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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Problems at the VA are not new; the system has struggled for years to deliver health care in a timely manner. Most of those enduring long waits are older vets from Vietnam, Korea and World War II. -
In response to the crisis in lengthy wait times for medical care, Congress and veterans groups again are debating the proper role of private sector solutions. -
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki apologized for lengthy waits at VA facilities, saying he's ousting the leaders of a VA hospital in Phoenix, Ariz., after stories about delays in care there. Shinseki's decision to resign marks a muddy end to an illustrious career, which began when he joined the Army nearly five decades ago.
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Addressing a homeless veterans group Friday, Veterans Affairs Sec. Eric Shinseki says he will support a bill that would strengthen his office's ability to hire and fire staff within the VA system.
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VA Sec. Eric Shinseki resigned Friday after meeting with President Obama. Obama praised Shinseki, but said the retired general feels that new leadership is needed to address the department's problems.
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In a new report released Wednesday, the inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs says that the department has frequently manipulated records to hide medical care delays. Investigators focused their probe on a hospital in Phoenix, Ariz.
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For the first time in decades, the American Legion is calling for the resignation of a secretary of Veterans Affairs, citing a string of scandals at VA facilities around the country.
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President Obama is presenting the Medal of Honor to 24 soldiers who were long overlooked, in some cases because of discrimination. Many are Jewish or Hispanic. Only three are still alive.
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This year, the men's U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey team is packed with Afghanistan and Iraq veterans, and they've found an outlet in hitting, slamming and speeding across the ice as fast as they can. -
The only American to medal in biathlon, Army veteran Andy Soule did it with just his arms. Soule and other service members are bringing their speed and precision to the grueling competition in Sochi.
