Opinion Archives - Task & Purpose

Nov 25, 2020

Opinion

‘You either went to war or you didn’t’ — How deployments divide the veteran community

There will always be that awkward silence that follows, “Yeah, I got out before the wars started."

Nov 25, 2020

Analysis

The Commandant of the Marine Corps is charging into the future, but some aren’t ready for change

The Corps has acted as a second land army so many times it’s flipped the dessert with the main course.

Nov 24, 2020

Opinion

I struggled with thoughts of suicide. Vulnerability and connection kept me alive

Looking someone in the eye as you tell them you care is when the real work of suicide prevention begins.

Nov 23, 2020

Analysis

The unanswered questions from Australia’s harrowing war crimes report

Allegations of war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan have been substantiated by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Here's...

Nov 18, 2020

Community

Clint Lorance ordered me to kill Afghan civilians. I still live with that guilt today

'I am angry and let down that Clint Lorance is feted around like some hero, while the real heroes—Nick Carson,...

Nov 12, 2020

Community

Families like mine risked our lives for US troops abroad. Now America is abandoning us

After Iraq’s liberation when I was just a child, my family had begun aiding the U.S. military. Here's the story...

Nov 11, 2020

Opinion

We need more veterans serving in America’s newsrooms — and you can help

The support for veterans must be translated into action.

Oct 21, 2020

Opinion

‘I’m here for the money’ — My life as a Blackwater mercenary

Wait. I need to feel bad about this. At least a little bad. Nope. These people don’t care about their...

Oct 19, 2020

Analysis

Special Forces needs to go back to basics to win against China and Russia

This article provides force management recommendations meant to bring Special Forces “back to basics” and address this capability gap by...

Oct 13, 2020

Opinion

Why I blew the whistle on the forceful clearing of Lafayette Square

National Guard Maj. Adam DeMarco explains why he chose to testify before Congress on the precarious position the U.S. military...

Sep 30, 2020

Analysis

What leaders can do now to strengthen US special operations forces

To build stronger special operations teams, leaders at all levels must identify and enforce priorities, focus on health and resilience,...

Sep 25, 2020

Opinion

My brother Austin asked me to go to Syria with him. Four months later, he was taken

Every second he stays in captivity cuts a deeper wound in the hearts of my family, and we can wait...

Sep 11, 2020

Opinion

Our country needs to rekindle the unity we felt after September 11th

Editor's note: This article first appeared in 2016 and is being republished for the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist...

Sep 10, 2020

Community

I learned to understand shame after losing my brother on September 11th

"I would go on to serve two deployments to Iraq as a soldier and one deployment to Afghanistan as a...

Aug 20, 2020

Analysis

3 years after the Fitzgerald and McCain collisions, the Navy’s surface warfare community shows few signs of change

Three years after two of the most shocking peacetime accidents in the history of the U.S. military, the surface community...

Aug 14, 2020

Analysis

What the Russian bounties story reveals about the limits of human intelligence collection

The information in the initial report of Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan appears to have been based on...

Jul 30, 2020

Opinion

A Marine reflects on how a sinking amphibious assault vehicle symbolizes the entire Corps

Inside a track, I watched men snap like I’d only seen during torture scenes on film.

Jul 10, 2020

Analysis

The Pentagon has a plan to include more women in national security. Here’s what that means — and why it matters

A broader perspective is needed to more fully understand the drivers of conflict and promote lasting security.

Jun 30, 2020

Opinion

Americans need to know how many of its troops are in harm’s way

There is nothing more fundamental to American democracy than the idea that the government must be answerable to the people.

Jun 26, 2020

Opinion

I never truly contemplated ‘white privilege.’ Then I saw a black man killed for doing the same thing I had done

At the end of the day, privilege manifests in many ways in my life, but the main one is that...

Jun 17, 2020

Analysis

US civil-military relations: a flawed deal in desperate need of repair

Civil-military relations in the United States are in a serious state of disrepair, driven in profound measure by presidential politicization...

Jun 16, 2020

Opinion

A prominent Vietnam veteran reflects on sacred places, protesters, and Confederate flags

The story of the memorial and its statues is one of raging controversy not unlike the current debate over racial...

Jun 13, 2020

Analysis

Why service members might disobey Trump’s orders to occupy US cities

Members of the U.S. armed forces could refuse to follow the orders of their commander-in-chief if they believed those orders...

Jun 12, 2020

Opinion

We already have the army of skilled workers we need to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic: Our veterans

We need an army of specially trained workers to help turn the tide amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but no one...

Jun 12, 2020

Analysis

The case for rethinking the politicization of the military

The military is a political creature — it’s time for it to consider what that means in a more practical...

Opinion

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Featured in Opinion

‘You either went to war or you didn’t’ — How deployments divide the veteran community

The Commandant of the Marine Corps is charging into the future, but some aren’t ready for change

I struggled with thoughts of suicide. Vulnerability and connection kept me alive

The unanswered questions from Australia’s harrowing war crimes report

Clint Lorance ordered me to kill Afghan civilians. I still live with that guilt today

Families like mine risked our lives for US troops abroad. Now America is abandoning us

We need more veterans serving in America’s newsrooms — and you can help

‘I’m here for the money’ — My life as a Blackwater mercenary

Special Forces needs to go back to basics to win against China and Russia

Why I blew the whistle on the forceful clearing of Lafayette Square

What leaders can do now to strengthen US special operations forces

My brother Austin asked me to go to Syria with him. Four months later, he was taken

Our country needs to rekindle the unity we felt after September 11th

I learned to understand shame after losing my brother on September 11th

3 years after the Fitzgerald and McCain collisions, the Navy’s surface warfare community shows few signs of change

What the Russian bounties story reveals about the limits of human intelligence collection

A Marine reflects on how a sinking amphibious assault vehicle symbolizes the entire Corps

The Pentagon has a plan to include more women in national security. Here’s what that means — and why it matters

Americans need to know how many of its troops are in harm’s way

I never truly contemplated ‘white privilege.’ Then I saw a black man killed for doing the same thing I had done

US civil-military relations: a flawed deal in desperate need of repair

A prominent Vietnam veteran reflects on sacred places, protesters, and Confederate flags

Why service members might disobey Trump’s orders to occupy US cities

We already have the army of skilled workers we need to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic: Our veterans

The case for rethinking the politicization of the military