This article was first published in November of 2016.OK, we were all appalled by ISIS's ongoing litany of atrocities. But what do we do now? The President wants to maintain his strategy of half-measures, even as members of his own party beg for a change. But then, talking heads recite the politically correct, multicultural catechism about Islam.Politicians cringe at the … [Read more...]
The Ranger Way: Earning My Combat Scroll
The Ranger Way: Earning My Combat Scroll by James WebbIt was my 3rd mission that I bagged my first bad guy.Right out of the bird, I knew we were running up to the top of a hill and just above the target building. To be blatantly honest, all I paid attention to at that point was how far we were walking and if there was a terrain feature or not we had to cross, meaning a … [Read more...]
The Most Effective Weapon on the Modern Battlefield Is… Concrete?
The Most Effective Weapon on the Modern Battlefield Is... Concrete? by John SpencerEditor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Modern War Blog, hosted by West Point's Modern War Institute (MWI). It is reposted on The Havok Journal with the permission of the original author. You can read the original article here, and while you're there check out some of the … [Read more...]
Bloodchits To Bitcoins: Special Operations Uses For Cryptocurrency
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on zapchain.com and is re-posted here with the permission of the original author. _____ by Blake Miles One of the more interesting pieces of equipment I was ever issued during my time in the military was something called a 'blood chit'. These are typically only issued out to individuals who face an increased risk of needing to … [Read more...]
Battlefield Iraq: Making Sense Of Yesterday For Today
“What man is a man who does not make the world better”- Balian from “The Kingdom of Heaven” _____ I reacquainted myself on Facebook with one of the leaders of the Iraqi citizens group whom we joined with as they fought Al-Qaeda. In the neighborhood of Ameriya, two Christians were kidnapped which sparked the local uprising. Within two months our neighborhood of Ameriya was … [Read more...]
War: The American Way.
There is an unfortunate disconnect when it comes to the American perception of war. The average American seems to think that war is conducted by drone strikes and jets dropping precision munitions on folks living in tents. Yes, we do kill our enemies this way but it is not the only way. Unfortunately what it does is paint a false picture of the reality of armed … [Read more...]
The “Sheepdog” Analogy is Deeply Flawed
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 psychology of how an individual deals with trauma or how they are … [Read more...]
Handgun Caliber Choice and The Myth of Stopping Power
Handgun Caliber Choice and The Myth of Stopping Power by Greg Drobny This article was first published on Unapologetically American. Americans love their handguns. From the classic Colt revolvers of the 19th century to John Browning’s beloved 1911 design and beyond, handguns occupy a special place in American culture.Everyone has their favorite, of course, and … [Read more...]
Still Strong Navy
Still Strong Navy by Michael KaneAs most of you are aware, on 17 June 2017 the USS Fitzgerald lost 7 Sailors and on 21 August, the USS McCain lost 10 Sailors. The Surface Warfare community has not experienced such a loss in nearly 30 years since the explosion on the USS Iowa that killed 47 sailors.After the collisions, I have quietly tried to make sense of what … [Read more...]
USMC Marksmanship… And Why It’s Better Than The Army’s
Evidently, the U.S. Army has a marksmanship problem. The problem being, roughly, soldiers can’t hit the broadside of a barn with their rifles. My good friend Kevin Wilson recently wrote an article and pointed out that just giving soldiers a better rifle isn’t going to get them to shoot better. So, what’s to be done?There’s really no question the Marine Corps puts an … [Read more...]