From Asgard to Nidavellir: the Journey of the Army’s Stryker
Commentary In Norse mythology, Nidavellir was one of the nine realms inhabited by the gods. It was home to the greatest craftsmen, who were known for their magnificent creations for ...
When One of Us Is Murdered: A Police Officer Speaks
Commentary It’s so frequent these days. It’s on the news nearly every day. An officer was shot and injured; an officer was assaulted; an officer was ambushed; an officer was ...
Why and How We Need to Change Police Training
Commentary “Left of Bang is an idea that is part of the Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program. Left of bang is everything you do before shots are fired, the lethal ...
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 ...
Understanding Veteran TBI: Hormone Imbalances Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Commentary It has been known for over 80 years that following a head injury there is dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ...
Something About Phoenix Always Puts Me Right Back in Kandahar
Commentary I worked in Phoenix last week, away from my home, like I’ve been doing off and on for years. My day job involves some stress, but not life-and-death stress ...
Bad Military Leaders: Toxic Versus Radioactive
“Toxic” leaders are bad, but they’re not the worst kind of leaders out there. The absolute worst leaders are “radioactive.” Oh, you didn’t know that there was a difference? Well, ...
Bowling for America… in The Philippines?
So, when it was all over, China brought nothing. The EU team brought balloons. The Belgians brought cheerleaders. But the Americans brought… home the trophies. U-S-A!!! U-S-A!!! For a few ...
Why You Want Cops to Have a Warrior’s Mindset
Commentary Over the past several years, the term "warrior" has been used, labeled, demonized, idolized, and applied to all kinds of professions. These days when someone mentions the word "warrior," ...
From Asgard to Nidavellir: the Journey of the Army’s Stryker
Commentary In Norse mythology, Nidavellir was one of the nine realms inhabited by the gods. It was home to the greatest craftsmen, who were known for their magnificent creations for ...
When One of Us Is Murdered: A Police Officer Speaks
Commentary It’s so frequent these days. It’s on the news nearly every day. An officer was shot and injured; an officer was assaulted; an officer was ambushed; an officer was ...
Why and How We Need to Change Police Training
Commentary “Left of Bang is an idea that is part of the Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program. Left of bang is everything you do before shots are fired, the lethal ...
See Your Broken Warrior Through Love’s Rose-Colored Glasses
A wife reflects on what happens when unconditional love treats the scars of battle.
Air Power for the Future: The Case for the A-10C
Commentary Author's Note: The United States Air Force’s decision to divest the A-10C “Warthog” has larger ramifications for future wars than just an airframe. The service plans to drastically reduce ...
What ChatGPT Says About the Military’s ‘Support Troops’
So I asked Chat GPT, “What is a ‘nonner’ in the USAF?” and this is what I got back. “In the United States Air Force (USAF), the term 'nonner' is ...
The Oath: A Warrior’s Core Belief
'When you listen to the national anthem, do you get tingles that run up your spine?'
Veterans and the Power of Positive Thought
Commentary In 2019, I basked in the darkness and dined with my demons. They poured my favorite whiskey and my forever place at their dark dining table was set to ...
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 ...
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 ...
Military Genes
'This was not the future I saw my child taking … but the military was in his genes'
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
‘Write My Way to Freedom’: An Army Ranger Reflects
Commentary I’ve discovered writing to be a tremendous tool to analyze my mental health status because I’m forced to describe my actions, explain my beliefs, and articulate my captivating perspectives ...
Memorial Day: We’re Human Like Everyone Else
Commentary I haven’t put much thought into Veterans' or Memorial Day, even as a military member, until this past Monday. I remember being on watch last Sunday and having to ...
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 ...
The Day I Got Kicked Out of the Army
Commentary There is a part of me that will always, no matter what, think about the worst day of my life. Sure, picking up body parts of a fellow soldier ...
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 ...
War Poetry: Friendly Fire
Friendly Fire Do you really think Anyone cares That the fire that burns ... is friendly? Hearts and body parts Pieces of promises Are all being blown away I need ...
Yale University and the Loneliness of the Military Professional
Commentary Many years ago, I began working on a project that eventually became this article. It started when a friend of mine, a fellow veteran, sent me Victor Hanson’s 2007 ...
Military Leader or Business Manager?, Part 1: Good Leaders or Place Holders
Commentary I'm a little bit of a history nut. Well okay, a lot of a history nut, especially military history. I also have a keen interest in observing people and ...
I’m a Veteran, Ask Me Anything (Again)
Commentary A few years back there was an article called “‘Did You Ever Kill Anyone?’ 5 Things Not To Say To A Veteran” that made its way through various social ...
Carry On, Wayward Veteran
Living a vibrant and purpose-driven life is how vets can 'make it matter'
The Doric Idiom: Hesma Phobou; ‘Purging’ or ‘Fear Shedding’
Commentary I am not a combat veteran. The closest I’ve come to facing the enemy is holding a rifle or sidearm at high ready when approaching a panga full of ...
Law Enforcement or Military: My Face Hurts … A LOT
Commentary 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 ...
Understanding Veteran TBI: Hormone Imbalances Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Commentary It has been known for over 80 years that following a head injury there is dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ...
Something About Phoenix Always Puts Me Right Back in Kandahar
Commentary I worked in Phoenix last week, away from my home, like I’ve been doing off and on for years. My day job involves some stress, but not life-and-death stress ...
From the front lines to the home front, America’s military veterans and first responders are committed to serving our nation and our community, and protecting our way of life.
The Epoch Times’ “Battlefields” project, in partnership with The Havok Journal, gives voice to America’s Service Community and highlights their successes and their struggles; their triumphs, and their tragedies.
In their own words, and from their own hearts, these… are their Battlefields.
