The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

West and Dunn

Shedding the Shame of the “Dependa”

Shedding the Shame of the "Dependa" by Liesel Kershul This first appeared in the War Horse Aug 29, 2018 and is reposted here in accordance with their terms of service. The black-and-white shapes on my phone formed letters, and their sequence, I knew, formed words, but, for several moments, my mind refused to make sense of them. If I understood what she'd … [Read more...]

Before You Kill Yourself, Read This

Before You Kill Yourself, Read This by Britta RequeDragicevic You’re thinking about it. Ending your life. Stopping the pain. Doing it because you think it’s best for those around you. You’re tired of your shit being the cause of other people’s pain. Tired of fighting demons. Tired of… just tired. If you are in imminent risk of ending your life, please call 911 or the … [Read more...]

The Acceptance of Not Knowing

The Acceptance of Not Knowing by Wendy Arena This was first published by Wendy Arena in her blog here on June 17, 2020. It was re-published in The Havok Journal with the permission of the author. Working in mental health isn’t about saving people. It’s about doing the work despite not always knowing the answers. Father’s Day is this Sunday. This year it … [Read more...]

Ranger Spouses: Successes and Struggles

Ranger Spouses: Successes and Struggles “Nomadic Veterans” duo Marty Skovlund and Leo Jenkins, both veterans of the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment, set out on foot on June 7th from Denver, Colorado with $100 in their pockets and a goal in their hearts:  to make it as far east as possible in 21 days, raising money for veterans’ charity GallantFew and raising awareness for … [Read more...]

Parenting with PTSD: A Veteran Looks at Father’s Day

Parenting with PTSD: A Veteran Looks at Father's Day by Donovan Ronin We’ve all been there. We know the cadence of trained killers running to the beat of one heart. We’ve all heard the incessant pounding of soles against pavement at a rate of double time. The flashes of greatness that glimmer through our mind’s eye as our lungs burn and we sing to keep pace. Remember it … [Read more...]

Father’s Day, or Any Day: Don’t Forget to Snuggle Your Kids

We were sitting in church as a family like we do every Sunday. My wife and four kids all sat in the pew looking forward to listening to our priest. Then, my six-year-old son sat on my lap and my eyes began to water. My son is my cuddle bug. My oldest daughter, she is 8, used to be, but that died off once we had twins, four years ago. And yet, when my son sat on my lap during … [Read more...]

Flags Instead of Fathers and Husbands

Flags Instead of Fathers and Husbands by an anonymous USAF brat who grew up hither, thither and yon with a heavy emphasis on yon It was the lace curtains that did it. Like most guys, I'm pretty good about not tearing up at movies, especially war movies (Old Yeller being the sole acceptable exception).  But seeing Madeline Stowe stand by those lace curtains in Mel Gibson's … [Read more...]

Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me

Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me by Kevin Newhard Fatherhood is a chance to mold this Nation as well as the world. People often look to athletes or famous people to be the heroes for there kids. My opinion? That is the place of both parents and it is an  important role that a father should take up. I learned this from my time in Regiment. As the Ranger … [Read more...]

We Were Soldiers’ Wives Once… and Young

We Were Soldiers' Wives Once... and Young:  A Soldier’s Wife Reflects on the Trials and Tribulations of  "Old Army" Life by Elaine Jones My life as an Army wife… When growing up in the 1950s in rural North Carolina, I never had any association with the military, having never spent time around military bases or having much contact with military people or their families. … [Read more...]