Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me by Kevin Newhard Fatherhood is a chance to mold this Nation as well as the world. People often look to athletes or famous people to be the heroes for there kids. My opinion? That is the place of both parents and it is an important role that a father should take up. I learned this from my time in Regiment. As the Ranger … [Read more...]
The Modern Warrior’s Battle for Balance
Written by Special Guest Author, Luke Ryan. Modern warrior culture generally concerns itself with two things: practical effectiveness and health, also known as “the mission and the men” – complete the mission and do it as safely as possible. That should be it, right? Many of us know it’s not quite that simple. Mental health is still a huge obstacle among our ranks; … [Read more...]
We Enlisted for the Last Drops and The National Treasures
We Enlisted for the Last Drops and The National Treasures Special Guest Author: Mark McHale "We Enlisted for the Last Drops and The National Treasures." Seriously though, what the hell does that mean? What could those three items, taken separately, possibly mean? So, no Shit, there I was, on my 24th birthday on 06 November 1986, yes I was born on Election Day, … [Read more...]
War Poetry: Shrouded in Midnight
Shrouded in Midnight written by Special Guest Author, Luke Ryan. Side by side we sat In the belly of a bird Made of steel parts and iron men Who cut their teeth on brimstone long ago. We flew together Heading to a wretched place Where wretched men Hid among beautiful and timeworn mountains. Our futures were shrouded in midnight, And we did … [Read more...]
On Being A Veteran… After Being a Ranger
It doesn’t seem that long ago. The memory of pulling away from the brown fence that surrounded 3rd Ranger Battalion for the final time is still as vivid in my memory as the taste of the burnt black coffee that I had for breakfast this morning. Despite it being 7 years and 2 weeks since I was honorably discharged I still recall how that particular drive home felt. Notions … [Read more...]
Thanks for Your Service?
Thanks for Your Service? Why it is about deeds not words for leaders? Unfortunately, we have come to accept that those that serve in political office are not leaders, but people who are egocentric and desire money, power and the other trappings that come with political office. We see it every day, on both sides of the isle, people who pander to constituents, make false … [Read more...]
A Delta Operator Transitions From War to Music: The Story of Silence and Light (Part One)
Written by Special Guest Author: Brad Thomas. If you told me back in the mid 1980’s that I would be where I am today, having lived through one of the most horrific and historical battles in modern times and having retired from the premier counter terrorism unit in the world, I’d never have believed you. Today, so many years later, I’m tapping into my roots … [Read more...]
The Art of War
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things." ~John Mill Those married to the miraculous madness of combat need no delineation of the layers comprising its complexity. War is a word, in that word resides a world. Memories created in this time and place are so substantive that they intertwine themselves with our senses. A slight odor of burning trash lingering in … [Read more...]
Ranger Medic: The Drive for Perfection
By Andrew D. Fisher and Leo Jenkins There is a certain group of men that have to live with a feeling of guilt when they lose a patient. I am not talking about a patient that dies on us due to an elective procedure or who arrived in cardiac arrest at the ER, I am talking about men dying in your arms in combat. The Ranger Medic/PA/Physician has that guilt. I have, too often … [Read more...]
The Death of a Ranger
EDITORS NOTE: I am honored to introduce guest contributor, Johnny B, who is both a former Ranger and a poet. I have read some of his other work and it is equally as stirring. I don't think I am alone when I say "This one hits home." The Death of a Ranger So, you heard a Ranger died today What a tragic waste, you said That he should die in a foreign land With so much of … [Read more...]
