At War

A 'Kill List,' a Marine Ritual and a Therapist for 3,500 Patients

By JEFFERY DELVISCIO — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:37:29 +0000

President Obama's personal say in when to strike suspected terrorists; a group of Marines honors their lost comrades from Iraq; and one physical therapist travels thousands of miles to help soldiers in the field.

A Maze of Complication in the Afghan Poppy Fields

By MATTHEW ROSENBERG — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:51:07 +0000

American soldiers fighting the final phase of the war are adrift in opium country, caught between the Afghan villagers whose hearts and minds they are making one last effort to win and the Afghan government they are there to support.

Remembering the Crew of a Lost Chinook

By JAMES DAO — Mon, 28 May 2012 16:02:50 +0000

Alex Quade, a freelance television reporter, pays a Memorial Day tribute to the soldiers she was embedded with, and nearly died with, five years ago.

Readers' Memorial Day Rituals

By JEFFERY DELVISCIO — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:01:29 +0000

Last week we asked you, our readers, to send us your Memorial Day rituals and traditions. You came through with great feeling, subtly and depth. Here are a selection of them.

Honoring the Exchange of Life for Life

By ALEX HORTON — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:01:07 +0000

Every year in the lead up to Memorial Day, one veteran of the Iraq War ponders the loss of his comrades and how to let go.

Sketching the Wounds of War

By DIANTHA PARKER — Sat, 26 May 2012 16:54:36 +0000

War is one of art's oldest muses. A work of art can both bear witness and rewrite history; it can also be a plea not to repeat the past.

Shades of Guilt in One Soldier's Purple Heart

By SHANNON P. MEEHAN — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:20:30 +0000

For one decorated soldier, the metal on his lapel that represents the capacity to survive, endure and sacrifice also carries with it a darker side, including the shadows of the lives taken.

As Memorial Day Nears, a Single Image That Continues to Haunt

By LILY BURANA — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:38:43 +0000

A bereaved wife lies near her husband's coffin as a Marine stands by. Todd Heisler's image of Katherine Cathey continues to stir military and veteran wives seven years after it was taken.

At Fort Hood, a Welcome Home for Veterans of a War Long Past

By KRISTINA SHEVORY — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:39:14 +0000

With the recent crop of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan on many minds, some military bases have decided that Vietnam veterans need their own recognition.

Confronting a False Meme: Libya's Deadly 'Stinger Equivalents'

By C.J. CHIVERS — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:01:29 +0000

The meme asserting otherwise began in earnest Sept. 7 with a post on a CNN blog that the network broadcast as an exclusive. The headline read, "Libyan Missiles Looted."

Government Report Says Medical Discharge Process Is Getting Slower

By JAMES DAO — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:21:49 +0000

The Government Accountability Office reports that a joint medical evaluation system created to expedite the medical discharge process is actually increasing processing time--the latest bad news about long delays in medical evaluations and disability ratings by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

New Study Outlines How the Military Could Create a Leaner, Less Expensive Force

By THOM SHANKER — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:02:12 +0000

A new study released Wednesday by the Center for a New American Security offers some provocative ideas for how the Pentagon could reshape itself for this new era.

Female Sergeant Major Claims Gender Discrimination

By JAMES DAO — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:33:18 +0000

A retired command sergeant major has come forward to say that she was the victim of gender discrimination by her superiors while she was commandant of the 3rd Infantry Division.

NATO Summit News Roundup

By JEFFERY DELVISCIO — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:54:06 +0000

News and developments from the two-day NATO summit with a major focus on the future of Afghanistan.

Spying Balloons as Artistic Muse

By JEFFERY DELVISCIO — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:42:49 +0000

One reader sees art in the specter of all-seeing eye in the skies over Afghanistan.