My understanding of radicalization did not begin in a classroom. It began much earlier, shaped by personal experience, growing up in environments Continue Reading
The Job Has Outgrown Police Training
There comes a point in every profession where experience alone is no longer enough. Society changes. Technology evolves. New challenges emerge. Continue Reading
Tactical Is Not a Look
What does it actually mean to be tactical? Most people think they know the answer. Walk into any sporting goods store, gun shop, military surplus Continue Reading
Teaching the Nervous System the Fight Is Over
In 2020, while serving as an assistant team leader on a DEA Special Response Team operation in Boston, I found myself standing behind a rifle-rated Continue Reading
The Gun Comes Last
I have responded to enough crime scenes in my career to know what violence looks like up close. I have seen what a bullet does to a human body. I have Continue Reading
When Survival Becomes the Lens
A while back, I had a conversation with a friend that has stayed with me long after it ended. He said something simple: “Observe the observer Continue Reading
Rewiring the Warrior: A Data-Driven Breakthrough in Beating Operational Stress
How WHOOP and a Stellate Ganglion Block Helped Me Reset Operational Stress and Increase Performance Author’s Note: This article is a collaboration Continue Reading
The Sapient Doctrine
Awareness. Discipline. Action. There is no shortage of people today willing to sell you a mindset. Open social media for five minutes and you will Continue Reading
What Rank Cannot Fix
I recently listened to Episode 294 of The Shawn Ryan Show, with former Delta Force commander Pete Blaber. It was an outstanding episode, but more than Continue Reading
The Job is Only Part of It
Editor’s note: In-text citations have been removed to align with The Havok Journal’s formatting. Full references remain listed at the end. There is Continue Reading
When the Miles Catch Up
On April 19, 2026, I completed the Boston Marathon Tough Ruck for the tenth time. Ten years of stepping to the line, putting weight on my back, and Continue Reading
Lebanon Is Not a Headline, It’s a Memory I Never Left
There is a difference between reading about war and remembering it. For most people, Lebanon exists as something they encounter through headlines, a Continue Reading