The War Horse

06/18/2026

Thanks to the Institute for Nonprofit News for recognizing our partnership with NPR on our collaborative reporting of VA consulting claims companies' use of aggressive tactics to collect fees from veterans.

The story exemplified the culture of sharing and cooperation in nonprofit news and expanded the impact of our journalism.

06/17/2026

I was introduced to a mare named Star.
I stepped toward her. Star stepped away.
I moved faster. Star moved faster.
Even the horse hates me, I thought.

Entering rehab after a political scandal, an Iraq veteran learns horses will sense whatever shame and anxiety you're trying to hide

06/13/2026

"Disloyal people," Marine Col. Scott Warman called Marines in Quantico during a closed-door meeting.⁠
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After a Marine in Warman’s unit died by su***de, members of the unit raised concerns about leadership. Leaked audio obtained by The War Horse shows the response: a two-hour meeting in which the first sergeant and the commanding officer berated Marines for speaking up.⁠
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Full story and audio: https://thewarhorse.org/secret-recording-leadership-marine-su***de/⁠
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06/12/2026

"Who knows what was going on?" Marine 1st Sgt. Christopher Rushton asked Marines in Quantico during a closed-door meeting.⁠
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Leaked audio obtained by The War Horse shows what happened inside a closed-door meeting after a Marine in Rushton’s unit took his own life. For nearly two hours, senior leaders scolded Marines for complaining about leadership after the su***de — the third in the unit in just two years.⁠
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Full story and audio: https://thewarhorse.org/secret-recording-leadership-marine-su***de/
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06/11/2026

"It's a f--king mutiny," Marine 1st Sgt. Christopher Rushton told Marines in Quantico during a closed-door meeting.⁠
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After a Marine in Rushton's unit took his own life, leaked audio recordings obtained by The War Horse reveal what happened next: a two-hour-long meeting in which Rushton and the commanding officer took turns berating the Marines for complaining about unit leadership in the wake of the su***de—the third for the unit in just two years.⁠
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Full story and audio: https://thewarhorse.org/secret-recording-leadership-marine-su***de/
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06/11/2026

After a Marine died by su***de, members of the unit raised concerns about leadership. Leaked audio obtained by The War Horse shows the response: a two-hour meeting in which the first sergeant and the commanding officer berated Marines for speaking up.⁠

Following a Marine's su***de, members of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting unit were berated for claiming bad leadership led to his death.

06/10/2026

We thought of ourselves as doctor’s kids, not military kids. Then his cancer was linked to Agent Orange

Daughter wonders if she's a Gold Star child after she learns her father's cancer may be linked to Agent Orange from his service in Vietnam

06/05/2026

Highlights of Trump's first 500 days:
-Top military firings, resignations, retirements
-200 people killed in lethal strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats
-VA cut staff, closed offices, canceled contracts
-Pentagon’s budget hit $1 trillion
Read the full breakdown:

The affects of the first 500 days of the Trump's administration's policy changes to the military and veterans.

06/04/2026

We’ve tracked every major military and veteran-related change with Operation Timeline. Here’s what we learned

The affects of the first 500 days of the Trump's administration's policy changes to the military and veterans.

06/03/2026

I was proud of my service.
I deployed to Iraq.
I was awarded a Bronze Star.
But was I someone who drove around with a Bronze Star Medal license plate on my car?

She earned a Bronze Star while deployed to Iraq, but Army veteran compares herself to those who sacrificed more