Every organization has an internal hierarchy. Whether it be the U.S. Army, Hewlett Packard, or the Federal government they all have a multi-tiered Continue Reading
Service Disconnected: Veteran Disability Claims, Legit and Otherwise
I have tattoos. Like most vets, my ink represents my time in service. Like most former paratroopers, my stuff is mainly Airborne related (shocking, Continue Reading
Tactical Regret
“A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once”. William Shakespeare I’ve had a lot of interesting jobs in Continue Reading
Fear of the Bogeyman
Wikipedia describes a bogeyman as a “mythic creature used by adults to scare children into good behavior.” It’s basically a scare tactic, using a Continue Reading
Guns Are Becoming The Bogeyman
Wikipedia describes a bogeyman as a “mythic creature used by adults to scare children into good behavior.” It’s basically a scare tactic, using a Continue Reading
The End of the Conversation: What Soldiers Talk About
It's been said about combat that it consists mainly of boredom occasionally punctuated by moments of terror. But, mostly, there's lots of boredom. Continue Reading
The Most Important Lesson I Learned from My First Sergeant
First Sergeants are the linchpin of the military community. They maintain tradition and continuity in a world where platoon leaders, company Continue Reading
“We the People of the United States…”
Way back in the 1970s when I was a kid a record came out entitled, “Free To Be, You and Me.” It had such hit songs as, “It's All Right to Cry” and Continue Reading
“Not Quite One Weekend a Month”: Disaster Relief with the National Guard
In the summer of 1992, I was a college student on the “four and a half year” plan at a college in North Florida. I was in Army ROTC, waiting to get Continue Reading
“Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda”: Don’t Let This Be You
The Wegonna tribe was the most powerful in the land. They were a proud and noble people, known for getting things done. They never took no for an Continue Reading
Search Warrants: The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
There has been much said, written, and posted recently about the Nunes letter that made allegations regarding the veracity and integrity of the FISA Continue Reading
“Thank You For Your Service.” Yeah, Right.
This article first appeared in The Havok Journal on February 21, 2015. By the time I deployed I had served in the Army in some capacity for over 10 Continue Reading
