Commentary For the most part, the huddled masses know nothing of the concept of gallows humor, and yet for many in the military, it’s just a part of their normal daily behavior. Most of us think little of it—that is, until an outsider gets a hold of what one of us has said or a…
Not a Defense of the US (Ch)air Force
Commentary So I’m not going to try to defend the accusation that the U.S. Air Force (AF) is actually the “Chair Force,” e.g. we’re not really the military; the hardest thing for the AF is not having four towels in the five star hotel etc.—those kinds of accusations. And I’m sure all of you have…
I Hear Ghosts
Commentary One of my favorite movies is “Twelve O’Clock High,” starring Gregory Peck, who, along with Jimmy Stewart, happens to be one of my favorite actors of all time. I recommend the movie if you haven’t seen it, and if you haven’t seen it then please watch the movie before reading on, or don’t be…
When Does the Hand-Holding Stop? Instilling ‘Unresiliency’ in Our Troops
Commentary The Air Force says it wants to have resilient troops. Mostly, this is in reaction to the high suicide rate. It’s terrible, and wanting to reduce suicides is admirable and critical. But, in typical Air Force fashion, it resorts to training to fix a problem, and truthfully, the other branches probably do the same…
To Address Veteran Depression, Disconnect and Reconnect
Commentary After coming home from Iraq in 2009, I spent the next 8 years in what I call a hyper-connected state: professional and personal efforts combined into my being plugged into the world of social media almost continuously during that time. From politics to Ranger Up and now Havok Media, Facebook and other outlets consumed…
Mandatory Awards: ‘No Thanks … Oh, It’s Either That or an Article 15?’
Taken from the Air National Guard Yellow Ribbon webpage: “The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 established the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) to assist National Guard and Reserve members as they transition between their military and civilian roles. By providing deployment cycle information, resources, and programs, YRRP addresses the unique challenges facing the Guard…
‘A Deck of Many Things’: Reflections on Colin Powell and Iraq, 20 Years Later
Commentary Editor’s Note: February of 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of then-Secretary of State Colin Powell’s now-infamous speech to the United Nations, which is seen as a decisive point in the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003. In this jointly-written article, The Havok Journal’s owner, Charlie Faint, and editor-in-chief, Mike Warnock,…
‘You Are Not a Mother; You Are a Soldier’
Commentary “You are not a mother, you are a soldier!” I will never forget those words. That was in 2007, in Mosul, Iraq, my first of many deployments. I was a newly pinned staff sergeant (SSG) and for the first time in my adult life was in a place without my family for a very…
America’s War Machine is More Human Than Machine
Commentary In January 2003 we were deployed to Incirlik AB Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch. Most of us had a pretty good inkling that Saddam Hussein was getting tired of the 12 years of the Northern and Southern No-Fly Zones established in the airspace over Iraq, and that things were going to turn…
Missing the Military: When You’re No Longer Part of the Machine
Commentary I’ve read accounts where amputees will feel sensations where their missing limbs used to be. One of the phrases describing it is “phantom pain.” The Amputation Coalition describes it this way: “Phantom limb pain (PLP) refers to ongoing painful sensations that seem to be coming from the part of the limb that is no…
US News
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