The Ranger by Marty Skovlund Jr. You can’t put your finger on it, and you can’t quite identify what it is. It is a certain presence that resides permanently around him. He stands straight, the type of posture that is rarely seen in men today. The posture silently screams self confidence. It is the kind of confidence that comes from going out night after night to hunt … [Read more...]
How the 75th Ranger Regiment Taught Me to Dance
How the 75th Ranger Regiment Taught Me to Dance by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Faint I was never in the Ranger Regiment, but I’m fortunate to know a lot of Rangers. I even helped write a book about them, once upon a time. But this is a different story, a story about how a unit I was never in, taught me to dance. I’ve been in the Army for almost 25 years. And as a military … [Read more...]
#VanLife: Don’t Judge a (Ranger) Book by its Cover
#VanLife: Don't Judge a (Ranger) Book by its Cover by Marty Skovlund Jr. We have been making our way out to Sequoia National Park, but because I have a ton of work to catch up on, we have been in a small town in California for the last two days. Although the weather has been a bit overcast - it's been a nice stop, and a pleasant town. As a writer and independent film … [Read more...]
Haditha Dam: A “Violence of Action” Excerpt
Haditha Dam: A "Violence of Action" Excerpt The following excerpt was taken from Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror. All of the Rangers on our hill were either in fortified positions or buildings so the rounds that fell didn’t score a direct hit, and no one was wounded on the initial barrage to our position. We … [Read more...]
What a Runner Could Learn from a Ranger Mom
What a Runner Could Learn from a Ranger Mom 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 very impressed with the caliber of people … [Read more...]
The Death of a Ranger
The Death of a Ranger by former Ranger Johnny B. 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 life ahead He still had so much left to do He was too young, you lament Why should a man like him have to die With so much of his life unspent? Yes, it's true, he was too young And his death is a … [Read more...]
The Ranger Standard: A “Violence Of Action” Excerpt
The Ranger Standard: A "Violence Of Action" Excerpt This is an excerpt from Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror by Blackside Concepts founder Marty Skovlund. You can pick up the full version on Amazon.com, the West Point Book Store, and major retail bookstores. _____ The 75th Ranger Regiment became the workhorse of the … [Read more...]
What Does the SOF Community Think about “The Bin Laden Shooter?”
What Does the SOF Community Think about "The Bin Laden Shooter?" by Scott Faith This first appeared in The Havok Journal November 8, 2014. Fans of The Havok Journal have been blowing up our email inbox and Facebook pages recently with comments and questions about the Special Operations Community's reaction to Rob "The Shooter" O'Neill's claim to have been the man who … [Read more...]
Stepping out of the Shadows: A Review of “Violence of Action”
Stepping out of the Shadows: A Review of "Violence of Action" by Scott Faith This first appeared in The Havok Journal November 19, 2014. "Ranger Veterans Should Step Out of the Shadows" read a recent headline in one of my favorite blogs, Task and Purpose. Being a regular reader of T&P as well as part owner of a company that just launched a book about Rangers in … [Read more...]
Nothing Prepares You for War
Nothing Prepares You for War by Noah Smith, The War Horse. We were sailing into the sky, the loud buzz of the plane engine beating against the air. We flew over a vast desert that stretched in front of us. My god, it was beautiful. My colleague, a lifetime adventurer, leaned over and asked, “Aren’t you going to miss it?” He knew the answer, and I do. Every day I miss … [Read more...]
