Category: Veterans

Military Readiness—Seen Thru the Lens of Army Aviation

Commentary The readiness of America’s military is under internal attack—the recent accidents in Army aviation, and the response after, is an indicator of what plagues the entire military. I spent a career in the U.S. Army’s aviation branch, with many fond memories of flying helicopters all over the world. I also have tough memories of…


Unexpected Lessons in a Combat Zone

Commentary “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe. Women don’t go into combat.” My husband reassured me as I lay with my head on his chest while discussing my fears about my upcoming deployment. His dismissive response annoyed me, but, in the end, he was right. In 2004, it was against the law for women to serve…


Yorba Linda Man Helps Struggling Student Veterans at Cal State Fullerton

Every May for the last six years, a local man and his family have helped over 90 student veterans and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets struggling with financial hardship at California State University–Fullerton with scholarships started through the Vets and Cadets Endowed Scholarship Award. The vet scholarship program was established in late 2017 by…


Military Genes

Commentary Parents have been known to encourage, guide, direct, and even threaten their children when making a career choice. Suppose you knew that for the next twenty years, your child would be sleeping on the ground in either snow, rain, or extreme heat, possibly among poisonous, wild creatures or other humans longing to take away…


IN-DEPTH: Veterans’ Outrage Grows as LBGT Observances Crowd Out Military Holidays

Backlash is growing over what many see as national LGBT observances upstaging honoring America’s veterans. While Pride Month has long followed Memorial Day, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Victor Marx told The Epoch Times that this year was different, with a huge movement led by the government to swap out American flags for LGBT flags at…


Artist Paints 40-foot Patriotic Panorama Honoring Branches of Military, Hopes Grandpa’s ‘Looking Down’

A talented high school art teacher has produced an enormous, 40-foot (12-meter) patriotic military mural for an Iowa state park as a tribute to the nation’s brave veterans. Dave Schaeffer, 43, of Blue Grass, Iowa, teaches art to ninth through twelfth grades at Davenport West High School in his hometown of Davenport. He was approached by…


Twenty-One Tips Before Your First Salute

You are about to embark on the beginning of your career. I wanted to share some things I’ve learned through experience to “put in your rucksack” as you start BOLC [Basic Officer Leader Course], Pre-Ranger, and beyond. These don’t just apply to getting your Ranger tab. They’re some words of encouragement and wisdom that hopefully,…


21 Tips Before Your First Salute

Commentary You are about to embark on the beginning of your career. I wanted to share some things I’ve learned through experience to “put in your rucksack” as you start BOLC [Basic Officer Leader Course], Pre-Ranger, and beyond. These don’t just apply to getting your Ranger tab. They’re some words of encouragement and wisdom that…


Far From Familiar Faces: Romanian Human Intelligence Teams

Commentary “I know that I will be called upon to perform tasks in isolation, far from familiar faces and voices.” (The Special Forces Creed) July 2004:  Romanian Ministry of Defense, Bucharest, Romania “We have a national treasure—our HUMINT teams,” said the Romanian chief of military intelligence as we sipped plum brandy with him in his…


My First Engagement With the Enemy

Commentary 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 movie titled, “Loyal Brave True” by Christina Aguilera. As cheesy as that might sound, hear me out. FLASHBACK: When one of the grunts shouted out…