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
June 23, 2023
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BattlefieldsLori ButierriesMarine CorpsMEUOperation Enduring FreedomOpinionThe Havok JournalVeteransWomen in combat
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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…
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…
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…
For This Veteran, Rehab is in the Cards
Commentary Concussions suck. There’s no getting around that. Way back in the 20th century, in my young adulthood, I worked as a land surveyor. I enjoyed being outside and still doing “sciency” things. I learned that I had a knack for adding or subtracting long strings of numbers in my head. Those who’ve done construction…
Everything Has Become a Threat Assessment
Commentary The following article describes K.C. Aud’s first day in the shoot house at ME A-School at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) written after passing his team’s lethal use of force drills. [Editor’s note: ME A-School, or Maritime Enforcement Specialist “A” School, trains Coast Guard personnel to provide security and law enforcement support for…
Lost Without a Tribe: A Military Veteran Reflects
Commentary By the end of 2003, I knew I was getting out of the Air Force (AF). I had been stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska since November of 2001, working as an Operating Room (OR) nurse in a busy, understaffed OR. While we toiled away banging out cases, I saw our immediate leadership…
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