Some TEXAS MONTHLY Stories on Military
Soldier »
When I enlisted in the military in 2001, I never imagined my first day of basic training would be remembered for the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history. I never imagined I’d find myself, and lose myself, in service to my country and devotion to my comrades-in-arms. And I never imagined it would be so hard, once I returned home to Texas, to put my life back together.
by Matt Cook [July 2008]
Embedded in War »
John Spong, who recently returned from Afghanistan, discusses reporting from war zones, and what
it's really like on the inside.
[July 2008]
Preston M. “Pete” Geren »
56, Secretary of the Army, Fort Worth/Washington, D.C.
[February 2008]
Lust in Space »
The lovesick antics of diapered astronaut Lisa Nowak are some combination of funny and sad but seemingly not revealing of anything larger, until you realize that her tragic, tabloidy breakdown says everything you need to know about NASA’s many troubles.
by S. C. Gwynne [May 2007]
Carlos Brown Is a Hero (No Matter What He Says) »
My best friend from high school is no longer the uncool, baseball-card-collecting goofball he once was. He’s a Navy surgeon and commander, and for two horrific weeks I got to watch him calmly and bravely save lives in wartime—not just Americans’ and not just soldiers’—in one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq.
by John Spong [May 2007]
My Father’s War »
What I learned about Iraq from World War II—and what all the president’s men could learn.
by Michael Ennis [August 2006]
Heartbreak High »
If the war is an unpleasant abstraction in the rest of the country, it’s omnipresent at Killeen Shoemaker, where many of the children of the enlisted men and women of Fort Hood are enrolled—and pray for peace every single day.
by Mimi Swartz [March 2006]
Tomorrowland »
As a captain in the 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, all I think about is the future of Iraq. Here’s what my world looks like.
by Jonathan Moss [March 2006]
Casualty Of War »
A real-life G.I. Joe, Master Sergeant James Coons hardly seemed like a candidate for post-traumatic stress disorder. But when his demons got the best of him, there was nothing anyone could do—not that anyone really tried.
by Skip Hollandsworth [March 2006]
Would You Buy What This Man Is Selling? »
With the military stretched thinner than ever, Staff Sergeant Christopher Schwope’s skill as an Army recruiter is undeniably important. And it’s a thing to behold.
by John Spong [March 2006]
The Believer »
Like Cindy Sheehan, Gary Qualls lost a son in Iraq. Unlike her, he doesn’t oppose the war.
As told to Michael Hall [March 2006]
The Protesters »
The weekend after Thanksgiving, demonstrators gathered in Crawford and made their feelings about the war quite clear.
As told to Pamela Colloff [March 2006]
“Only the Dead Have Seen The End of War” »
“Only the Dead Have Seen The End of War” I hope to change that.
by Jonathan Moss [February 2006]
I Have Finally Arrived »
First in Kuwait, then Baghdad. Next stop, the desert.
by Jonathan Moss [January 2006]
I Am a Student Again »
But prepping for war is not the kind of homework I’m used to.
by Jonathan Moss [October 2005]
Greetings from Fort Bragg »
With a pistol in my hand. And a rifle.
by Jonathan Moss [September 2005]
My Name is Jonathan Moss »
And I will soon be a soldier in Iraq—again. Here’s what’s going through my mind.
by Jonathan Moss [August 2005]
Courage • Steven Gonzales »
A soldier’s story
by Pamela Colloff [September 1999]
Hut, Hut, Yikes! »
If the Dallas Cowboys thought last season was unpleasant, wait until they open training camp
in Wichita Falls.
by Skip Hollandsworth [July 1998]
A Few Bad Boys »
The slashing of a cadet’s throat at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen is only the latest incident of violence at a venerable institution under not-so-friendly fire.
by Pamela Colloff [January 1998]
On Guard »
The embattled Texas National Guard
by Janet Heimlich [January 1998]
Dogfight »
Texas at war with the United States Air Force.
by Patricia Sharpe [October 1996]
Bombers Away »
The B-1 bomber costs too much and does too little—so who wants to keep it alive? The people of Abilene, whose economy could take a direct hit if the Pentagon pulls the trigger.
by Robert Bryce [May 1996]
War, Inc. »
Brown and Root goes to Bosnia for the Pentagon—and cleans up.
by Robert Bryce [April 1996]
Alone With a Ghost »
Carol Collins thought her ex-husband had been killed in Vietnam—until a mysterious photograph reopened old wounds and threw her life into turmoil.
by Dana Rubin [March 1992]
Into The Storm »
In normal times, Fort Hood teems with troops training in tanks and helicopters. But in their absence, the huge base is left with a scattering of soldiers and a uneasy sense of peace.
by Paul Burka [March 1991]
45 Years (Sat Nov 22 at 5:28 PM)
Can You Spare Some Change I Can Believe In? (Sat Nov 22 at 4:10 PM)
Even Worse, They're Cutting Back on Monocles (Fri Nov 21 at 8:39 AM)
