Jennifer Barnhill

In addition to her reporting, Jennifer Barnhill is also the host of Military Dinner Table Conversations, a monthly reverse town hall with military families. She is the author of The Military Stories You've Been Told: And the Ones You Need to Hear (October 2025) as well as the 2025 AFI Navy Spouse of the Year, a 2023 Bush Institute StandTo Veteran Leadership Program Scholar, the editor-in-chief of the National Military Spouse Network’s Career Connections Magazine and the military spouse liaison on The League of Wives Memorial Project.

Latest Articles

The minuteman statue in front of the headquarters building following a snow storm

Why No One Understands National Guard Families

Despite making headlines for helping after the catastrophic flooding in Texas or being politicized as President Donald Trump...

Applications sit on a table at Marston Pavilion aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., for potential volunteers with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group.

The Cost of Spouse Volunteerism

Military spouses are often encouraged to pursue volunteerism as a way to stay professionally relevant during relocations and...

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

For Military Spouses, OPSEC Isn't Political. It's Personal.

Military families know that OPSEC is more than a political talking point; it is a matter of life and death.

A teacher engages her 5th grade students in an interactive lesson at Kessler Elementary School

The Trump Administration Wants to Promote School Vouchers for Military Families. Would It Help?

In January, the Trump administration issued an executive order requiring the Department of Defense to come up with a proposal...

A military spouse carries a copy of their resume during a job fair at Ramstein Air Base.

Pentagon Ruling Eases One Employment Barrier for Military Spouses Overseas

Rules that had prevented some military spouses from holding jobs while stationed overseas have been relaxed, a parting gift...

Middle School students are picked up by bus

Banned Books, School Walkouts, Child Care Shortages: Military Families Confront Pentagon's Shifting Rules

At a public school, the protest might have led to a detention and maybe some revoked after-school privileges. But on a...

The Daily Stress Weighing on Military Spouses

The stress the military community holds is not just related to our proximity to deployments or combat zones. It is woven into...

A crew removes the statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson

How the Trump Administration Is Erasing History and Ignoring the Wishes of Descendants of Confederate Leaders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently renamed Fort Liberty, North Carolina, choosing the name Fort Bragg. Not that Bragg...

person types on a laptop keyboard in North Andover, Mass.

The Return to Work Order Is Creating Chaos, Anguish for Military Spouses

Military spouse unemployment has been around 20% for half a century.

free hiring event held for service members, veterans and military spouses

Military Families Need the Same Legal Protections as Service Members

Although many states offer legal protections that could theoretically prevent discrimination on the basis of marital status -...

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Adrienne Warren, the 99th Air Base Wing command chief, greets drivers during a Suicide Prevention Awareness Month base wave-in at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

What Happens to Military Families After a Loved One's Suicide?

When a member of the military community dies by suicide, their neighbors, friends, brothers in arms, and families gather...

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Military family members give a thumbs up while flying over Albuquerque

How Are Foreign-Born Military Spouses Doing?

Being a military spouse is challenging, and for foreign-born spouses, there are even more stressors to keeping a family...

A home is advertised for sale in Hampton Roads, Va.

Confusion, Misinformation and the VA Loan

The VA loan is designed to help and protect service members as they buy a home.

Moving boxes sit in the old home of a logistics flight commander in Las Vegas, April 28, 2020.

How Moves Put Military Families of Color at Risk

Moving may be a part of military life, but for families of color and other groups, military moves pose more than an...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

'What Kind of Truce Is This?' Dozens of Palestinians Killed in New Israeli Attacks on Gaza

Israel’s military said Wednesday that the ceasefire was back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight...

Mothers and Wives of Fallen Ukrainian Soldiers Plant Trees to Remember Their Sacrifice

Wives and mothers of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the fight against Russia planted trees in a public park...

Destruction in Gaza Visible from Southern Israel

From multiple vantage points, debris piles are visible as a result of bombing in Gaza. (AP) Oct. 24

Russia Targets Kyiv with Drones, Killing 3 and Wounding 29

Russia attacked Ukraine with 101 drones over Saturday night into Sunday, according to Ukraine’s air force, of which 90...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

The US Draws Down Troops on NATO's Eastern Flank as Europe Frets About a Security Vacuum

The United States has informed NATO allies that it will reduce its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine.

Florencio Davila. His family made sure that his final wish was honored with the help of the local community. (Submitted photo)

Fort Hood Steps In After Shutdown Halts WWII Veteran’s Military Funeral

Florencio Davila, a World War II veteran, died recently at age 99. His dying wish was to be buried with full military honors...

Navy News

Marine Corporal Robert Maurer with 3/25, provides security during multi-domain training in Trinidad and Tobago during TRADEWINDS 2025 (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Astia LeBron)

Marines in the Caribbean: Poised for Any Potential Conflict

U.S. Marines currently deployed to the Caribbean are well poised for any potential conflict in the U.S. Southern Command Area...

White House Urged Firing Live Bombs, Not Dummies, for Trump’s Visit to Navy Celebration

The White House pressed Navy officials to launch 2,000-pound live bombs instead of dummy explosives during a recent military...

Air Force News

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington.

Former US Airman Threatened to Assassinate Trump Over LGBTQ+ Policies, Feds Say

Joshua Levi Young, 21, of Ishpeming, is accused of issuing several threats since January that called for the execution of...

Shield AI's newly unveiled X-BAT autonomous fighter jets. The VTOL drones are designed to fly combat missions alongside crewed aircraft as part of the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. (Shield AI)

Shield AI Unveils Fully Autonomous VTOL Fighter Jet

A San Diego defense technology company unveiled an artificial intelligence-piloted fighter jet Tuesday that can take off...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Marine Cpl. Rick Colts and his military working dog Torry pause during a patrol in Afghanistan in 2011. Torry, a German shepherd, worked with II Marine Expeditionary Force detecting IEDs in Helmand Province. (Rick Colts)

K9 Hero: Marine Survives Afghanistan IED After Dog’s Ultimate Sacrifice

Rick Colts knew something was wrong the moment his military working dog changed his search pattern. It was June 1, 2011, the...