Ideas
Nixon’s Leniency After My Lai Hurt Veterans. Trump’s May, Too.
A president’s actions in 1971 helped turn public opinion against those who fought the Vietnam War.
Ideas
A Veteran’s Thanksgiving Pledge
I want to help rebuild an America that is worth the sacrifices of so many.
Science & Tech
US Vets Targeted by Foreign Actors Aiming to Sway Elections, Experts Tell Congress
Actors from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and elsewhere gain access to online forums by impersonating vets they find online
Ideas
How Best to Thank a Veteran? Avoid More Unjust Wars
A 2017 poll found that about half of Americans would support launching an unprovoked war on a country that poses no near-term threat.
Policy
Trump Told the VA to Order ‘a Lot’ of Ketamine for Vets
The president wants to make a controversial new nasal spray available to depressed veterans. The agency says it will consider incorporating the drug after it has more data.
Threats
For Soldiers, Risk of Suicide Linked With Firearm Ownership
Clinicians advise that soldiers at risk for suicide spend less time close to guns.
Policy
New VA Whistleblower Protection Office Is Under Investigation for Retaliating Against Whistleblowers
"You don’t want to come forward," one whistleblower said. "People are afraid."
Ideas
Trump's Wrong. Not All War Veterans are 'Sick'
It's important we debunk false narratives about veterans who struggle with mental health injuries.
Ideas
Stan McChrystal: I Threw Away My Robert E. Lee Painting
“It was not a simple decision,” says the retired Afghanistan war commander.
Ideas
Welcome, Class of 2022: Last of the Pre-9/11 Cohort
Your arrival reminds us all to do more to connect America’s citizens to their country’s wars, and its civilians to its veterans.
Policy
Hoping to Change Party's Image, Dems Marshal Veteran Candidates
“The Democratic Party just has a terrible brand within the military and we need to repair that. How do I hope to change it? Win. Get in."
Policy
The Death of Political Courage
Commitment to principle, despite its costs, is what America has lost with John McCain’s passing.
Ideas
The Retired Admiral, the President, and the Military Profession
How should a former four-star register his dissent? A Naval War College instructor points to an Aug. 13 memo by Defense Secretary Mattis.
Ideas
What Austria Can Teach the US About Civil-Military Relations
I was raised in a culture in which soldiering is seen as just another dangerous profession.
Science & Tech
Shulkin’s Firing Leaves $16B Effort to Merge DoD/VA Health Records Up In The Air
Secretary Shulkin championed a contract with Cerner to develop a new health records system for Veterans Affairs, but the deal seems precarious now.
Ideas
The White House Doctor and the Dual-Officeholding Ban
Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson’s appointment reinvigorates the debate over the proper relationship between the military and the government.
Ideas
Bridging America's Civil-Military Gap — At Sea
As a former senior defense official, I wanted to help my undergraduate students learn about the military. Fortunately, so did several of my veteran shipmates.
Ideas
Why Trump Should Be the One Stopping to Take a Knee
I support the cause, but I'm a combat veteran, so I won't kneel. We still need a leader who brings the temperature down, not cranks it up.
Ideas
'Dunkirk' Should Remind Us What Wars Are Like (And That We’re Still Fighting Them)
After our veterans screened the movie's powerful and familiar portrayals of combat, we think Americans should be talking more about our endless presence in Afghanistan and the multi-front war against ISIS.
Science & Tech