The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

West and Dunn Law

Gun Control and the City

Gun Control and the City by Christopher Paul Meyer 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 … [Read more...]

Chris Mintz: “Rough Men” Still Have a Place in Our Society

Chris Mintz: "Rough Men" Still Have a Place in Our Society by Christopher Paul Meyer “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” — George Orwell (apocryphal) [Editor's Note: This article first appeared in The Havok Journal October 28, 2015. It is republished as the issues discussed are just as … [Read more...]

Disconnect and Reconnect to Address Veteran Depression

Disconnect and Reconnect to Address Veteran Depression by Gregory Drobny After coming home from Iraq in 2009, I spent the next 8 years in what I call a hyper-connected state—professional and personal efforts combined into me being plugged in to the world of social media almost continuously during that time. From politics to Ranger Up and now Havok Media, Facebook and … [Read more...]

The “Sheepdog” Analogy is Deeply Flawed

The "Sheepdog" Analogy is Deeply Flawed by Gregory Drobsny 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 … [Read more...]

A Tragedy Ends with the Purest Expression of Love: Forgiveness

A Tragedy Ends with the Purest Expression of Love: Forgiveness by Kerry Patton A friend recently shared a meme on Facebook (because you know, that’s what we do these days). But it was possibly the most gut-hitting meme I have seen in a while. It struck a nerve deep within the world of truth. The words were simply: “We Are All Bad in Someone’s Story” Upon … [Read more...]

What You Need To Know About Basement Waterproofing–Including How To Do It

What You Need To Know About Basement Waterproofing--Including How To Do It by Scott Faith After a near-miss with the recent heavy rains, I got a whole lot more interested in the threat of flood damage.  This is what I found: Any building with a basement stands a high chance of water seepage.  This often happens through the basement wall, particularly during heavy rains. … [Read more...]

Small Business Survival: Preparing Before an Emergency

Small Business Survival: Preparing Before an Emergency by Greg Drobny 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 … [Read more...]

Deployed to America: The Final Battlefield

Deployed to America: The Final Battlefield by Cleo DeLoner When 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 the rest of my life. I engaged … [Read more...]

Six Rules Anyone Can Follow to Rise to the Occasion

Six Rules Anyone Can Follow to Rise to the Occasion by E.M. Burlingame “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 … [Read more...]