I was 15 years old on September 11th 2001, walking from 2nd period art class to 3rd period English when I saw the news. At the time every classroom Continue Reading
World
Tragedy That Threatens to Embroil the World
by a US Army infantryman and veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan In 70 AD the Roman Empire, having endured 30 years of near constant agitation from Continue Reading
The Changing Role of the Qassam Rocket
Quick to deploy and easy to build, Hamas’s home-grown rockets can touch a few hundred thousand Israelis near Gaza, but the new danger may be how the Continue Reading
Peace Enforcement is Not the Same as Peacekeeping
by an anonymous former Special Forces officer Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation than peacekeeping.-Harri Continue Reading
My First Engagement with the Enemy
I don't always know what will trigger a flashback of my deployment to Afghanistan, but today, it happened to be the song at the end of the 2020 Mulan Continue Reading
Playing Hopscotch in a Minefield Along the Iran-Iraq Border
by Justin “Jud” Haywood This originally appeared in vocal media as "Mines Abound" and is republished here with the author's permission. Justin Continue Reading
A UK Combat Veteran’s Fight After War
This originally appeared in vocal media as "Who is Justin Haywood?" and is republished here with the author's permission. ________ It was Continue Reading
Afghanistan Memories: I’m a Warrior Through and Through
Heart turned hard, emotionally scarred. I tried to get past this but it’s so fucking hard.My pain is evident yet so blissfully hidden. From events Continue Reading
A UK Soldier Goes to War
by Justin “Jud” Haywood This originally appeared in Vocal.Media as "Desert Meanderings" in May 2021. It is republished here with the author's Continue Reading
The Many Blessings of an @ss Chewing
Okinawa in the 60s and early 70s was the ideal environment for a red-blooded American boy to grow up. There were endless woods and caves to explore, Continue Reading
A UK Soldier, Before and After Iraq
by Justin “Jud” Haywood This originally appeared in Vocal.Media as "In Merlin We Trust" in June 2021. It is republished here with the author's Continue Reading
Afghanistan and the Sound of Silence
For many, silence is peace, and the sound of breaking waves off the coast of Carmel California is the most relaxing sound. It brings the inner peace Continue Reading