Please note—Many of these stories contain graphic language and content. Headphones are recommended.
You Become Someone Else — Romanian Journalist, Reported in Afghanistan
A photojournalist considers the relationship between the media and the military, and what might happen if the general public understood the true stories of war.
Voices In My Head — Veteran, Served in Iraq
After joining the military in the aftermath of 9/11, a veteran reckons with how the military treated Iraqi families.
“I can’t imagine what happened to these Iraqi families happening to American families.”
The Three Rules — Army Veteran, Deployed twice to Iraq
Raised in a small town in Alabama, he joined the army after his brother went to Iraq. Following orders has haunted him for years.
Where the Lies Live — Army Medic, Deployed to Iraq
She joined the military believing she would save people. But on the convoy she only found suffering—for herself and the people she hoped to help.
“The question that I have is why didn’t we defend those people? Why were our orders to wait until the slaughter was over?”
You Are Just A Number — Veteran, Served in the Army for three years
In the aftermath of three deployments, a veteran grapples with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a deep sense of betrayal by the military.
What God Would Allow This To Happen? — Veteran of the US Marine Corps, Deployed to Iraq
When a 5-year-old child throws a grenade at his convoy, a Marine is faced with an impossible choice. How he sees the world, and war, is forever changed.
“I saw things that went totally against what I was raised to believe... What God would allow this to happen?”
I Was There, But I Got Out — Journalist, Reported on the invasion of Iraq
Every day, she carries the burden of guilt. Guilt for surviving. Guilt for those who were left behind. Guilt for the ugliness, the manipulation, and the horror of war.
We Are All Complicit — Veteran, Deployed to Iraq
A veteran recalls the smell of combat—dust, decay, and burnt flesh—and the day he believes he lost his soul.
“The cynical part of me wants the public to understand that it’s your fault. We are complicit in all of this horror.”
It Just Becomes Noise — American Journalist, Reported on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
While embedded with a unit in Afghanistan, a journalist witnesses the death of a 19-year-old Marine and the decimation of communities. He is haunted by the senseless brutality of war and the echoing silence back home in America.
A Veteran’s Day Confession — Chaplain, Served in the Army Chaplain Corps in Afghanistan
A chaplain arrives in Afghanistan shortly after the Kandahar massacre. After witnessing testimonies of Afghan survivor, he wonders—who counts as a civilian when you’re fighting a war with no boundaries?
“The U.S. government to this day hasn’t acknowledged what was done... She was a grandmother picking okra in her garden and she was blown to bits.”
The Edge of Reality — Veteran, A decade of service in the military
What does it mean to be a target? Who are the targets of war? A veteran reflects on the men, women, and children caught in the crossfire of combat and the loudest silence he’s ever heard.
The Kill Cloud— Veteran, Drone pilot
She sat in an office, worlds away. Now she contemplates the terror of “the kill cloud” and its devastating impact on communities in the Middle East.
The Bottom Of A Well — Veteran of the US Marine Corps, Deployed to Iraq
His first day of bootcamp was September 11, 2001. Years later, he left the Marines carrying memories of brutal violence and the heavy weight of shame. Celebrated as a hero, suffocated by pain.
“The trauma is like being at the bottom of a well. You just can’t really reach people.”
Feel Like You’re Floating — Veteran, Served an translator and interrogator in the Army
The first time he holds his newborn daughter, he is filled with horror remembering what happened to children in Iraq. A veteran reflects on the mark that war leaves long after the battle field.
An Impossible Situation — Journalist, Reported on interrogation in the Middle East
After investigating interrogations at Abu Ghraib, a journalist contemplates torture—who is responsible, who is harmed, and the legacy it leaves behind.
