at @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social:

One soldier’s story of the stain from the military recruiting scandal that followed him for years thewarhorse.org/veteran-mili...

“Who will take my word over the plain text of the FBI’s criminal history?” A Texas mom and National Guard member has sued the Army to clear her name—and upend the military justice system. From our friends at @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social:

They’ve never been arrested. Why does the FBI list thousands of service members as likely criminals? [via @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social]

On an all-new The Weekly Show @nancyayoussef.bsky.social, David Lapan and Thomas Brennan are here to make sense of the Pentagon’s push for tightening press restrictions and the backlash from journalists and media organizations.

A Texas mom and National Guard member is suing the Army to clear her name—and upend the military justice system. thewarhorse.org/service-memb...

He was a Vietnam War veteran but he was viewed as a potential thief, a threat, because “you know.” thewarhorse.org/vietnam-war-...

We're Hiring a Data Reporter! What we offer: 🟢 Fully remote newsroom 🟢 Compensation $85,000 to $90,000/year 🟢 401k match 🟢 Employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision coverage 🟢 Digital privacy services Learn more about the role: thewarhorse.org/careers/posi...