Praetorian Monologue 2005 by SSG Mike Stanek We set forward on a journey on the roads of Iraq; What comes instead... Was the making of tracks to Mosul and Back! VBIEDs, Ambushes, IEDs... Even some Insurgent RPGs, Are some of the things that trips like these may bring. From Ashraf to Tikrit, you will always recall; All the miles, mosques... And all that crazy … [Read more...]
A Veteran Simply Asks, “What If…”
A Veteran Simply Asks, "What If..." by Joe De Cree What if our experiences are meaningful but our emotions are not? What if the things we did made a difference to a nation? What if our lives can be joyous even though our days are not? What if the things we feel are not as real as the things we achieved? What if the brothers we left are proud of us? What if there is … [Read more...]
Politics Stops in the Face of Personal Loss
Politics Stops in the Face of Personal Loss by Gregory Drobny I have written a lot about politics over the last 5 years. I also spend a lot of time researching everything I write because I want what I put out there to have substance and provoke thought. Combine that with my experience in the political field and plenty of formal education and it is fair to say that … [Read more...]
Transcendent Hope
Transcendent Hope by Aaron Smith Far from the first thought when I look at this picture of me; Those eyes Full of hate Full of rage Full of murder I believe that warriors Either become the War Or allow it to forge them Into something stronger. I laid my life on the anvil of Hate Of Anger Of Despair Of Sorrow And for a time I became the instrument of … [Read more...]
The Death Of The Humvee Turret Gunner
The Death Of The Humvee Turret Gunner by Charles Faint First, a little context: Death of the Ball Turret Gunner By Randall Jarrell From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me … [Read more...]
Find a Fight You Can Believe in Again
Find a Fight You Can Believe in Again by Joe DeCree This was originally published on Lifeafterwar.org and shared on The Havok Journal with permission. Warriorhood — the status of being a warrior. Warrior — a person who is called to defend others; to live by a code of honor and ethics in pursuit of the greater good; to lead the non- warrior class in living up to … [Read more...]
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Never Quit!
Special Forces, Entrepreneurship: Never Quit! by E.M. Burlingame Growing up, despite my best attempts not to listen, the elders taught me nothing worth anything ever comes without a great price being paid. That is, the really big things in life, the really important things, life changing things, they never come easy. No matter whether it changes the course of a single life, … [Read more...]
Leaving Your Comfort Zone
Leaving Your Comfort Zone by Dale Rider “I’m continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you’re uncomfortable, it means you’re growing.” -Ashton Kutcher _____ Everyone has a comfort zone, from the new guy at the gym to the girl taking a higher-level college course, everyone has some line in the sand. A line where when they stay … [Read more...]
The Philosophy of Inanimate Objects
The Philosophy of Inanimate Objects by Marty Skovlund Jr. Humans are obsessed with inanimate objects. We center our lives on the collection of these inanimate objects, we worship these objects, and we sometimes will kill for these objects. It’s not enough to have a lot of objects; they must be the right kind of objects. 10,000 diamonds carry a level of prestige that … [Read more...]
Jihadi Novels: Same Story, Different Medium, Wave of the Future?
Jihadi Novels: Same Story, Different Medium, Wave of the Future? by Mike Kelvington This first appeared in The Havok Journal June 21, 2017. In reading “A Guest on This Earth: Humam al-Balawi and the Birth of Jihadist Fiction” by Nadav Samin, the content struck me as both contemporary and historical. On one hand, the subject of the story, doctor and author turned … [Read more...]
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