“What are you doing?” a little boy asked me as I tapped an Army patch hanging in the doorway at our gym. He, like many kids, was hanging out, playing Continue Reading
So You Want to be a Beekeeper?
This originally published in Dave Hartmann's blog, Dave's Stories on July 12, 2020. It is re-published here with the author's permission. “Save The Continue Reading
The Ghazni Eight
We ran ammo bunker "missions" all the time. It was really more of a work detail. In the early days of 2003, the Afghan National Army (ANA) was still Continue Reading
A Teaching Moment: Reflections on Afghanistan
This originally appeared in Dave's blog on March 19, 2012. It is republished here with the author's permission. It has been many years now, but I Continue Reading
Military Veterans and “Fresh Air Poisoning”
Originally published by Dave Hartmann on his blog, "Davestories." This first appeared in The Havok Journal on January 15, 2019. _____ “I never saw a Continue Reading
Santa’s Security Detail
Editor's Note: This is a tale from the "old days" in Afghanistan, back when the uniforms were tan and the vests were green. Check out more of David Continue Reading
When “Humanitarian” Projects Aren’t
by David Hartmann Engineers, especially civil engineers, build things. It’s what we do, and we consider each project, large or small, “our” Continue Reading
Sleep is Precious, Prescriptions are Expensive, and Bourbon Gives Me a Morning Headache
Many people have trouble sleeping for many reasons. But a reason that I hear frequently is something to the effect of "I just can't turn off my Continue Reading
How to be a Time Zone Ninja
For years now, most military personnel, with our units and assets spread around the globe, have taken great pains to synchronize meetings spanning Continue Reading
Kids Outdoor Gear, Outfitting Them without Breaking the Bank or Losing Your Mind
by David Hartmann This originally published in Dave's blog, Dave Stories on March 4, 2018. It is published here with the author's Continue Reading
Memorial Day — Pause for a Random Hero
This originally appeared in Dave Hartmann's blog on May 24, 2019. It is published here with the author's permission. “It is foolish and wrong to Continue Reading
You’ll Never Guess Who I Ran Into
From Dave's Stories by David Hartmann. This first appeared in The Havok Journal on January 5, 2015. _____ We’ve all had those conversations where Continue Reading
