Joel Searls

Joel Searls is a journalist, writer and creative who serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. His writing has appeared in Military.com, We Are The Mighty, Leatherneck Magazine and The War Horse. Joel has completed the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Writing Project, is a produced playwright, a commissioned screenwriter and an entertainment consultant. His most recent feature film-producing project is “Running with the Devil,” written/directed by retired Navy SEAL Jason Cabell. His most recent TV series producing credit is with “Top Combat Pilot,” hosted by Dennis Quaid.

Latest Articles

Jack Carr, the author of 'The Terminal List' series of books, served with the Navy SEALs.

How Jack Carr's Time as a Navy SEAL Permeates 'The Terminal List' Universe

These days, Jack Carr is a busy man. The author of seven "The Terminal List" books, he has also helped oversee television...

Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) and Raife Hastings (Tom Hopper) are shown during a scene from 'The Terminal List: Dark Wolf."

'Terminal List' Prequel Series 'Dark Wolf’ Delves into the Darker Side of Warfare

Based on the bestselling "The Terminal List" books from author Jack Carr, the series revolves around SEAL James Reece, who...

Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland on set (A24)

4 Questions for 'Warfare' Filmmakers Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza

24's "Warfare" has a relatively simple mission: to drop audiences into the chaos of a Navy SEAL mission gone wrong, told in...

Acclaimed screenwriter William Broyles Jr. (right) served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

How a Military Veteran's Experience in Vietnam Inspired Him to Write 'Cast Away'

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter William Broyles Jr. is a decorated Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran and shares how "Cast...

June (Kim Hunter) and Peter (David Niven) stand against the judge, jury and trial members.

This Gem of a Movie About an Airman’s Brush with Death Holds Up 80 Years Later

“A Matter of Life and Death” is a romantic fantasy that centers around a British airman’s love for a U.S. Army Air Corps...

Utkarsh Ambudkar, Sonequa Martin-Green (middle) and ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ director/co-writer Kyle Hausmann-Stokes prepare for a scene in which the 2 actors play a shooter arcade game.

How ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ Reflects its Director’s Real-Life Military Experiences

"My Dead Friend Zoe" -- now available on several streaming services -- is inspired by the experiences of director and co...

Sonequa Martin-Green, left, and Natalie Morales in 'My Dead Friend Zoe.'

'My Dead Friend Zoe' Delivers an Eye-Opening Message for Military Veterans

In "My Dead Friend Zoe," a female Afghanistan veteran -- engaged in a mysterious relationship with a wise-cracking (and dead)...

'Warfare' is a visceral story of modern combat and brotherhood.

'Warfare' Is One of the Best War Movies of the Post-9/11 Era

"Warfare" is a must-see that brings full combat immersion, miles of depth and natural believability, making for one of the...

TV producer Chas. Floyd Johnson is on the set of 'JAG' with U.S. Marine Corps Cobra gunship helicopters in the background.

The Circle Makes Its Rounds: ‘NCIS’ Producer Chas. Floyd Johnson on Military Service and Hollywood Success

Chas. Floyd Johnson is the executive producer for the long-running CBS TV series “NCIS” and won an Emmy for his work on “The...

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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.

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

Trump's Insurrection Act Threat Stands Out Against the Law's Long History

Trump's Insurrection Act threat stands out against the law's long history.

Venezuela's Machado Says She Presented Nobel Peace Prize to Trump

Venezuela's Machado says she presented Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.

At a Devastated Training Base, War Can’t Stop Ukraine’s Winter Athletes

At a devastated training base, war can’t stop Ukraine’s winter athletes.

FBI Searches a Washington Post Reporter's Home

FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home as part of a classified documents investigation.

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

'Cautiously Optimistic': War Hero’s Medal of Honor Awaits Trump Decision

A decade after Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis died shielding a fellow soldier in Afghanistan, his family now waits as President...

Army soldier Ben Gross in Korea in 1953. (Submitted photo)

Korean War Veteran Reunited with Lost Letters from 1952

Ben Gross is trying to hunt down remaining lost letters he wrote back home from the Korean War more than 70 years ago.

Navy News

Smoke rises from the wreck of USS LST-480, at right, as tugs and other craft try to put out her fires. At left is USS LST-39, also burning, with men on her bow ramp, probably removing cargo, and other vessels alongside and nearby. Photograph is dated 22 May 1944, the day after the explosion. (Wikimedia Commons)

Pearl Harbor's Forgotten 1944 Disaster Killed at Least 163 Men and Reformed Navy Safety Measures

The blast consumed everyone near the bow. No witnesses survived to explain what triggered the detonation. A fireball erupted...

Protesters gather around a fire during overnight demonstrations in Iran as unrest continues across multiple cities amid a government crackdown on dissent. (Associated Press)

Iran Death Toll Soars as Trump Keeps Military Options on Table

Iran’s nationwide protests entered a volatile third week as casualty estimates climbed and new sanctions took effect.

Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Coming to South Carolina Tourist Town

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is working on another attraction that will finally honor the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans.

Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

Who Killed Dominic Marino? 7 Years Later, Murder of Disabled Veteran Baffles Police

More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

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

A military working dog and handler, alongside Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents and Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY)Security personnel, conduct a routine K-9 sweep at postal distribution facility. (U.S. Navy photo by Sheryl Sullivan)

Two Marines Were Murdered in 1980. New Evidence Could Open the Cold Case.

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U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Grant Morris, a digital wideband systems maintainer with 2nd Intelligence Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, II MEF, works on the hand-held radio test set at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 4, 2025 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brady Hathaway)

Marines Revolutionize Readiness at Innovation Campus

Marines at the II MEF Innovation Campus are revolutionizing combat readiness with additive manufacturing. 2nd MLG troops 3D...

Coast Guard News

Adm. Kevin Lunday was sworn in Thursday as the 28th commandant of the United States Coast Guard. (US Coast Guard)

New US Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday Sworn In: 'Nation Will Prevail'

“I am honored to assume command of the United States Coast Guard,” Adm. Kevin Lunday told Military.com prior to becoming the...

US Seizes Another Sanctioned Oil Tanker It Says Has Ties to Venezuela

U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to...