—Hi. I’m Courtney. I’m a storyteller based in Virginia. Thanks for dropping by.

I’m an award-winning journalist, storyteller an content creator with more than two decades experience. I have been a staff writer for The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer, the Washington Examiner (back when it was a metro, Washington D.C. newspaper), The Frederick News-Post, The Virginian-Pilot, Military Times and an editor for Virginia Business magazine. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Foreign Policy, Popular Mechanics, Insider, Carolina Public Press, Virginia Business, The War Horse, Our State magazine and more. I’m a graduate of the University of North Carolina and I have a masters degree in multiplatform journalism from the University of Maryland.

Please check out some of my work below and under the “Stories” section. FYI: If you’re looking for me on Twitter, you can find me now at @MabeusCourtney (there’s a link above under “Follow.”) My previous account, @CourtneyMabeus, was hacked.

When I’m not writing, I’m reading, sewing, running, or baking loaves of sourdough, a pandemic hobby that I’ve continued to this day.

No Turning Back — The Virginian-Pilot

Taryn McClean, a transgender man and Navy petty officer 2nd class, was undergoing surgeries to further his transition and ease his gender dysphoria when President Donald Trump tweeted. Suddenly, the sailor’s seven-year-career was threatened.

A three-part series.

How an Island Oasis Became the Navy’s Coronavirus Epicenter — The new York Times

An outbreak of COVID19 on the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt left locals in Guam scrambling, while trying to protect their own vulnerable population.

Why the Pentagon remains a battlefield for women

In the US, women’s participation in government lags behind that of many developed countries. Dozens of countries, including the U.K., India, Chile, France, Spain, and Germany, have had women at the helm of their defense ministries.

That lack of representation can influence decision-making in ways that can affect national security.