In 2014, we founded Task & Purpose on the belief that the military and veterans’ communities needed a publication that delivered news they care about, reported by people who have firsthand personal and professional experiences with conflict and its aftermath. This year, we’re reinforcing our commitment to community-driven investigative reporting, story-telling, and analysis of culture and current affairs by bringing on two seasoned journalists who embody our mission.
Thomas Ricks, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and bestselling author, will join Task & Purpose as senior columnist, and Jeff Schogol comes aboard as senior Pentagon reporter. Additionally, James Clark, a general assignment reporter for T&P; since 2015, will shift his attention to policy as our dedicated veterans reporter based in Washington. These moves will help us expand our reporting on the people, policies, and politics that shape the lives of service members and veterans and their families.
On Jan. 16, we’ll launch The Long March With Tom Ricks, a daily column from Ricks and his contributors that will cover news and analysis of military policy, strategy, culture, and history. Ricks’ career as a military reporter has spanned four decades, including positions at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, working on Pulitzer-winning teams at both papers. He is the author of six books, including his recent bestseller, Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom (May 2017). He also serves as a national security advisor for Washington think tank New America and a military history columnist for The New York Times Book Review. Ricks was previously a contributing editor at Foreign Policy, the home of his previous daily blog on military affairs, Best Defense.
In addition to Ricks’ role at Task & Purpose, as senior Pentagon reporter, Schogol will cover breaking news related to national defense and Department of Defense policy. A seasoned military journalist, Schogol comes to Task & Purpose from Marine Corps Times, where he reported on the Marines United nude-photo-sharing scandal, hazing at Parris Island, and crackdowns on toxic commanders. Throughout his 15-year career, Schogol has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq and Haiti and worked at a variety of publications, including Air Force Times and Stars and Stripes. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Schogol will join Task & Purpose on Jan. 8.
In addition to adding new staff, Task & Purpose remains committed to being a platform for veterans, service members, and family members who have stories to tell. If you’d like to write for us, visit our Submissions page for details on sending us your ideas.