Last night, our friend, Rob, hosted a Christmas party at his home. We've known him for at least twenty years, and he has a get together every holiday Continue Reading
Veterans
Some Fear What Awaits Them in the Dark… Others are the Ones Out There Waiting
Some people are afraid of what is waiting for them in the dark... others are the ones out there waiting.Very respectfullyOS3 K. AudUSCGC Active, Continue Reading
Thanksgiving at the Edge of Loneliness
"All the lonely peopleWhere do they all come from?All the lonely peopleWhere do they all belong?" — from "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles Three of us Continue Reading
How Clear is Your Lens?
I’m going to share an event that happened to me in the military and then at the end, share my take on what happened. I’m also not going to sanitize Continue Reading
How War Frees Us from Our Modern Selves
The throbbing pains disappear in an instant. The heart beats faster. The wandering brain rushes into focus. The subconscious begins to Continue Reading
For the Sake of My Brothers and Sisters in Arms, I Choose Honor
A Military Times article reported that a 2023 survey conducted by USAA indicated that the troops were tired of hearing, “Thank you for your service” Continue Reading
Humbled by the River
Editor’s Note: In my time as Editor-in-Chief of The Havok Journal, I’ve written only a few personal pieces. One of our writers, K.C. Aud, once said, Continue Reading
What We Have Done for Ourselves
Maybe it is hubris. Maybe I want there to be this thing that isn't there. I still wonder how much my words and actions really mattered, in the larger Continue Reading
I Can’t “Fully Grasp” What it Means to Serve
I wrote this back in 2017 - When my youngest was on his first deployment, mirroring his older brother's choices - (although upping the ante from 11B Continue Reading
Giving Thanks
Giving thanksFor all you doWarriors give all and so can youOne hundred percentOpens doors that are mightyGiving less of yourselfIsn’t true A day Continue Reading
Reflection and Renewal: Embracing the Journey of Life
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” --Socrates This time of year, steeped in tradition and brimming with memories, often finds us pausing to Continue Reading
Stronger than the Storm – Through Their Eyes
Living in Recovery, and the Resilience in Staying Clean by Warriors Heart "I understood, with chilling clarity, that if I allowed myself the Continue Reading