NPR⁠84%

An intimate look at one military family's life on pause as the Iran war continues ⁠71%

By Juliana Kim⁠86%

5/13/2026, 2:01:00 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 31 faulty reasoning types, including Hasty Generalization, Post Hoc (False Cause), and Availability Heuristic, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 11.9% saturation with 202 hits. Analysis detected 2,455 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,702 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 63.3% and a BS Rank of ⁠71% (6,512 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 70.30% of the article peer group.

The Iran war’s toll on the family of a deployed U.S. soldier 
Military life has always involved some degree of uncertainty. 
But for many families, the fear and unknowns that come with the Iran war are new territory. 
An intimate look at one military family's life on pause as the Iran war continues 
LOS ANGELES — When Jessica Serrato's boyfriend called a few hours into her morning, she was finally able to breathe. 
His call meant the internet at his military base wasn't disrupted by any Iranian strikes. 
It meant that his unit wasn't relocating for their safety like they have before. 
Most importantly, it meant that he's still alive. 
As she whisked pancake batter, Serrato cradled the phone on her shoulder and ran through her routine questions: 
"How was guard duty today?" 
Serrato asked. 
"Have you had dinner?" 
No matter how busy the mother of two kids was, Serrato always answered her partner's call. 
She missed him. 
But since the war with Iran broke out, Serrato's need to hear his voice was also driven by worry. 
Is he safe? 
How is he holding up mentally? 
What if this is our last chance to talk? 
About 50,000 American troops are currently deployed across the Middle East as hostilities between the U.S. and Iran grind into a third month. 
The two nations are once again at an impasse — with President Trump on Monday calling Iran's latest demands "garbage" and warning that the ceasefire was on "massive life support." 
Military life has always involved some degree of uncertainty. 
But for many families, including Serrato's, the war in Iran is the first time they are navigating the fear and unknowns that come with having a loved one deployed to an ongoing conflict. 
NPR spent time with the family of an Army reservist and got a close look at how the war — with its bursts of fighting, shaky truce and slow-moving peace talks — has reshaped life at home thousands of miles away. 
The family asked NPR to not name the soldier because they say he fears retribution for being featured in a media story. 
In their separate worlds, Serrato and her partner both anxiously looked for signs that the war was winding down. 
" If I find out something, I'll let you know," she said over the phone. 
"If you find out something, let me know?" 
To which he agreed. 
Missed birthdays and school performances 
As she whipped up the pancakes, Serrato listened carefully to the tone of her partner's voice — trying to discern if he was stressed or overwhelmed, which can be hard for him to admit on his own. 
This morning, he sounded lethargic. 
"You're OK?" 
She asked. 
"Are you bored?" 
He confirmed that he was all right and so Serrato's focus swung back to her children. 
She could have pried more but she doesn't like to discuss the war in front of her two kids, who are from a previous marriage. 
At the start of the conflict, Serrato said her 11-year-old daughter Laylah had difficulty concentrating in class, consumed with worst-case scenarios. 
"Laylah wants to tell you something," Serrato announced over the phone. 
"Chicken butt!" 
Laylah giggled. 
Serrato continued the call from her car. 
For a few moments, the conversation flowed like he was there — until Serrato mentioned that Laylah had a dance performance in the afternoon. 
"I know that's way past your bedtime," she said. 
"I'll record it and send it to you." 
Serrato's partner is expected to return to Los Angeles this summer but she's skeptical. 
His return date has already been delayed a month — meaning he'll miss Laylah's birthday. 
Now, the hope is to reunite by August, which is Laylah's first day of sixth grade. 
After Serrato dropped off her children at school, she and her partner finally had their first moment truly alone that morning. 
In a soft voice, he told her that he wanted to come home. 
"I know, mi amor." 
'I love you. 
Look out for yourself' 
When Serrato's partner volunteered to go on a nine-month deployment to the Middle East, he mainly thought about the extra pay and how it could help buy their first house, she said. 
Serrato, who's an assistant at a law firm, reminded herself that they had managed long distance before, when he was deployed to Europe a few years ago. 
They could do it again, she thought. 
His most recent deployment began in October. 
Come late February, the U.S. and Israel had launched airstrikes in Iran, setting off a series of back-and-forth attacks across the region. 
Serrato had no idea what was happening until her partner called in the middle of the night. 
She said she could hear sirens from his end of the line. 
"I love you. 
Look out for yourself. 
Be aware of your surroundings," she replied, trying her best to sound strong and calm. 
But as soon as the call ended, Serrato said she broke down. 
Over the next few weeks, Serrato and her partner's parents were glued to the news — constantly searching for updates on additional strikes or a potential truce between the U.S. and Iran. 
"I would bring up one thing and another thing. 
'Did you hear about this? 
Did you hear anything about that? 
Did they mention this?' 
" Serrato said. 
"And he would tell me the same thing, 'I don't know.' 
" 
But as the conflict dragged on, Serrato couldn't read the headlines anymore — they only added to her stress. 
She said it was difficult trying to keep up with the rapidly evolving political situation, which would bring moments of hope, quickly dashed by disappointment. 
"How many times have they said there's a deadline? 
How many times have they said, 'OK, there's a ceasefire right now. 
We're gonna work something out?' 
" She said, referring to U.S. officials. 
"I just can't believe anything that they say." 
Deployment challenges 
A unique aspect to the current conflict is that many service members are being deployed on short notice, according to Shannon Razsadin, the CEO of the Military Family Advisory Network. 
A monthslong deployment typically requires a lot of prep work for military families, such as managing finances and arranging child care. 
During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Razsadin said most families had months to prepare. 
But under Operation Epic Fury, many service members were sent off in a matter of days. 
"During the global war on terror, people had a lot of lead time before their deployments," she said. 
" Commands were able to help the full family get ready for the deployment so that they knew what to expect when that happened. 
We don't really have that right now." 
Serrato's partner had a few months' notice before he left. 
But for families of National Guard members or reservists, deployments can be especially challenging because they often don't live near or on military bases — as in Serrato's case — making it harder to access resources and support networks, Razsadin added. 
Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families, said as a result of these sudden deployments, some spouses have had to cut back on their work hours or quit their jobs to hold down the home front. 
" This is an extra burden of military service, of the sacrifice that the whole family makes to do the nation's bidding," she said. 
"And it's even more reason why it's incumbent upon the rest of us to really help support these folks." 
