Extortion 17 and the Truth by Marty Skovlund, Jr. On the anniversary of the Extortion 17 tragedy, we remember the heroic men who were felled rushing into battle, as they had done hundreds of times before. One would hope that we could remember them for the heroes they are, but instead the news and social media is tainted with rumors of conspiracy. This is absolutely … [Read more...]
Of Birthdays and… Banana Spiders? A Ranger and His Two Sons
Of Birthdays and... Banana Spiders? A Ranger and His Two Sons by Shane Snell I live in Georgia, so summer means a few things to me: 12-hour days at the range in the hateful sun, my kids are home 100% of the day, constantly being moist from the humidity, bugs, and one of my dismounts (kiddos) has a birthday. That got me thinking about his upcoming one and how much he's … [Read more...]
American Airborne: Surprise & Deception
American Airborne: Surprise & Deception by Major Mike Kelvington On May 29, 1944, the commander in chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces, Air Chief Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory, expressed his concerns to General Dwight D. Eisenhower about calling off the parachute operations associated with Operation Overlord. Leigh-Mallory warned Eisenhower that he … [Read more...]
Soldiers at Christmas: Past and Present
To the Soldiers at Christmas past and present: I did not write this poem, that credit goes to Michael Marks.[1] However, I've used it many times in the past, and thought it prudent to use in the present as a medium to remind myself and others of those who cannot be at home during this holiday season: A SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I … [Read more...]
A Note On Brotherhood
A Note On Brotherhood by Kasey Pipitt I joined the Army on January 30, 2008 - a late bloomer to those of you that have been fighting the good fight for a while, I know. I arrived at 2nd Ranger Battalion in 2009, did three deployments and was wounded by a grenade on my third. I was then honorably discharged from the Army in 2012. The day after I was discharged, I came back … [Read more...]
What A Runner Could Learn From A Ranger Mom
This article was originally re-posted on Havok Journal on 30 April 2015. _____ by Kenneth Posner A long time ago, I was a U.S. Army Ranger. It was just about the toughest thing I ever did. Honestly, I wasn’t very good; my path ended up taking me to Wall Street, which was a better fit for my skills. But I’m proud to have served my country as best I could, and I remain … [Read more...]
A Shot to the Heart: A Ranger’s Case for Love and God’s Grace
In the wake of the tragedy that occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, amidst ill-timed statements, absurd pushes for political agendas, and racially charged finger pointing, there is a lesson to be learned: Love and God’s grace can overcome the trials and tribulations of life. A young man named Chris Singleton, a student and athlete at Charleston Southern … [Read more...]
Crumbling Pillars: A Ranger Explains the Rise of Analytical Entropy
"We live in a world where unfortunately the distinction between true and false appears to become increasingly blurred by manipulation of facts, by exploitation of uncritical minds, and by the pollution of the language."-Arne TiseliusAs Americans, we are not only afforded the right to dissent, but we are oftentimes *encouraged* to do so. We are constantly reminded that the … [Read more...]
Rangers and Social Media: 7 Lessons From an Unfolding Trainwreck
Social media can be a very wonderful thing. It facilitates the wide dissemination of information and ideas, as well as helps friends to keep up with each other over long distances and expanses of time. It also allows everybody to have some sort of voice, which may or may not be a good thing. Social media can also be very dangerous and can get very out of control very quickly. … [Read more...]
Killing a Man: A Ranger Reflects
It’s not that you think it won’t happen, but maybe you just aren’t quite anticipating it when it does happen. I always thought I would know when the moment was coming… like the men who stormed Normandy. They knew they were going to kill someone that day. They knew as they were crossing the English Channel that they were going to fire their weapon, and chances were that they … [Read more...]
