Quil Lawrence
Quil Lawrence is a New York-based correspondent for NPR News, covering veterans' issues nationwide. He won a Robert F. Kennedy Award for his coverage of American veterans and a Gracie Award for coverage of female combat veterans. In 2019 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America honored Quil with its IAVA Salutes Award for Leadership in Journalism.
Lawrence started his career in radio by interviewing con men in Tangier, Morocco. He then moved to Bogota, Colombia, and covered Latin America for NPR, the BBC, and The LA Times.
In the Spring of 2000, a Pew Fellowship sponsored his first trips to Iraq — that reporting experience eventually built the foundation for his first book, Invisible Nation: How the Kurds' Quest for Statehood is Shaping Iraq and the Middle East (Bloomsbury, 2009).
Lawrence has reported from throughout the Arab world and from Sudan, Cuba, Pakistan, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan for twelve years, serving as NPR's Bureau Chief in Baghdad and Kabul. He covered the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the second battle of Fallujah in 2004, as well as politics, culture, and war in both countries.
In 2012, Lawrence returned to the U.S. to cover the millions of men and women who have served at war, both recently and in past generations. NPR is possibly unique among major news organizations in dedicating a full-time correspondent to veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A native of Maine, Lawrence studied history at Brandeis University, with concentrations in the Middle East and Latin America. He is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Arabic.
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Every day of Lyla Kohistany's life, her native country was at war. But the first time she really saw the place, she was a 25-year-old U.S. Navy intelligence officer. -
The war in Afghanistan changed the way the U.S. fights wars — especially in regards to civilian casualties. The latest episode of the NPR podcast Rough Translation tells the story of Marla Ruzicka.
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Six Days In Fallujah is based on the fight between U.S. troops and Iraqi opposition forces in 2004. The project was shelved for a decade, but the creator says it offers a serious look at the battle. -
As 20 years of war draw to a close, a divide separates those who served and those who haven't. The "civ-mil divide" can leave veterans alienated and civilians unfamiliar with what it means to serve. -
The new season of the NPR podcast Rough Translation focuses on the growing divide between civilians and the military. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to the podcast co-host Quil Lawrence.
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For years, veterans have been targeted by online schools offering what can be worthless degrees. Vets hope a provision tucked inside the new COVID-19 relief bill will finally address the problem.
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NPR photographer David Gilkey was killed in Afghanistan while on assignment in June 2016. A new book, Pictures on the Radio, collects some of his most vivid images in one place for the first time.
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Dozens of people who took part in the January 6th insurrection had a military history. Officials have repeatedly pledged to root out extremism in the ranks, with little to show for it so far.
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McDonough, who did not serve in the military, is a longtime aide of former President Barack Obama. -
The newest monument on the National Mall, which opens on Veterans Day, will provide a quiet shrine for Native vets to visit. Native Americans have traditionally served in high numbers.
