AltWeeklies Wire
Meet Katherine Carroll, the Battlefield Professornew

In the summer of 2007, Katherine Carroll heard that the Army was searching for Ph.D.s with specialties in Middle Eastern culture and history to embed with combat brigades, to "help them take into account the social, political and cultural context," she says.
Nashville Scene |
Lyda Phillips |
03-05-2010 |
War
Home to Windsurfers, Microbrews, and Drones That Kill America’s Enemiesnew

One day in the Columbia Gorge, Tad McGeer watched a video from a battlefield 7,000 miles away. Filmed from the air, the footage revealed tiny figures moving about an open field below. Suddenly, the figures were engulfed in an explosive fireball.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
03-03-2010 |
War
Activist Cindy Sheehan Speaks About Her Ongoing War on Warnew

There are still a few emboldened people who will do whatever is necessary — including getting arrested countless times — to stop the seemingly pointless loss of innocent lives. Cindy Sheehan is among those on the front lines — waging war against war.
Pasadena Weekly |
Michael Sullivan |
02-22-2010 |
War
Can a Court Help Former GIs Find Justice at Home?new

From the man's physique and hair, Edward Lynch figured he might be military. Maybe from Fort Carson, the Army base down the road that lately seemed to be churning out a lot of veterans with screws loose. The papers were full of stories about Carson vets killing fellow soldiers.
Officials Struggle to ID Crimes Too Violent for Veterans Courtsnew
After battling for months against post-traumatic stress disorder, Thomas Delgado, an Iraq war veteran ended a night of heavy drinking in September 2008 by hunkering down with a gun in his bathtub. He soon found himself facing a charge of attempted murder.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
12-29-2009 |
War
In Seattle, Local Somalis Struggle to Understand Why Young Men Would Return to a Country They Never Knewnew
23-year-old Abdifatah Yusuf Isse's family thought he was visiting his girlfriend in Minneapolis during an extended break from studying economics at Eastern Washington University. In fact, he revealed, he was calling from Somalia.
Seattle Weekly |
Nina Shapiro |
12-21-2009 |
War
The Army's Repair Job for Wounded Soldiers Doesn't Always Pass Inspectionnew

After three deployments to Iraq, Spc. James Bell had spent a year in the post's Warrior Transition Unit, getting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. His greeting to his new unit came as a barked question from a sergeant major: "ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT?"
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
12-15-2009 |
War
The Army's Much-hyped Repair Job for Wounded Soldiers Doesn't Pass Inspectionnew
Two years later, the Warrior Transition Unit appears less a shining success than a public-relations smokescreen, behind which the Army continues breaking its promise to care for wounded soldiers.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
12-10-2009 |
War
An Army Sergeant's Case May Help Explain the Surge in Non-combat Deathsnew
In Sgt. John M. Russell's chaotic Army world the morning of May 11, the enemy was closing in. The big Texan had talked of conspiracies, woken up from constant nightmares, and broken down in tears, wishing someone would put a bullet in his head.
Seattle Weekly |
Rick Anderson |
12-07-2009 |
War
War, More War, or Morer War
The amazing part is how far we've traveled down the path towards all war, all the time: Obama didn't even have to pretend to consider pulling out of Afghanistan. He didn't even have to appoint a token peacenik to his cabinet. He didn't even have to talk to one. Which perfectly mirrors the media.
Scholar Leads Effort to Catalog Civil-Rights Abuses at Guantanamo Baynew

As director of UC Davis' Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas, Almerindo Ojeda is heading up a project to collect testimonies on civil rights abuses at the detention center.
Sacramento News & Review |
Kel Munger |
11-24-2009 |
War
Juan Cole: Afghanistan 'Needs a Light Touch'new

"You just have to accept that there's going to be a certain amount of disorder in the countryside as long as people are organized tribally. And if you put 100,000 or 150,000 Western troops in there, that's just more people to feud with."
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette and W. Kim Heron |
11-17-2009 |
War
The Difference Between Deaths Here and 'Over There'

Thirteen soldiers die in Texas and it's all we talk about. Two million die in Afghanistan and Iraq and we don't notice -- and we don't even want to hear about it.
One Helicopter Crew Looks Back on an Unforgettable Rescuenew

With the Afghan war back in the headlines, and none of the news good, the rescue led by the Air Force's 305th Rescue Squadron provides a glimpse into one story that began horribly and ended well, thanks to the ordinary Americans who made it happen.
Tucson Weekly |
Leo W. Banks |
11-11-2009 |
War
From Solider to Student: Colorado Vets See Growing Support on Campusnew
Some questioned the reception veterans received on campus a couple of years ago. Today, many veterans acknowledge that they felt some trepidation about coming to a such a liberal, anti-war campus environment, but they say they have received nothing but encouragement and gratitude.
Boulder Weekly |
Marissa Hermanson and Jeff Dodge |
11-09-2009 |
War