After years hearing "Thank you for your service" a thousand times from friends and strangers, the final straw for me came from the most unlikely of persons. It was a few weeks ago while driving into neighboring Fort Campbell, when the young Army MP at the gate handed back to me my retiree ID card, offering his own "Thank you for your service."I was too surprised to … [Read more...]
Memorial Day: Ranger Heroes Remembered
Memorial Day is a weekend that comes with a lot of mixed emotion. For those of us who served in the military and the families who stayed behind and patiently waited for a safe return- it is a weekend we remember those that did NOT return. They made the ultimate sacrifice. We remember their memory, and the great men and women that they were. We think of the Gold Star families, … [Read more...]
On Being A Veteran
It doesn’t seem that long ago. The memory of pulling away from the brown fence that surrounded 3rd Ranger Battalion for the final time is still as vivid in my memory as the taste of the burnt black coffee that I had for breakfast this morning. Despite it being 7 years and 2 weeks since I was honorably discharged I still recall how that particular drive home felt. Notions … [Read more...]
Definition of Rare: Interview with a Delta Force Operator
We were fortunate enough to have the chance to sit down with 1st SFOD-D ("Delta Force") Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Tom Satterly and talk PTSD, his time in the Battle of Mogadishu ("Black Hawk Down"), Tom's personal struggle with suicide, and "All Secure Foundation"--the non profit support group for Special Forces Veterans. … [Read more...]
Veterans and civilian to ruck 2,600 miles for other vets
It's a staggering statistic: more Veterans are dying from suicide than active duty on the battlefield. That tragic fact is tearing apart families every single day across our nation. Transition from a war zone to a safe zone is extremely difficult and often lonely. At Havok, we do our best in highlighting the real and raw reality of transitioning out of the military, to not only … [Read more...]
Startup Success is a Sequence of Running Gun Battles
A running gun battle:an argument that continues over a long period of time; and a fight that takes place as one group chases another.These are the very definition of a startup. The long running argument being why your product and service, as opposed to your competitor’s or complimentor’s product and service, should successfully obtain and increase market share … [Read more...]
Transition Dispatch: Part Two
Transitioning out of the military is a big decision. It is fraught with memory. It is emotional, physically, mentally, and spiritually draining to search for a job or experience that fulfills us the way a nighttime helicopter assault used to. Many of our peers struggle adjusting to civilian life. Some find solace in weightlifting or metal working. Others take a destructive … [Read more...]
Carry On Wayward Veteran
Originally published in February of 2017.For the past 18 months, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to “unplug” from the operational Army and be a graduate student at Princeton University. During this time, I must admit I’ve been chasing ghosts. I’ve toiled and mulled over thoughts and feelings wondering: “Is there something wrong with me?” Sadly, veterans and the military … [Read more...]
Business Not Bullets: The Combat Flip Flops Story
The owners of Combat Flip Flops recently appeared on an episode of ABC's hit series, Shark Tank. Did they survive? This article first appeared in The Havok Journal on 31DEC15. _____ “We were gonna take a handful of special operations veterans, and we were going to deploy back to countries affected by conflict. We were gonna take military capacity that was established to … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day Exclusive: Trust Life a Little Bit
By: Julie HuynhIf there is such thing as a love lottery, then I’ll tell you, I won it. You might be surprised to hear me say this, seeing as how my last relationship topped the charts for ‘Most Tragic Endings of 2013.’ But, while grieving the sudden loss of my late fiancé, SFC Liam Jules Nevins, who was killed in a cowardly green-on-blue attack in Gardez, Afghanistan on … [Read more...]