Web Log
Mines! No, Seriously. MINES!
What happens when a unit has to go through a minefield? In a perfect world, they'd wait for Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams to clear it. In reality, the one EOD guy in the Battalion teaches hundreds of suddenly very attentive grunts how to poke around in the dirt with pointy things and hope nothing goes boom. That's more preparation than veterans get for the challenges of transitioning out of the service. That process can be [...]
Want To Win Signed Copies Of My Books?
With a mere 148 shopping days until Christmas, I thought I'd help everybody out. Here's a chance to win a signed copy of each of my books delivered straight to your door for free. These books make great gifts and I'll happily sign them to whomever you designate--should you win the drawing on August 31st, 2016. To enter the drawing, post a picture of "After Action" and/or "Continuing Actions", taken in some interesting location, with [...]
Sharing The Pride
I grew up in the Marine Corps when homosexual slurs were commonplace. This was during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and anyone who challenged the use of such a slur automatically invited suspicion of being gay--a label that ended careers and worse. I used to wonder about "Gay Pride." What did it mean? Was it just an opportunity "Those People" took to dance proudly down the street sporting only a yellow codpiece (thanks Christopher Moore) and oversize [...]
What I Never Told Detective John Hobbs
This has been percolating in my head and heart for a while, but sometimes you have to let things sit. This website is my professional face--it highlights my writing and efforts to assist veterans of all wars to find their way home--so I was hesitant to blur the line between personal and professional. But it's time. Det John Hobbs Detective John Hobbs was a devoted peace officer, a caring father, and a loving [...]
DD-214: End or Beginning?
Unless you plan on dying in uniform, eventually you're going to get out of the military. When you do leave, you'll walk out of Admin on your last day carrying several copies of your DD-214; the official record of everything you did (good or bad) in uniform. It will follow you everywhere you go for the rest of your life. The question is: Does a DD-214 signal the end of a journey, or the beginning? [...]
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