'She's the one who gives me strength' 
"Have you seen any shooting stars?" 
That's how Yadira Dessaint, the mother of the Army reservist, asks her son if he's seen any missiles or drones in the sky. 
She can't utter those exact words without getting emotional. 
Dessaint's son was only a kid when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan broke out, but she remembers how many men and women lost their lives in the same region that her only child was heading to. 
When he told her about his deployment, Dessaint texted him "I'm so proud of you" before she stepped away from work, sat in her car and bawled. 
"I called my husband and I was crying on the top of my lungs, like ugly crying in my car," she said. 
The hardest moment for Dessaint came March 1 when the Pentagon identified the first U.S. service members killed in the war. 
The U.S. military death toll has since risen to 14. 
That same day, Dessaint's son told her and Serrato that his military base was under attack. 
The two women immediately called one another and wept. 
Their bond has been a silver lining. 
A week later, Serrato and her children moved into Dessaint's home. 
The two have since built an unspoken connection, each knowing when the other is feeling especially bogged down by the conflict. 
"She'll just come and give me a hug," Serrato said. 
"She's the one who gives me strength." 
'I just miss him feeling OK' 
Dessaint and Serrato have started a new tradition in the waiting. 
Before bed, they light a candle for St. 
Michael the Archangel and lower their heads. 
This evening, her children joined them — setting aside their homework and video games to pray. 
Serrato said out loud, " Defend us in the battle. 
Be our protector." 
She was praying not only for her partner's physical protection — but also his mental well-being. 
As agonizing as it has been at home, Serrato knows it has been tougher for him overseas. 
"I can hear it in his voice. 
Like, I can hear how sad he feels," she said. 
"I just miss him feeling OK." 
It's why her phone is always within reach. 
Serrato wants to be a steady presence — someone her partner can count on during a war that's unpredictable. 
" When I don't know what to say, he just tells me, 'Just be there for me, baby. 
Just tell me you love me and everything's gonna be OK,'" she said. 
So, that's what she tells him over and over. 
Even when things feel far from OK. 
She said, "That's the least I could do." 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 5.3%Juliana Kim: 2.6%Goats and Soda (NPR): 3.4%Confirmation Bias5.3%This article: 0.8%Juliana Kim: 0.7%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.6%Anchoring Bias0.8%This article: 8.6%Juliana Kim: 5.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 3.8%Availability Heuristic8.6%This article: 5.1%Juliana Kim: 1.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.2%Representativeness Heuristic5.1%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.9%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.8%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 1.4%Juliana Kim: 1.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.4%Overconfidence Bias1.4%This article: 5.2%Juliana Kim: 6.6%Goats and Soda (NPR): 11.1%Framing Effect5.2%This article: 1.4%Juliana Kim: 0.6%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.2%Loss Aversion1.4%This article: 4.2%Juliana Kim: 0.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.1%Status Quo Bias4.2%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.2%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 5.1%Juliana Kim: 3.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 3.4%Optimism Bias5.1%This article: 7.1%Juliana Kim: 2.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.3%Pessimism Bias7.1%This article: 11.9%Juliana Kim: 10.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 11.3%Negativity Bias11.9%This article: 0.5%Juliana Kim: 1.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.3%Self-Serving Bias0.5%This article: 7.8%Juliana Kim: 0.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.1%Fundamental Attribution Error7.8%This article: 4.8%Juliana Kim: 0.4%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Actor-Observer Bias4.8%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.9%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.3%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.2%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 2.8%Juliana Kim: 4.3%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.8%Halo Effect2.8%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 4.9%Juliana Kim: 1.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.7%Recency Bias4.9%This article: 1.8%Juliana Kim: 0.4%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.5%Primacy Effect1.8%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.1%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 1.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.2%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.2%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Straw Man0.0%This article: 8.2%Juliana Kim: 2.7%Goats and Soda (NPR): 6.1%Appeal to Authority8.2%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.5%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 1.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.3%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.1%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 10.3%Juliana Kim: 3.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 4.4%Hasty Generalization10.3%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Red Herring0.0%This article: 2.1%Juliana Kim: 0.7%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.7%Bandwagon2.1%This article: 6.5%Juliana Kim: 8.6%Goats and Soda (NPR): 6.6%Appeal to Emotion6.5%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.3%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.9%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 8.7%Juliana Kim: 1.2%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.8%Post Hoc (False Cause)8.7%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.2%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.2%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.4%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.2%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 3.8%Juliana Kim: 0.4%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.2%Composition/Division3.8%This article: 4.6%Juliana Kim: 1.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 2.8%Anecdotal4.6%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 5.5%Juliana Kim: 1.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.5%Ambiguity (Equivocation)5.5%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.4%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.1%Middle Ground0.4%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.1%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.1%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.2%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.2%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.5%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 2.6%Juliana Kim: 0.8%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.3%Unattributed Quote2.6%This article: 1.8%Juliana Kim: 0.7%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.9%Quote-first Misdirection1.8%This article: 5.8%Juliana Kim: 4.4%Goats and Soda (NPR): 3.1%Biased Writer Voice5.8%This article: 3.1%Juliana Kim: 0.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.0%Indoctrination3.1%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.5%Goats and Soda (NPR): 1.1%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Juliana Kim: 0.0%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 2.4%Juliana Kim: 0.2%Goats and Soda (NPR): 0.3%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…2.4%

