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Discover our collection of military mental health resources that include valuable information regarding Military Moral Injury (MMI)

Books

Protocol 99: The Cost of Duty and the Awakening of a Conscience
     Behind the peaceful facade of the United Federation of Planets lies the Department of Interstellar Intelligence—a ruthless black-ops agency where human conscience is treated as an operational defect. Engineered in secret labs, Agent 99 (Julianna Sherrington) is the state’s ultimate deniable asset: a synthetic deep-cover operative built with carbon-nanotube lattices, microsecond tactical sub-processors, and absolute behavioral conditioning.
     Deployed into the hostile Githron Empire to execute covert sabotage, a neural upgrade meant to sharpen her infiltration unexpectedly ties her tactical processing directly to her emotional core. Instead of remaining an unfeeling machine, Julianna begins to feel real empathy, grief, and the agonizing weight of her orders.
     Protocol 99 is an intimate examination of moral injury—the profound psychological wound that occurs when duty demands the violation of one’s core ethical beliefs. Julianna must bear silent witness to thirty thousand civilians condemned to a volcanic trial to preserve her cover, even as she realizes her superiors view operatives not as human beings, but as disposable tools to be discarded. Confronted with state-sanctioned atrocities, Julianna and her handler, Josiah Sterling, face an existential choice: remain compliant instruments of institutional violence, or listen to an awakened conscience and reclaim their agency.
Author’s Reflection: The Machine, the Mission, and the Intact Soul
   Public conversations about military service usually center on physical trauma or the hypervigilance of post-traumatic stress. But those who have worn the uniform know an even quieter wound often cuts deeper: moral injury.
     In writing Protocol 99, I used military science fiction to examine what happens to the human spirit when a system demands you surrender your conscience for mission success. Julianna—Agent 99—was engineered to believe that obedience was honor and that survival was purely operational arithmetic.
     Yet when her emotional centers awaken, the barrier between soldier and weapon collapses. Her struggle mirrors realities servicewomen face every day: the burden of carrying out orders that violate personal values, the bitter realization of being treated as disposable by large bureaucracies, and the exhausting fight to preserve your identity after training rewired you for detachment.
     Julianna’s ultimate victory is not surviving alien combat; it is refusing to let the system extinguish her empathy. To the servicewomen of the Moral Injury Support Network, Julianna’s journey is a reminder that moral injury is not a flaw in character—it is proof of an intact soul, and evidence that your humanity survived the uniform.
Read Julianna’s Story
Moral Injury: A Guidebook for Women Veterans

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of moral injury, particularly as it affects women who have served in the military. Beginning with the foundational aspects of moral injury, the book delves into definitions, historical context, and the various sources that can lead to it, from combat experiences and leadership decisions to cultural expectations and ethical dilemmas. It elucidates the devastating effects of moral injury on veterans and their families, highlighting the challenges in recognition and diagnosis due to its unique presentation compared to conditions like PTSD. Moreover, the guidebook offers a range of intervention strategies and daily practices for healing and rebuilding, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, mindfulness, connecting with nature, engaging in meaningful activities, and utilizing support systems. Overall, this book serves as a valuable resource for understanding, addressing, and mitigating the impact of moral injury within the women veteran community.

Women Veterans can get a free copy of this book by emailing Dr. Roberts at droberts@misns.org. 

Moral Injury: A Guidebook for Military Leaders​

This guidebook equips military leaders with tools to foster an ethical, supportive, and resilient environment, reducing moral injury and supporting service members’ well-being. 

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May 2025 | Leadership | Mental Health | English

Living With War: Spouses and Caregivers of Troubled Heroes Tell It Like It Is

Explores the lives of military spouses and caregivers navigating the challenges of PTSD, moral injury, and other mental health issues affecting their veteran partners. 

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May 2025 | Caregivers | Mental Health | English

Moral Injury Research, Discussion, and Support Methods: Volume 1 | Moral Injury Support Network for ServiceWomen, Inc.

Moral Injury Research, Discussion, and Support Methods: Volume 1

Unlock the Depths of Military Moral Injury! Delve into powerful research, personal stories, and innovative interventions …

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April 2022 | Social Sciences Research | Mental Health | English

Moral Injury Research, Discussion, and Support Methods: Volume 2 | Moral Injury Support Network for ServiceWomen, Inc.

Moral Injury Research, Discussions, and Support Methods: Volume 2

Explore fundamental concepts, discover the impact on service members’ partners, delve into whistleblowing’s  …

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February 2023 | Social Sciences Research | Mental Health | English

Select Proceedings from the 2020 Women Veterans Military Moral Injury Conferences | Moral Injury Support Network for ServiceWomen, Inc.

Select Proceedings from the 2020 Women Veterans Military Moral Injury Conferences

Discover a variety of resources, practical activities, and tools you can use in your practice and personal life …

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April 2022 | Clergy | Mental Health | English

Articles

  • Book Review: Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry that Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East.
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Case Studies

Delphi Study

  • A Comprehensive Plan for Providing Chaplaincy Support to Wounded Female Soldiers: A Delphi Study
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