The week had been ramping up to this. All the prior training, all the talk, the boasting, and the detailed descriptions from my shipmates ran in endless loops in my head. I was next in line to get sprayed. The first guy just finished and was doing his best to breathe as they splashed the…
Law Enforcement or Military: My Face Hurts … A LOT
April 26, 2023
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ArchivedBattlefields Projectlaw enforcement training with pepper sprayOpinionThe Havok JournalVeterans
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Tobacco Musings in Puerto Vallarta
April 25, 2023
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ArchivedBattlefields ProjectCoast GuardCuban cigarsK. C. AudOpinionthe epoch timesThe Havok JournalVeterans
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Commentary I stand on the fantail and stare out at the buildings across the bay from the cutter. We’re moored in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, one of the more popular spring break destinations in this part of the world. Having spent the previous day driving back and forth between the resort and the boat, I can…
We Were Soldiers’ Wives Once … and Young
Commentary My Life As An Army Wife When growing up in the 1950s in rural North Carolina, I never had any association with the military, having never spent time around military bases or having much contact with military people or their families. In early 1963, I had my first real exposure to military life, when…
Where Were You When Saddam Hussein’s Statue Came Down?
April 22, 2023
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ArchivedBattlefields ProjectIraq WarMike Warnockmilitary familiesOpinionthe epoch timesThe Havok JournalVeterans
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Commentary Saddam Hussein’s statue was pulled down on April 9, 2003. I doubt many civilians old enough to remember it could say where they were when they first saw those images. But for those in the military at the time, even 20 years later, I bet that you do. Before I tell you where I…
The Air Force Needs Fewer Leaders and More Wrench-Turners–Here’s How to Get Them
Commentary There is a mega-corporation here in the United States where the CEO tells every employee that they must move up within the company and eventually achieve top executive status. Every entry-level role is expected to advance within a specified timeframe, and if you aren’t able to meet the advancement schedule you are summarily terminated….
Afghanistan: We Gave You Our Dead, You Give Them Their Meaning
April 13, 2023
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AfghanistanAfghanistan WarArchivedBattlefieldsBattlefields ProjectInternationalOpinionThe Havok JournalUSVeteransWorld
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Commentary I write this today, not as an individual, but as a veteran of the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. I’ve compiled some thoughts of the community to share some of the more prescient points and the general feelings of Afghan War Vets, Wounded Warriors, Gold Star Families, and Afghans living in the United States….
Dog and Pony Shows, Elephant Walks, and Other Air Force Circuses
Commentary What I’m about to say applies to any VIP, including civilians, and some of it will be tongue-in-cheek, but please try to see the underlying concept without taking offense. Firstly, let me get a personal beef off my chest. In the year 2022, with all the talk of having good leadership principles, why are…
How I Stayed Grounded With 40 Years’ Experience in Civilian and Military Aviation
April 7, 2023
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Air Force AircrewAir Force careerArchivedBattlefields ProjectDave ChamberlinOpinionThe Havok JournalThunderbirdsVeterans
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Commentary Just as a preface, this story has a point. Mainly that there are lessons I learned early in life that have stood me in good stead. Such as the need to be patient and calm when things are going sideways, and also to keep my mouth shut unless I have something of real value…
What It Means to Be an ‘Educated’ Warfighter
April 6, 2023
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ArchivedBattlefieldsBattlefields Projecteducated warrioreducation in the militaryOpinionThe Havok JournalVeterans
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Commentary So, what does “education” for a warfighter look like? In today’s military, many lament the tremendous amounts of time spent on what seems to be useless teaching—SHARP (Sexual Harassment / Assault Response and Prevention), EO (Equal Opportunity), “don’t-rape-that-person-or-that-one,” etc.—and a lack of relevant training. Whether or not the former examples are pointless is, although…
Trust, COVID, and the General Who Cried ‘Wolf’
Commentary Once upon a time, there was an Air Force general in the Pentagon who was in charge of all the F-16s in the Air Force, and he found out about a very dangerous problem that the aircraft had developed. He brought in experts from Lockheed Martin and the Depot and they met to determine…
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