iraq war Archives - Task & Purpose

By David Roza Mar 19, 2021

News

Same sh*t, different decade: the War on Terror just won’t end for these 2 Army pilots

“We both have a little more grey hair."

By David Roza Mar 19, 2021

History

A Marine looks back at the invasion of Iraq, 18 years later: ‘The war can’t go on unless all the poop’s burned’

18 years after the invasion of Iraq, a Marine looks back on his role in the whirlwind march to Baghdad.

By James Clark Mar 15, 2021

Culture

The most relatable moment in ‘Generation Kill’ had nothing to do with combat

‘Moostash harrs.’

By James Clark Feb 12, 2021

Entertainment

Controversial game ‘Six Days In Fallujah’ about the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War is back in production

Let's hope they don't screw this up.

By James Clark Feb 4, 2021

Entertainment

New movie ‘Cherry’ tells the true(ish) story of an Iraq War vet who became a bank robber

"On a very basic level, it isn’t what happened to me."

By Florent Groberg and Michele S. Jones Dec 9, 2020

Opinion

It’s time for a post-9/11 veteran to lead the VA

The post-9/11 generation is ready to make history.

By Jeremy Redmon Dec 2, 2020

News

The inside story of the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base during the Iraq War

“I still have nightmares about it,” said one survivor. “I don’t go out in crowded places."

By James Clark Nov 27, 2020

History

8 unbelievable stories from the Second Battle Of Fallujah

This time of year marks the anniversary of one of the most storied battles in recent Marine Corps history: the...

By Julia Bergman, The Day, New London, Conn. Nov 19, 2020

News

The Army is reconsidering thousands of bad paper discharges of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans

The U.S. Army has agreed to reconsider the cases of thousands of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars era...

By Shahad Alibadi Nov 12, 2020

Opinion

Families like mine risked our lives for US troops abroad. Now America is abandoning us

After Iraq’s liberation when I was just a child, my family had begun aiding the U.S. military. Here's the story...

By Morgan Lerette, The War Horse Oct 21, 2020

Opinion

‘I’m here for the money’ — My life as a Blackwater mercenary

Wait. I need to feel bad about this. At least a little bad. Nope. These people don’t care about their...

Oct 13, 2020

Unsung Heroes

David Bellavia and the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant David G. Bellavia speaks about his service and the relationship to Army Values

By Nathan Deuel, Los Angeles Times Oct 2, 2020

Mandatory Fun

An Iraq War veteran has delivered a ‘beautiful, violent and almost perfect’ new novel about the American military machine

'Missionaries' is horrifying and refreshing, challenging us to reflect not just on the destruction of our own national institutions but...

By James Clark Sep 9, 2020

Mandatory Fun

‘These are the stories we tell each other’ — Vets, service members, comic book artists team up to create ‘True War Stories’

These are the war stories we need more of.

By Travis Weiner Sep 8, 2020

The Long March

I was in the wrong fight in Iraq. As an immigration lawyer, I found the right one

Editor's note: this post first appeared in November, 2016 I can’t remember the exact moment (if there even was one)...

By James Clark Aug 7, 2020

Entertainment

That one scene at the grocery store was the best part of ‘The Hurt Locker’

Yeah, we're talking about the cereal scene.

By David Choi, Business Insider Jul 7, 2020

News

‘Walk a mile in my legs’ — Army vet Sen. Tammy Duckworth fires back after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson questions her patriotism

"Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?"

By Augusto Giacoman, The War Horse Jul 1, 2020

History

Army veteran recounts the strange feeling of watching a Hellfire missile blast insurgents in Iraq

We saw the fighters dash away in every direction. They were well-trained and must have heard the missile launch. But...

By Todd J. Gillman, The Dallas Morning News May 4, 2020

News

‘F— it, we’re going to war’ — new TV special depicts George W. Bush’s impatience with diplomacy after 9/11

Was invading Afghanistan and Iraq a good idea? Never much for public introspection, George W. Bush was always content to...

By Brianna Kudisch, NJ Advance Media Group, Edison, N.J. Mar 24, 2020

News

Army vet owner of NJ brewery donates gift cards to nurses fighting COVID-19

“Right now, it’s probably pretty brutal for them ... We just wanted to make sure people knew they were appreciated."

By David Roza Mar 19, 2020

History

A brick too far: How General Mattis used Legos to plan out the invasion of Iraq

Gen. Jim Mattis needed a plan to keep the 5,000 vehicles of the 1st Marine Division chugging into southern Iraq....

By David Roza Mar 17, 2020

History

That time the 1st Marine Division brought pigeons to the 2003 invasion of Iraq

When it came to detecting nuclear, biological and chemical agents, Marine Corps planners decided they something more low-tech. Really low-tech.

By Aaron Gell Mar 5, 2020

popular

CIA agents were on the ground before we invaded Iraq, and they knew it was going to be a clusterf*@k

"It’s not Hollywood, it’s not sexy. It’s the down and dirty — guys doing what had to be done.”

By James Clark Feb 19, 2020

popular

For years he sold the military’s version of the Iraq War. Now he’s on a mission to convey ‘the chaos and absurdity of that experience’

With his new memoir, "Attention Servicemember" Army veteran and former conflict photographer Ben Brody shows war the way he saw...

By David Roza Jan 22, 2020

popular

‘I made promises to the people that I lost’— How the Iraq war forged a Navy SEAL’s path to Harvard Medical School and NASA

"All of my inspirations for wanting to do good things ... to contribute something positive to the world, was born...

iraq war

News

Featured in iraq war

Same sh*t, different decade: the War on Terror just won’t end for these 2 Army pilots

A Marine looks back at the invasion of Iraq, 18 years later: ‘The war can’t go on unless all the poop’s burned’

The most relatable moment in ‘Generation Kill’ had nothing to do with combat

Controversial game ‘Six Days In Fallujah’ about the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War is back in production

New movie ‘Cherry’ tells the true(ish) story of an Iraq War vet who became a bank robber

It’s time for a post-9/11 veteran to lead the VA

The inside story of the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base during the Iraq War

8 unbelievable stories from the Second Battle Of Fallujah

The Army is reconsidering thousands of bad paper discharges of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans

Families like mine risked our lives for US troops abroad. Now America is abandoning us

‘I’m here for the money’ — My life as a Blackwater mercenary

David Bellavia and the Medal of Honor

An Iraq War veteran has delivered a ‘beautiful, violent and almost perfect’ new novel about the American military machine

‘These are the stories we tell each other’ — Vets, service members, comic book artists team up to create ‘True War Stories’

I was in the wrong fight in Iraq. As an immigration lawyer, I found the right one

That one scene at the grocery store was the best part of ‘The Hurt Locker’

‘Walk a mile in my legs’ — Army vet Sen. Tammy Duckworth fires back after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson questions her patriotism

Army veteran recounts the strange feeling of watching a Hellfire missile blast insurgents in Iraq

‘F— it, we’re going to war’ — new TV special depicts George W. Bush’s impatience with diplomacy after 9/11

Army vet owner of NJ brewery donates gift cards to nurses fighting COVID-19

A brick too far: How General Mattis used Legos to plan out the invasion of Iraq

That time the 1st Marine Division brought pigeons to the 2003 invasion of Iraq

CIA agents were on the ground before we invaded Iraq, and they knew it was going to be a clusterf*@k

For years he sold the military’s version of the Iraq War. Now he’s on a mission to convey ‘the chaos and absurdity of that experience’

‘I made promises to the people that I lost’— How the Iraq war forged a Navy SEAL’s path to Harvard Medical School and NASA