The Virginian Pilot
NO TURNING BACK
President Donald Trump tweeted. Suddenly, a transgender sailor’s career was on the line.
This three-part series followed Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Taryn McLean's transition from female to male while in the care of the military and is the result of about 18 months of reporting. It received a 2019 National Headliner award, the award for excellence in feature writing from the Association of LGBTQ Journalists and several Virginia Press Association awards.
Part 1: The Transformation | A transgender Navy sailor's 7-year odyssey, and the military career that could end
Part 2: The Ban | President Trump tweeted, and suddenly a sailor's career is on the line
Part 3: The Uncertain Future | “I’ve always been a fighter”: Transgender sailor won’t give up
After 16 years of war and red tape, an Iraqi interpreter becomes an American citizen, July 5, 2019
In Iraq, the battle had been against insurgents and Eagle had ridden with the Americans on patrols, interpreting not only words but his culture. In an America deeply divided over immigration, the foe was any barrier that could keep his dream beyond reach.
A sailor rammed through a gate at Naval Air Station Oceana. But did he have to die?, NOv. 16, 2018
Before leaving his barracks for the last time, Navy Seaman Robert "Colton" Wright texted a friend a photo of a box of 16-ounce Coors Light cans along with a message: "Couldn't wait dude."
Whatever happened to ... the couple who had the Navy's first same-sex homecoming kiss?, Aug. 28, 2016
There's a photo out there of a young couple sharing a special moment, a snapshot that symbolizes a place in time that's larger than just one relationship.
The New York Times
How an Island Oasis Became the Navy’s Coronavirus Epicenter, april 11, 2020
A COVID-19 outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt left local officials in Guam to contend with the arrival of hundreds of infected sailors, while they also tried to protect the island’s population.
The Washington Post
Dogged reporting in Azerbaijan landed a U.S.-trained journalist in prison, Sept. 12, 2015
The U.S. government spends millions each year on programs to improve the skills of foreign reporters, but rarely have its efforts helped produce such a media superstar as Khadija Ismayilova.
GettIng A Head Start on Owning, July 2, 2005
After returning from his job as a writer for the ACLU one evening, William Potter grabbed an iron pry bar and, with a few whacks, demolished the kitchen of his Petworth rowhouse.
Popular Mechanics
How the World’s Greatest Aircraft Carrier Became a $13 Billion Fiasco, Feb 8, 2022 (Subscription Only)
Can the military save the USS Gerald R. Ford?
Foreign Policy/The Fuller Project
Why the pentagon remains a battlefield for women, jan 10, 2021
Lack of representation can influence decision-making in ways that can affect national security.
Business Insider
the navy has a new ocean to worry about, and it’s not clear how it’s going to deal with it, top lawmaker says, may 23, 2021
The complexities of the Arctic and the competing interests there could require a new approach.
What it's really like aboard a US Navy destroyer on a record-breaking, 215-day deployment at sea, Nov 8, 2020
Extremely boring. Long, exhausting hours. It sucked.
U.S. Naval Institute
Chinese Navy Using Commercial Car Ferries to Launch Amphibious Landing Craft, July 26, 2021
When a Chinese ferry joined the People’s Liberation Army Navy for an amphibious landing exercise in July 2020, observers noticed something different.
Carolina Public Press
N.C. Military Bases combat misinformation to battle troops’ vaccine resistance, March 1, 2021
Military officials in North Carolina are using all of the limited supply of the COVID19 vaccine they can get while simultaneously waging campaigns to combat rumors among skeptical troops.
THE War Horse
Camouflaged as Polling Workers, National Guard Presence During Primaries Fuels Worries of Militarized Presidential Election, Oct. 14, 2020
“Our goal was to make sure that you couldn’t tell whether it was a Guardsman or a volunteer,” said a spokesperson, of the deployments to polling stations.
Virginia Business
Artificial intelligence gets real, Oct. 28, 2022
Once futuristic, AI is now big business
Propulsion System, April 27, 2023
Navy’s silent service makes waves in Danville
Money Machine, July 30, 2023 (August issue cover)
How much is a college degree really worth?
This story took a second place prize for Feature Writing Portfolio for 2023 from the Virginia Press Association.
Here to Stay, Aug. 30, 2023 (September issue cover)
The future of work is hybrid
This story took a second place prize for Feature Writing Portfolio for 2023 from the Virginia Press Association.
ROMPER
Giving Birth In Social Isolation? These 4 Military Moms Did That, April 1, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted everything for expectant parents. Military moms — those in uniform, along with their spouses — know what it's like to give birth isolated from loved ones.
The Frederick News-Post
Frederick's hunger balancing act, Feb. 10, 2014
Officials who work with needy families don’t need stats to know that earning enough to feed a family is a challenge for many.
Our State (N.C.)
Food on the Move, June 2011
As the Triangle’s food scene exploded, Brian Bottger learned he had to keep trucking.