Progress. What does that even mean? Moving forward for me always looks like a drunken shuffle—sidestepping ideas, passions, and near misses. One step Continue Reading
Mental Health & Wellness
Standing Ready in a Quiet Kitchen
I recently rewatched the movie Fight Club, based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The book is a different animal, with a decidedly Continue Reading
Combat Guilt, Forgiveness, and Mercy
By Britta Reque-Dragicevic This first appeared in Britta Reque-Dragicevic's blog "Life After War" and is republished with the author's Continue Reading
Why I Spent a Year Plus of My Life Working on a Movie Called “SHEEPDOG”
By Amy K. MitchellWhen I served as the communications director for the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee back in 2012, we held a hearing that has Continue Reading
Carrying the Weight Forward and Speaking Anyway
For most of my life, words were either unnecessary or dangerous. In war zones, clarity mattered more than poetry. In law enforcement, intelligence, Continue Reading
Better Late Than Never
I’m writing the first lines of this article thirty minutes after it should have gone live. It likely won’t be finished until hours later. I’ve written Continue Reading
The Masks We Wear: An SF Soldier Speaks Out
by Joshua Thompson, US Army, Special Forces If I were to tell you that the brain is the most complicated organ in our body, would you believe me? Continue Reading
The Architecture of Human Will Under Pressure
By Justin Lawrence Brown This is the architecture of human will. Before anything else, I want to acknowledge where you are. You are not here Continue Reading
Tips for Staying Well in the Workplace
Photo by Ford Edwards on Unsplash Long hours, high expectations, and constant technology noise can cause stress and physical strain. It's essential Continue Reading
Warriors Heart: Strength Through Healing and the Second Chances We Choose
Looking around her office at the trinkets and mementos strategically placed in every corner and shelf, Vonnie takes a heavy breath. “We honor the ones Continue Reading
I Want To Reassume My Position On The Brink
I want nothing more than to run one foot after the other, weight bearing down on me, the sun on my back, and hell on earth all around me. I feel Continue Reading
Imposter Syndrome and Why My Editor is a Pimp
My Havok Journal editor is a pimp! There, I said it. And I love him dearly. Do I have your attention? Good! Now let me explain. In some ways, he Continue Reading