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

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...

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)...

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...

'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...

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

1st Lt. Mark Bashaw looks on during a change of command ceremony

Trump Pardons Former Army Officer Convicted of Disobeying COVID-19 Safety Rules

President Trump pardoned a former junior Army officer who was found guilty in a 2022 court-martial of violating orders to...

Illustration by Hrisanthi Pickett of The War Horse

He Was a Sailor. I, a Marine. Our Romance Was Forbidden by Regulation.

I was the new “WM”—Woman Marine—on deck, and I felt the weight of all eyes watching me for every right or wrong move I made...

The Van Daryl War Truck is breathing new life into reclaimed Vietnam-era military Jeeps.

American Military Jeeps Are Rising from the Ashes in Vietnam

A company called Van Daryl is rebuilding the Jeeps the American military left behind in Vietnam, and you’ll hardly recognize...

U.S. Army soldier sets up a FGM-148 Javelin missile

Pentagon Weighs Bigger Army as Service Sees Early Recruiting Success

As of Monday, the Army had brought in 59,875 new active-duty enlisted soldiers with a total goal of 61,000 for fiscal 2025...

The flag of the U.S. Space Command is unfurled at the White House

Space Command Headquarters in Colorado 'Not Sustainable' Without New Construction, GAO Finds

The political fight over Space Command's future in either Alabama or Colorado has been a partisan tug-of-war for more than...

Movers load a service member’s household goods into a moving truck at a residence

Services Ordered to Cut PCS Moves by 50% over Next 5 Years

The services are tasked with cuts that amount to an initial 10% of the $5 billion PCS budget in 2027 and that increase...

Latest Military Videos

TFR 217 - Jason McCarthy (Army SF) & GoRuck.com Founder

Jason and Stew discuss the importance of moving more, socialization, and becoming a better person by getting out of...

TFR 218 - Navy SEAL Ben Milligan of Water Beneath the Walls - Rise of the Navy SEALs Book (History)

The new book by Ben Milligan, By Water Beneath the Walls – The Rise of the Navy SEALs is...

Friday Fitness Answer - Tactical Fitness Over 40 Series & Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization

Are you tired of training in constant pain and barely able to do what you did in your twenties...

TFR 231 - Ice Baths

The concept of using cold for healing dates to ancient Egyptian and Roman civilizations, who used cold water and...

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

Actress Loretta Swit arrives at the 3rd Annual Television Academy Honors

Loretta Swit, Emmy-Winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series 'M.A.S.H.,' Has Died at 87

Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan on the pioneering hit TV series “M.A.S

Nightclub where an immigration raid occurred in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fort Carson Soldier Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charges After Nightclub Raid

The Fort Carson soldier arrested for alleged cocaine distribution just days after a large-scale federal raid of a Colorado...

Navy News

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan in Guam

Navy Orders Forcewide Housing Inspections After Secretary 'Appalled' by Guam Barracks Conditions

Navy Secretary Phelan visited Guam earlier this month and was "appalled" after seeing the conditions of an Air Force barracks...

He Was a Sailor. I, a Marine. Our Romance Was Forbidden by Regulation.

I was the new “WM”—Woman Marine—on deck, and I felt the weight of all eyes watching me for every right or wrong move I made...

Air Force News

A Whiteman Inn accounting technician takes a phone call from a customer

Air Force Wants Private Company to Take Over its On-Base Hotels

The Department of the Air Force, which includes the Space Force, will start accepting requests for proposals this summer...

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center

SpaceX Scoops Up Another National Security Launch While ULA Faces Scrutiny

United Launch Alliance’s years-long delays with its new Vulcan rocket have flipped the script for national security missions...

Space Force News

Air Force Wants Private Company to Take Over its On-Base Hotels

The Department of the Air Force, which includes the Space Force, will start accepting requests for proposals this summer...

SpaceX Scoops Up Another National Security Launch While ULA Faces Scrutiny

United Launch Alliance’s years-long delays with its new Vulcan rocket have flipped the script for national security missions...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Zachary Ybarra performs aerial maneuvers during an airshow demonstration practice at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.

2 Elite Marine Corps Pilots Reveal What It's Like to Fly a F-35B Fighter Jet

In his role as a pilot with the Marine Corps air demonstration team, Maj. Craig Norris flew the F-35B Lightning II at...

He Was a Sailor. I, a Marine. Our Romance Was Forbidden by Regulation.

I was the new “WM”—Woman Marine—on deck, and I felt the weight of all eyes watching me for every right or wrong move I made...

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Cutter Waesche approaches the San Francisco Bay Bridge

Coast Guard Fires Commander of Its Largest Operational Base

Garrison commander Capt. David Melton was responsible for logistics, personnel support, facilities and naval engineering, and...

A Virginia woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to killing a man in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Coast Guard Vet Turned Porn Actress Pleads Guilty to Killing Man in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

A Coast Guard veteran who later became an actress in adult films admitted to killing a man in the Cuyahoga Valley National...

Joel Searls

Latest Articles

Military News

Select Service

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Most Popular Military News

Latest Military Videos

Investigations and Features

Army News

Navy News

Air Force News

Space Force News

Marine Corps News

Coast Guard News