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Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:16 AM

The New Military Campaign

Longtime readers of News Gems know that I'm a huge fan of two-time Pulitzer winner Paul Salopek of the Chicago Tribune. In 2006 I named his "Tank of Gas, World of Trouble," the #1 News Gem of the year. This week Salopek is back with another masterpiece.
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Wednesday, October 08, 2008 5:47 AM

Military Risks

Counterfeit computer parts threaten the safety of U.S. military equipment, according to an important investigation by Brian Grow, Chi-Chu Tschang, Cliff Edwards and Brian Burnsed of Business Week. Their "Dangerous Fakes" traces how phony microchips make
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008 4:45 AM

The Battle for Ramadi

Neil Shea's "Ramadi Nights" in The Virginia Quarterly Review is a haunting narrative about young American marines as they hunt for information about insurgents in Iraq. Shea's story follows members of the Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, as
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Monday, September 08, 2008 5:01 AM

Where the Terrorists Roam

Dexter Filkins' "Right at the Edge" in Sunday's New York Times Magazine is a courageous and important investigation of Pakistan's chaotic Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where Taliban and Al Qaeda forces freely operate. Filkins
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008 5:20 AM

Marching on Meds

"The Battle Within" by David Olinger and Erin Emery of The Denver Post reveals that the Army is deploying injured troops to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at times overruling doctors' classifications of soldiers as "nondeployable." This helps the Army
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Friday, August 15, 2008 6:42 AM

The Battle for Georgia

"Georgia Soldiers, Civilians Break Down on Road to Battle," by Megan K. Stack of the Los Angeles Times, is a gritty report that brings us face to face with Georgian troops as they are overwhelmed by Russian air assaults. Stack wastes few words as she
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Monday, August 11, 2008 5:55 AM

Notable Narratives

Newspaper readers recently have been treated to three excellent narratives. "The Long Haul," a 7-part series by AP's Sharon Cohen, recounts a Minnesota National Guard unit's 22-month deployment for training and combat in Iraq. Cohen follows several soldiers
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Thursday, July 17, 2008 6:25 AM

The Front Lines

Reading most American magazines, you would never know we're a nation at war. The July issue of Texas Monthly doesn't let us forget, however. Matt Cook's brilliant "Soldier" gives a first-hand narrative of what it was like to start basic training
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Monday, July 14, 2008 6:43 AM

Gorilla Murder Mystery

"Who Murdered the Virunga Gorillas?" by writer Mark Jenkins and photographer Brent Stirton in the July edition of National Geographic is a fascinating tale of intrigue set in the majestic mountains of central Africa. While tracking down the killers of
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Monday, July 07, 2008 6:46 AM

The Good Shepherd

For five weeks in Iraq, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Moni Basu and photographer Curtis Compton shadowed Chaplain Darren Turner as he counseled battle-fatigued soldiers. Their 8-part narrative, "Chaplain Turner's War," is a finely crafted package
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Monday, June 30, 2008 6:20 AM

Covert Action

Seymour Hersh has a long history of helping break important stories: the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, the C.I.A.'s illegal spying against Americans, the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, and many more. In the July 7 New Yorker, Hersh returns with another
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Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:52 AM

Government Screw-Ups

I've seen a couple of great examples recently of television networks serving as watchdogs when the government acts with complete insensitivity toward some of its most vulnerable citizens. Brian Ross and Vic Walter of ABC News, in conjunction with Audrey
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 6:09 AM

Iraq Today

For a terrific overview of the current state of Iraq, check out this week's issue of The Economist. In "Iraq: Is it Finally Turning the Corner?" the magazine puts the country's political, military, economic and social situations in clear
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Friday, May 30, 2008 6:06 AM

Sights and Sounds

I love the way Andrew Lee Butters starts his "Welcome to Hizballahstan" in the May 26 issue of Time with a sharp mix of sight and sound accented with a strong quotation: Surrounded by a ring of mountains like a concert band shell, Beirut
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Thursday, May 29, 2008 6:16 AM

Bringing the Troops Home

Bryan Bender and Kevin Baron of the Boston Globe have done some outstanding reporting on military affairs. In December we highlighted "Army Knew of Cheating on Tests for Eight Years." Now they have produced an excellent Memorial Weekend series, "Finding
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