by Michael Jerome Plunkett I met Mason Rodrigue for the first time outside an airport in Missoula, Montana in the summer of 2021. He had just quit Continue Reading
Military
Observations of a Transitioning Officer: Time to Go
by Josh McCaskill This first appeared in The Havok Journal on April 30, 2019, and originally posted on his blog and reposted here with his Continue Reading
War Letters: A Timeless Form of Communication
I wrote over 100 letters to my wife during my last deployment. I got really good at writing one-pagers fast. Five minutes was all it took to make the Continue Reading
Attack in the Donbas: Putin’s Waterloo?
by a former Special Forces Officer Destruction by Russian forces in Ukraine “Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is Continue Reading
Further Memoirs of a Bush War Operator; Life in the Rhodesian Light Infantry, Selous Scouts and Beyond
“My head pounded, my legs felt weak and rubbery, and I struggled to stop myself from puking. Even on the back of the bouncing vehicle, the heat was Continue Reading
5 Things I Wish I Knew before Deployment
My wife and I were watching TV and I received a phone call saying I will be going on a deployment, details will be given at a later date. Instantly, I Continue Reading
The Distinguished Flying Double-Cross
The Air Force claims to care about its people, yet this stunt happened. On April 1st (I’ll let the reader draw the irony of the date connection) the Continue Reading
A Life or Death Decision in Battle: Cowardice or Common Sense?
by an anonymous retired Special Forces officer Here dead we lie, by A. E. Housman Here dead we lie Because we did not choose To live and shame the Continue Reading
“100% and Then Some”: Live, for the Warriors on Your Left and Right
Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight, and I will shoulder more than my Continue Reading
Select the Best Person for the Job Regardless of What Genitals They Have
This first appeared in The Havok Journal on April 21, 2021. _______________ I read an article about how the United Nations (UN) is failing women Continue Reading
Suicide Prevention: I Am Ten This Year
Another year around the sun and I am still here. There were many ups and many downs and I am still here. It might not seem like much of a victory to Continue Reading
Profiles in Havok, Episode 61 with guest Geoff Dardia
Geoff Dardia couldn’t have been a better guest to have on this week. I realized, after the episode, that we had recorded it on the one-year Continue Reading