by Jason Rogers originally published in October of 2017On a Friday morning at the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery my wife and I, along with prominent Warfighter Rights activist Boone Cutler and our brother in mourning, Troy Kilpatrick, accompanied family and friends to lay to rest Mark Kilpatrick, Troy's father. It was a beautiful and well deserved ceremony for Mark, … [Read more...]
Gun Control And The City
In 1991, I began studying Karate in New York City’s West Village under Seiko Shihan Shigeru Oyama.I first studied Capoeira in 1993 under Mestre Cigano at Capoeira Dos Palmas in the run-down, heroin-riddled Alphabet City section of Manhattan’s lower East Side.I share this with because I’m making a point about gun control.Growing up in NYC, the need to defend … [Read more...]
The “Sheepdog” Analogy is Deeply Flawed
Everyone who reads this site is familiar with the sheep, wolves, and sheepdog analogy, as popularized by LTC (Ret) Grossman in his book On Combat. We all fit into one of those categories, he says—we need protecting, we are a predator, or we are a protector.While Grossman’s analogy has a lot to do with the psychology of how an individual deals with trauma or how they are … [Read more...]
Small Business Survival: Preparing Before an Emergency
Small businesses are the heart of the American economy, but many small businesses aren’t ready for an emergency or disaster.An article published on smallbusiness.com states that “only 37% of small businesses have a formal disaster preparation plan.” The Institute for Business and Home Safety claims that one in four businesses never reopen after a disaster.Small … [Read more...]
6 Rules Anyone Can Follow to Rise to the Occasion
“Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.” ― Suzanne Weyn, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Last night was movie night with my nine-year-old daughter. Quite by accident we chose to watch Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. It’s a nice feel-good family movie I of course didn’t pay much attention to having my mind focused on work and … [Read more...]
After the Roar of the Hurricane: From A “Ground Zero” Chaplain
As the "war goddess" Hurricane Irma* barreled toward Florida, I asked Air Force veteran, first responder, and Ground Zero Chaplain Bob Ossler to provide insights from his service during natural and man-made tragedies. Bob served five tours of duty in the aftermath of 9/11 at Ground Zero; volunteered in the Super Dome after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as a triage paramedic and … [Read more...]
Vet Stops To Help Motorist, Is Murdered By Hitman Hired To Kill Him
Vet Stops To Help Motorist, Is Murdered By Hitman Hired To Kill Him by Scott FaithAccording to the Orlando Sentinel, an Army veteran who was targeted by a gang member was murdered when he unknowingly stopped to help his hitman get his truck out of a ditch.Police say that Army vet Carlos Cruz-Echevarria stopped to help a man get his truck out of a ditch back in … [Read more...]
Deployed To America: The Final Battlefield
Deployed To America: The Final Battlefield by Cleo DeLoner first published on 6 September 2016When I left Somalia in April of 1993, I didn’t realize I was deploying to America. That’s right, I deployed to America, to fight a war.It was a war that has raged on every day for the past 22 plus years. A war I didn’t know how to fight. A war that I didn’t know would last … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Accidental Leadership
In Far Eastern philosophy, there exists a very ancient concept, “The student becomes the master, the master becomes the student - 學生成為碩士，碩士成為學生.” While this has remained with me more than four decades now, most of that time I thought, “yeah, yeah, yet another undecipherable, Yoda-like, statement out of Asian mysticism.” Even after having diligently studied martial arts from … [Read more...]
8 Tips for Flag and National Anthem Etiquette
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation when he remained seated for the National Anthem during a preseason game on August 26, 2016. The discussion points are many: patriotism, race and racism in America, free speech, and even leadership. On Labor Day and every day, remember these eight points on Flag and national anthem … [Read more...]