Luke Ryan

An article in one of Burma/Myanmar‘s local publications bore a headline that might turn some heads in the United States: “Is the President Truly Above the Commander-in-Chief?” The title “commander-in-chief” is actually a military position, designating the person who is in charge of a nation’s armed forces. In the United States, of course, the commander-in-chief […]

You’ve seen the movies. A protagonist shoots a shotgun or a rifle and his target goes flying back ten feet, careening through saloon doors or crashing out a glass window. Sometimes it’s a stylistic choice — I don’t think Quentin Tarantino’s first priority is in adhering to the laws of physics, and his films are […]

The United States boasts many iconic monuments like the Statue of Liberty or the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. These achievements in architecture and art all serve different purposes — some are utilitarian like the Golden Gate Bridge, and others are commemorative like the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. Whatever their purpose, these images are stamped […]

What do most people want to get out of their short years on the planet? Many would say that they want an overall sense of happiness and fulfillment, and to have a good ride on the earth as it spins around the sun — but is that what they really work toward? A lot of […]

“They can sell drugs or guns once, but they can sell a person over and over and over.” This was one of many sobering lines spoken at the International Association of Human Trafficking Investigators (IAHTI) annual training conference this week. In the sunny, tourist-laden Clearwater, Florida, representatives from law enforcement and non-governmental organizations met to share […]

Myanmar/Burma — Since the conflict between the Rohingya and the Burmese government has continued since last year, almost 700,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes and into refugee camps on the border of Bangladesh. Approximately 90% of the entire people had been driven from their homes in Rakhine state, which they have occupied for […]

“Wind River” is a film written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, who also wrote “Hell or High Water” and the first installment of “Sicario.” It stars Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene and Jon Bernthal, all of whom deliver excellent performances. The story opens as a tracker for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Cory Lambert […]

When many think of the first World War, they think of infantrymen charging no-man’s land, trench warfare and chemical gas attacks. There were some pivotal naval battles, but they aren’t discussed as often as some of the naval battles from WWII. For example, the Battle of Jutland was a significant naval engagement involving 250 ships. […]

On May 25, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Danish Minister of Defence Claus Hjort Frederiksen at the pentagon. The meeting was primarily intended to discuss the ongoing NATO presence throughout the world — including in Afghanistan as well as the global effort against ISIS. They reaffirmed one another’s commitment to the military-defense relationship between […]

I was in 7th grade when I attended Murree Christian School (MCS) in hills outside of Islamabad, Pakistan. It was a British boarding school, and the boy’s boarding facility was located a short drive away from the school itself. Every morning we would load up on a bus and head over to the school compound, […]

People celebrated Memorial Day all across the country, spending the holiday with family, friends and a few were still hard at work. Many blissfully enjoyed the moments away from their boss and didn’t think twice of the reason for the long weekend; others paused and reflected upon the steep price that has been paid to […]

Bryce Dryden is a former medic from 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, who is heading out to the jungles of Burma to teach trauma medicine. He is working with Earth Mission Asia, a non-profit that has worked in the area for years, striving to build healthcare infrastructure among the Karen people in eastern Burma/Myanmar. […]