When we first came home from Iraq, we landed in New Jersey. We remained on base for a couple of weeks to get "acclimated back to the civilian world." Continue Reading
Certified but Unprepared
Editor’s note: Citation superscripts have been removed to align with The Havok Journal’s formatting. Full references remain listed at the Continue Reading
Some Promises are Written in Blood
Witnessing 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express I recently had the honor of attending a play titled 11 Days: The Story of Operation Continue Reading
Carrying the Weight Forward and Speaking Anyway
For most of my life, words were either unnecessary or dangerous. In war zones, clarity mattered more than poetry. In law enforcement, intelligence, Continue Reading
Trust Earned in Training Paid for in Blood
I’ve spent most of my young adulthood on specialized teams in both law enforcement and the military. One thing I’ve learned is that there’s a Continue Reading
Law Enforcement: First World Problems vs. Real World Problems
There are times when I've responded to calls and left shaking my head. I'm sure fellow officers reading this would agree. The problems we have to Continue Reading
The Face of Burden
Why are you always intense? Why are you always mean? Why are you always angry? You look like you’ve been through hell. These and many Continue Reading
When the Call Comes
Side by side we sat,In the belly of the beast.The beast roars as we approach. Those at my side,Were forged from chaos and grit,Who cut their teeth Continue Reading
The Weight We Carry — and Why We Carry It
I was born into chaos. My earliest memories aren’t of playgrounds or cartoons — they’re of explosions, shouting, and fear. My family escaped civil Continue Reading
Are We Safer Now?
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress in response to the September 11 attacks. In this Continue Reading
Domestic Violent Extremism: What We Should Do
Domestic Violent Extremism (DVE) has become one of the most pressing security challenges facing the United States today. This form of extremism is Continue Reading
When the Uniform Becomes a Shadow
I recently read Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. One passage about the “Shadow Career” struck me:“Sometimes, when we’re terrified of embracing our Continue Reading