1702 words analyzed.

Speakers

5speakers24%attributed speech1,289writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 15 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 100.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 5 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 4 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 3 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 19 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 3 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 6 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 9 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 30 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 33 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 41 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 22 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 19 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 4 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 5 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 37 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 5 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 3 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 25 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 11 words • 0.0% coverageLaylah • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 9 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 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0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 25 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 9 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 12 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 5 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 30 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageShannon Razsadin • 18 words • 0.0% coverageShannon Razsadin • 24 words • 0.0% coverageShannon Razsadin • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 41 words • 0.0% coverageKathy Roth-Douquet • 36 words • 0.0% coverageKathy Roth-Douquet • 24 words • 100.0% coverageKathy Roth-Douquet • 19 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageYadira Dessaint • 6 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 37 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 27 words • 0.0% coverageYadira Dessaint • 22 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 10 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 6 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 10 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 3 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 7 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 10 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 6 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 19 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 18 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 13 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageJessica Serrato • 8 words • 0.0% coverage
Selected voice

Kathy Roth-Douquet

100%flagged-word coverage
79 attributed words19% of attributed speech90% writer coverage
0%27.5%55.0%Indoctrination+54.4 ptsWriter: 0.0%Kathy Roth-Douquet: 54.4%54.4%Biased Writer Voice-6.5 ptsWriter: 6.5%Kathy Roth-Douquet: 0.0%0.0%Unattributed Quote-3.4 ptsWriter: 3.4%Kathy Roth-Douquet: 0.0%0.0%Attempt to Sell a Product -3.2 ptsWriter: 3.2%Kathy Roth-Douquet: 0.0%0.0%Quote-first Misdirection-2.3 ptsWriter: 2.3%Kathy Roth-Douquet: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.