About Oklahoma Frontline

Oklahoma Frontline's mission is to serve as the definitive source of news, features, and information about the Oklahoma National Guard for the citizens of Oklahoma and beyond. The publication exists to bridge the gap between the military community and the civilian population, ensuring that the service and sacrifice of Oklahoma's citizen-soldiers are recognized, understood, and appreciated by the communities they protect.

This mission encompasses both breaking news about deployments, combat operations, and homecomings, and the longer-form features that explore the human dimensions of military service — the family stories, the community connections, the institutional heritage, and the individual characters that make the Oklahoma Guard a distinctive and vital part of the state's identity. Oklahoma Frontline believes that these human stories are as important as the operational facts they document.

The publication also serves an informational function for Guard members, veterans, and their families, providing context and background about programs, benefits, and resources that can make a real difference in people's lives. From family support programs during deployment to veteran services available after discharge, Oklahoma Frontline aims to connect readers with information that matters to them.

Ultimately, Oklahoma Frontline's mission is grounded in respect — for the soldiers who serve, for the families who support them, and for the communities that produce and sustain them. Every story published reflects that respect and the conviction that the public deserves to know and understand the people who wear Oklahoma's uniform.

Oklahoma Frontline has been dedicated to covering the Oklahoma National Guard since its founding, providing consistent, respectful coverage of the state's citizen-soldiers through some of the most demanding operational periods in the Guard's modern history. The publication grew out of a recognition that mainstream news outlets, however capable, could not provide the sustained, specialized coverage that the Guard community deserved.

The years since the publication's founding have included multiple combat deployments, significant homecoming ceremonies, community partnership events, and the ongoing work of building and maintaining a strong, well-supported Guard force. Oklahoma Frontline has covered all of these dimensions of Guard life, building a comprehensive record of a remarkable period in Oklahoma military history.

The publication's archive of stories represents an important historical resource for researchers, veterans, and families who want to understand what the Oklahoma Guard accomplished during this era. The stories of the 120th Engineers in Afghanistan, the 45th IBCT's Veterans Day recognition at OU, the Horseback Heroes program for military children — these records are part of Oklahoma's military heritage.

Looking forward, Oklahoma Frontline remains committed to the same journalistic mission that guided its founding: to tell the stories of Oklahoma's citizen-soldiers with accuracy, depth, and the respect they have earned through their service. The need for this kind of coverage does not diminish as long as Oklahoma sends its Guard members to serve at home and abroad.

Oklahoma Frontline draws on a network of contributors that includes military public affairs officers, civilian journalists, and community members with deep connections to the Oklahoma National Guard. Many of the bylines that appear on Oklahoma Frontline stories belong to officers and NCOs in the Oklahoma National Guard's Office of Public Affairs, who are trained military journalists responsible for documenting and communicating the Guard's activities.

Civilian journalists and writers contribute reporting that provides perspective from outside the military establishment, ensuring that the publication's coverage is accessible and meaningful to readers without military backgrounds. These contributors bring professional journalism standards and a commitment to accuracy that complements the insider knowledge of the Guard's own public affairs professionals.

The editorial standards of Oklahoma Frontline require that all published content be factually accurate, that sources be properly identified, that the privacy of service members and their families be respected, and that the dignity of those whose stories are told be maintained at all times. These standards reflect both journalistic professionalism and the deep respect the publication has for the military community it serves.

Oklahoma Frontline is committed to transparency about its sourcing and its relationship with the Oklahoma National Guard. While the publication works closely with Guard public affairs, it maintains editorial independence and is committed to providing accurate, honest coverage even when that coverage involves difficult or sensitive subjects.

Beyond its core journalistic mission, Oklahoma Frontline supports the Guard community by amplifying information about programs, events, and resources that benefit service members, veterans, and their families. When the Guard launches a new family support initiative, a community partnership program, or a veterans' benefit program, Oklahoma Frontline helps spread the word to the people who need to know about it.

The publication also serves an advocacy function, helping civilian communities understand the demands and contributions of Guard service. By putting human faces on the abstract concept of military service, Oklahoma Frontline helps build and sustain the broad public support that is essential to the Guard's effectiveness. Communities that know and understand their Guard members are communities that support them during deployments and welcome them home with genuine appreciation.

Oklahoma Frontline's coverage of community partnership programs — from the Oklahoma City Thunder's care-package drives to the Horseback Heroes equestrian events — helps celebrate and encourage the civilian-military partnerships that make Oklahoma one of the most supportive states in the nation for its Guard members. By publicizing these partnerships, the publication helps sustain them and encourages others to create similar programs.

Finally, Oklahoma Frontline supports the Guard community by preserving its history. The publication's stories are records of what the Oklahoma Guard has done and who has done it — a permanent contribution to the institutional memory of the force and to the broader history of Oklahoma. For veterans looking back and for young soldiers looking forward, these records matter.

Oklahoma Frontline welcomes engagement from its readers and the broader Guard community. Readers who have story tips, firsthand accounts of Guard activities, or information about events and programs that deserve coverage can reach the publication through the contact form on this website. Every tip is reviewed, and the most newsworthy and relevant stories are pursued for publication.

Guard members and veterans who are willing to share their stories publicly are encouraged to reach out directly. The publication values the firsthand perspectives of those who have served and is committed to telling individual stories with the accuracy and respect they deserve. Prior to any publication, the publication coordinates with relevant Public Affairs offices to ensure that all content is appropriate for release.

Readers can support Oklahoma Frontline's mission by subscribing to the newsletter, which delivers new stories and updates directly to subscribers' email inboxes. The newsletter also includes information about upcoming Guard events, community programs, and veteran resources that may be of interest to readers. Staying subscribed is the most reliable way to stay connected with the Guard community through Oklahoma Frontline.

Sharing Oklahoma Frontline stories with friends, family, and colleagues is another meaningful way to support the publication's mission. The broader the audience that reads and engages with these stories, the more effectively Oklahoma Frontline can fulfill its mission of connecting Oklahoma communities with the citizen-soldiers who serve them.