Editor's Note: This first appeared in The Havok Journal on August 23, 2022. If you're a veteran of Afghanistan, send your thoughts on the war to Continue Reading
Middle East
Why the Fall of Iraq Bothers Me
by Britta Reque-Dragicevic This first appeared in Britta's blog, "Life After War" on June 16, 2014, and is republished with the author's Continue Reading
One Hell of a Ride Back to the FOB
by Carlos Techera There I was laying on my back in a ditch. Everything flashed before my eyes, in an empty silence. "What just happened, no way did Continue Reading
The Radicalization Trap: “If you ain’t a Muslim you deserve to die”
It was a cold night in early 2000 as I sat inside a mosque after Friday prayer. I was waiting for a couple of friends and decided to hang out in the Continue Reading
“No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor”
by Gunnery Sergeant L. Christian Bussler Editor's Note: These excerpts are from the multi-award winning book “No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor” and Continue Reading
The Ranger Way: Earning My Combat Scroll
by James Webb It was my 3rd mission that I bagged my first bad guy. Right out of the bird, I knew we were running up to the top of a hill and just Continue Reading
Politicians are the New Radical Extremists
This first appeared in The Havok Journal on November 4, 2020. I was born in 1981 in a conflict zone in Monrovia, Liberia. My parents fled with my Continue Reading
The Unsung: Military Medical Personnel
by Denise Flores [Editor's Note: Denise wrote the following in 2007 at age 14 based on conversations she had with her mother, a U.S. Army surgical Continue Reading
LTC Scheller, the Afghanistan Exit, and Equality in Accountability
by Bobby Ganton This first appeared in The Havok Journal on October 2, 2021. My four short years in the Army were full of life lessons that have Continue Reading
Afghanistan: The Soundtrack to a War I Lost
I served in Afghanistan four times between 2005 and 2010 while assigned to various U.S. Special Operations units. During the time I spent there, and Continue Reading
A UK Soldier Welcomes You to Tank Park, Iraq
by Justin “Jud” Haywood This originally appeared in Vocal.Media as "Tank Park" in June 2021. It is republished here with the author's permission. Continue Reading
A Girl Named Jasmine, the Afghan Face of Sharia Law
I’d heard a lot about stoning prior to going into the fray. I thought this would be like any other day. We sat and watched, watched and sat over the Continue Reading