The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

West and Dunn

10 Things Every Person Should Do in Their Life: An Army Ranger’s Bucket List

10 Things Every Person Should Do in Their Life: An Army Ranger's Bucket List by Leo Jenkins   1)  Learn to play a musical instrument There is something magic in music. Regardless if it is jazz or rock or country or blues or mariachi. It doesn’t matter if it’s the flute, the drums, guitar, or xylophone. Music unites people. Music is a language in and of itself. … [Read more...]

Veterans: A Social Obligation

Veterans: A Social Obligation by Leo Jenkins War may be the greatest tragedy of humanity. As John Stuart Mill said, “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things…” The bitter truth is we may never be free from the perils of war and all the hell that it brings. As ugly as it is it is somehow engrained in our nature as humans and thusly will remain a fixture for some … [Read more...]

Lest We Forget: An Excerpt

Lest We Forget: An Excerpt An excerpt from 'Lest We Forget: A Ranger Medic's Story': "Should we have a BBQ for the fourth of July this weekend?" Asked Matt. "This is America isn't it?" I respond. It is the final days of June 2005 and I was already preparing to leave on my second combat deployment. Matt and I shared a two story, three-bedroom condo that was considered … [Read more...]

Battling for Help: One Ranger Veteran’s Story

Battling for Help: One Ranger Veteran's Story by Leo Jenkins Editor's Note: The Havok Journal readers expressed strong reactions to the recent articles we posted relating to PTSD, the Veterans' Administration, and particularly the issue of suicide. It seems only appropriate to address all of those issues through the experiences of one of our own. This first appeared in … [Read more...]

Philosophy Friday: Notch on a Wall

Philosophy Friday: Notch on a Wall by Leo Jenkins There is no place for humanity in war, there is no place for war in humanity. If, as a nation or dictator, you have a requirement that a war be fought by any human in your kingdom, without you yourself engaging in the very perils of said conflict, all rights to prescribe morality ergo are omitted. War is not for man, it … [Read more...]

Collective Action: What Veterans Can Learn from the Baltimore Protests

Collective Action: What Veterans Can Learn from the Baltimore Protests by Kerry Patton This first appeared in The Havok Journal May 2, 2015. What happened in Baltimore last year? One man died. There is no need to get into his background or even how he died, let alone pointing blame on law enforcement officials or anyone else. What is needed for appreciation? The … [Read more...]

“Sacrifice A Minute for Those Who Sacrificed Their Lives”: A Civilian’s Perspective On Military Service

"Sacrifice A Minute for Those Who Sacrificed Their Lives": A Civilian's Perspective On Military Service by Ben Buehler-Garcia Editor's Note: Ben Buehler-Garcia is a friend of mine, and more importantly, he is a friend of the U.S. military. Through his show, American Warrior Radio, he promotes veterans' issues and gives voice to the celebrations and concerns of veterans and … [Read more...]

First Train Out of Denver: A Ranger’s Story

First Train Out of Denver: A Ranger's Story This is an excerpt of Leo Jenkins' book, First Train Out of Denver, which includes the adventures of two former Army Rangers who go on an amazing international journey with just a few dollars in their pockets and the packs on the backs in order to raise awareness for veterans' issues and to support the charity Gallant Few. … [Read more...]

Lone Survivor and The Truth

Lone Survivor and The Truth by Leo Jenkins This first appeared in The Havok Journal March 23, 2014. "Lone Survivor," the story of SEAL heroism in the mountains of Afghanistan, resurfaced in May 2016 after an article in which Mohammed Gulab, the man who saved lone SEAL survivor Marcus Luttrell, disputed some of the most important aspects of Luttrell's story. Lone Survivor … [Read more...]

Flag Desecration, Fear, and the Fools

Flag Desecration, Fear, and the Fools by Leo Jenkins Cloth. Not entirely different from the assembly of the shirt you wear while reading this. Fifty white stars, a splash of blue, and thirteen alternating red and white stripes. When I return to the U.S. for the first time in months and see a social media challenge encouraging people to desecrate this cloth, it’s not anger … [Read more...]