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military families

In Essays Eulogizing His Soldier Son, A Johnson County Father Questions America's 'Victimhood'

By • Mar 12, 2018
Jon Demlar

Francis Sommer had planned a vacation to Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain to visit an Army buddy. The friendship arose from a particularly fraught 2006 deployment to Afghanistan, and the two looked forward to reconnecting in a peaceful, beautiful place.

But it was Robert Sommer, Francis’ father, who spent the day with the friend.

Francis was killed in 2011.

KC Cyclist Follows Monarch Migration, And Stories Of Deported Veterans

By & Coy Dugger • Sep 25, 2017
Bill Anderson / KCUR 89.3

From Mexico to Montreal, the migration of the monarch butterfly is truly Odyssean in nature. Today, we visit with a Kansas City cyclist who is pedaling the butterflies' 10,000-mile voyage to raise awareness for their declining population. Then, we hear stories of America's deported veterans and learn how the practice is affecting the families and communities expelled service members leave behind.

From War To Peace: Soldiers And PTSD

By & Beth Lipoff • Oct 21, 2013

Not all war wounds are as obvious as a missing limb, as we’ve learned from scores of veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Women's Experiences In The Military

By Beth Lipoff & • Feb 5, 2013

Although they’ve just recently been allowed in combat, women in the military have long faced a host of challenges, both on the battlefield and at home.

A Life In The National Guard

By Beth Lipoff & • Jan 8, 2013
The National Guard

We’ve all seen the war films of heroic soldiers fighting battles, but what does that battle look like for those left at home?

Dismissed: Military Families Reunite, Face The Future

By • Apr 8, 2012

Back from a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan, the 182nd Infantry Regiment of the Army National Guard had to make a pit stop before heading home. At Camp Atterbury in Indiana, the service members were far from their families, most of which are in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The returning soldiers had to go through a series of checkups and assessments before their welcome-home ceremony, which marks the moment they return to civilian life and the people they left behind.

Before they got there, there was anxiety on both sides — for soldiers and their families.