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

A spouse receives flowers during her husband's retirement ceremony

Now It's Our Turn: Does Military Retirement Give Spouses a Real Chance at Careers?

When you say "I do" and marry someone who serves our country, there is an understanding that their military career will drive...

The Employment Readiness Program at Fort Liberty

The Myth of Choice: Why We Ignore Military Spouses Out of the Workforce

The often-ignored truth is that military spouses are out of the workforce at statistically higher rates than their civilian...

A couple holds hands during a 2018 ceremony.

We Broke Our Promise to Take Care of Gold Star Families

There is an unspoken promise America has whispered to service members and their families for centuries: If something happens...

Why Are We Silent About Military Spouse Substance Abuse?

When we think about substance abuse and the military, we typically think about service members and veterans with stories that...

Military couple working through their problems.

Why Divorce Is Particularly Hard on Military Families

According to reports based on U.S. Census Bureau data, those who have served in the military have the highest divorce rate of...

Military children pose for a photo during the Military Child Parade at Barksdale Air Force Base

How Are Military Kids Really Doing?

Military children experience numerous struggles throughout their lives that they are forced to overcome.

An information folder for Spouse Education and Employment seminar.

Will a Federal Fix for Complex License Rules Help Combat Military Spouse Unemployment?

Without the ability to transfer licenses across states, military spouses aren't able to take advantage of the hard work they...

A military family walks to the Aviano Elementary School at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

Do Military Families Need Their Own Bill of Rights?

The DoD and State Department must do two things.

U.S. Army Reserve soldiers and their families attend a Finding Balance for Couples training

Should Military Families Be Forced to Embrace the Suck?

Unfortunately, resilience is not something that the military family community can opt out of.

Education funding military families special education

Military Children Are Caught in a Battle over Government Funding

The Biden administration recently released its fiscal 2022 Discretionary Spending Request, which asks for increased special...

Members of the 4th Infantry Division listen to briefings provided by Soldier-For-Life-Transition Assistance Program

Problems with the Military Transition Process Need More Than a Band-Aid Solution

A handful of veteran service organizations hope to enter the ring to take on the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

An Air Force mental health flight chief fills out a patient triage

The Mental Burden of Using Military Benefits

For those who have to line up specialty or mental health care, the back and forth can become a full-time job. But is the...

U.S. Navy Lt. Kaleb McConaghy, an F-18 pilot with Carrier Air Wing 5, hugs his spouse

Why Military Life Is Worth It

Research shows that military spouses who feel a sense of belonging within the military community have a greater sense of...

active duty sailor and her spouse, an Army veteran, hold hands during a rally at the National World War II Memoria

How Are Male Military Spouses Really Doing?

As of 2022, 9.7% of all military spouses are male. There's sizable variation based on branch of service: Just 3.8% of Marine...

A picture of the binders collected by Navy Lt. Christa Gunsauley containing documents from the sexual harassment complaints she’s filed.

Burying Victims in Paperwork?

When I first met Navy Lt. Christa Gunsauley, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of documentation she had. Emails. Medical...

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Rep. Ronny Jackson during the 2024 Republican National Convention

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

The sign at the entrance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Members of the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team complete a physical fitness test

Coast Guard to Launch Service-Wide Physical Fitness Test for All Members Next Year

Coast Guard men and women must take a preliminary assessment by the end of this year and a mandatory PFT starting in 2026.

USS Falcon crewmen suit up 2 Navy divers during the rescue operation following the sinking of the USS Squalus.

How the Men on a Navy Submarine Survived After Sinking 240 Feet in the Atlantic

Trapped 240 feet beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, Lt. Oliver Naquin could not ensure the crew of the USS Squalus...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, arrives to meet with Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa at the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador

Rubio Says US Is Designating 2 More Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Groups

The two new designees, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, are Ecuadorian gangs blamed for much of the violence that began since the...

Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, chief of Navy Reserve, is piped aboard during a change of command ceremony where Rear Adm. Luke Frost relieved Rear Adm. Mike Steffen as commanding officer of Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command aboard Naval Station Norfolk on June 27, 2025.

All Services Now Issue Form DD214-1 to Departing Reservists

The military's reserve components now issue departing reservists a new record that summarizes their periods of active and...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Signs an Executive Order Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War —...

Trump Issues Warning to Venezuelan Military, Vows US 'Help' for Ukraine in War with Russia

President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will work out security guarantees for Ukraine. (Sept. 5) AP

US Employers Added Just 22,000 Jobs Last Month Amid Uncertainty over President Trump's Policies

U.S. employers added just 22,000 jobs last month as the labor market continued to cool under uncertainty over President...

Smoke Seen Rising over Gaza Strip as Israel Continues Aerial and Ground Attacks

A large plume of smoke was seen rising over the Gaza Strip from southern Israel on Friday. (Sept. 5)...

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

Members of the Georgia National Guard stand guard

Georgia Governor Sending 300 National Guard Troops to DC amid Trump’s Crackdown

Gov. Brian Kemp, who has worked to repair strained ties with the president after years of political tension, framed the...

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a news conference

Trump's Promised Immigration Crackdown in Chicago Could Last About Six Weeks, Suburban Official Says

Leaders of a Chicago suburb that houses a federal immigration processing center say they were told that the Trump...

Navy News

Venezuelan Jets Confront US Warship After Trump Orders Strike on Cartel Boat

CBS News, citing multiple Defense Department officials, had reported earlier that the incident involved two armed Venezuelan...

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

Air Force News

Col. Edward Segura, director of manpower, personnel and services, Air Force Reserve Command, speaks

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

U.S. Air Force Col. Stephanie Figueroa, Commander for the 233rd Space Group, gives a speech

Mobile Missile Warning System Retired, Air National Guard Expected to Have Jobs for Airmen

After about 40 years of standing ready to provide missile warning in the event of a war, the one-of-a-kind Mobile Ground...

Space Force News

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal

US Space Command Can Be Running in Huntsville Before Trump Leaves Office, Official Says

U.S. Space Command headquarters can be fully operational before President Donald Trump leaves office, a Redstone Arsenal...

Marine Corps News

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Marine Veteran Charged with Threatening to Shoot Schoolchildren Now Out of Jail

Once held on $1 million bond for livestreaming threats to shoot elementary school children, a military veteran is now out of...

Coast Guard News

A Coast Guard recruit from Company Oscar 188 does plank exercises during incentive training at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J.

How to Prepare for the Coast Guard’s Mandatory Physical Fitness Tests

The service announced this week that all military personnel will be required to undergo mandatory physical fitness tests, or...

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) (left) sits moored next to U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) at Coast Guard Base Seattle

Coast Guard Begins Upgrades to Puget Sound Homeport for New Polar Security Cutters

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it will spend up to $137 million to modernize its Base Seattle to homeport new, larger...