Have You Ever Wondered Who You’d Be Without War?

Have you ever wondered who you’d be without the war? Seriously?

I have thought about it quite a bit and, if I was given the choice, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Why? What was so great about it? Nothing. It sucked.

It was what I earned, learned, and gained from it that will sustain me for the rest of my life.

The things I learned in war will help me teach my children and grandchildren. They will help me help other Vets recover. They will allow me to be the example of “greater love hath no man than to give up his life for his brothers.” These are the things that make me who I am.

When you go to war, a part of you dies, and you are reborn like a Phoenix. You have more inner strength, fortitude, willpower, and resolve. You have all those qualities and more. Gen Mattis said it best, PTSD is not a crippling disorder. Our experiences made us resilient and stronger than most. What you learn at war, you appreciate life that much more. The small things do not get to you as much. You care more, you have seen the horrors man commits and know what man is capable of.

You come back with brothers. A set of different kinds of brothers. Brothers who spilled the same blood in the same mud. We laughed, cried, fought, honored those we lost and that bond is something no one can ever understand.

Who did I become? I became more than a man. I became something else.

So, have you wondered who you’d be without war?

Think about it.

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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on March 10, 2022.

Ayman Kafel is the founder and owner of Hybrid Wolf Blue Line Strategies, LLC. A veteran-owned training and consulting company for Law Enforcement officers and agencies. He combines his military and law enforcement experience to bring much-needed cutting-edge training to the law enforcement profession. 

Ayman is not only an active police officer but also a law enforcement instructor and has taught across the East Coast of the United States. He offers a wide variety of training, such as advanced patrol tactics, mechanical breaching courses, designated marksman, and Human Performance under duress. 

In addition, Ayman is an Army Combat Veteran who was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. He became a police officer in 2007 after 8 years of service in the Army

Ayman has seen the ugliness of war and evil in the world. He survived two civil wars prior to immigrating to the United States in the late eighties.

His current position is the commander of his department’s Problem-Oriented Policing Unit. He leads a team of investigators that employs unconventional methods and Special Forces philosophy in achieving specific objectives in the communities he serves. These unconventional methods range from winning hearts and minds to specific strategic law enforcement actions to arrest and prosecute those who are the root cause of various crimes.

To reach Ayman, feel free to email him at hwbluelinestrategies@gmail.com

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.