Modern Candidates Pass Selection For British WWII SOE

Modern Candidates Pass Selection For British WWII SOE

Have you ever wondered if you could pass the Selection and Assessment course standards for our World War II predecessors in the British Special Operations Executive? The SOE was the forerunner to the United States’ Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and it was that the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Army Special Forces was […]

The two types of respect

The two types of respect

Like “love,” the word “respect” is fairly limited. It’s another good example of why the English language can only take you so far, and why we must use other tools in order to understand and investigate these concepts a bit further. You can love your best friend, you can love your kids, and you can […]

‘You Were Never Really Here’ — An original and authentic take on PTSD

‘You Were Never Really Here’ — An original and authentic take on PTSD

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. “You Were Never Really Here” is a brutal, slow-burn film by Lynne Ramsay, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Joe. It’s about a military veteran with a troubled past that extends beyond his service — when he’s not taking care […]

Weight gain with age: Metabolism change or activity change?

Weight gain with age: Metabolism change or activity change?

It’s no secret: many people tend to start adding on the pounds as they get older. They often chalk it up to their waning metabolism — after all, the same pattern seems apparent in everyone around them, and it seems to be a natural progression with age. They hit somewhere around 30, start gaining weight […]

The three-quarter hurtle

The three-quarter hurtle

Let’s say you step out of your home for a two-mile run. It goes well at first, especially once you find a rhythm and shake out all the kinks and stiffness in your legs. You hit the mile mark and turn around to head home. About 1.5 miles into the run, it begins to hit […]

The competitive act of quitting smoking

The competitive act of quitting smoking

I have smoked on and off routinely for the better part of a decade now, and I’m attempting to quit yet again. I love cigarettes, and there is nothing better when you’re stuck in a conflict zone doing soldiery things, but I’m done with that and can’t think of a good reason to keep smoking […]

A culture of resignation

A culture of resignation

Adults. Why are they so dramatic about everything? They’re ruining all the things that matter to me — my parents won’t let me play with those kids from down the street; my teachers won’t let me have any fun when I want to. I guess I’ll just deal with it, what can you do? — The […]

Exploring your own backyard

Exploring your own backyard

I could use a trip to Iceland. Or to Brazil. Or Italy or Japan. Thailand is about to start getting into tourist season in a few months — that would be nice. I’ve seen the Instagram posts and hear the stories of friends or family who seem to be making these sorts of trips all […]

The philosophy of a ‘problem child’

The philosophy of a ‘problem child’

He comes to the platoon, the first week on the job. He is five minutes late to a briefing with the 1st Sgt. since he was busy working out the logistics of the new truck he just bought (which has an APR that’s through the clouds). He’s not good at PT, but you think that […]

‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ — The complexities of modern war

‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ — The complexities of modern war

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. When I heard that “Sicario” was getting a sequel, my first question was “why?” The first film was great, but was a sequel really necessary? “Sicario” had a pretty definitive beginning, middle, and end and was certainly not […]

‘The Wild Bunch’: an epic western

‘The Wild Bunch’: an epic western

The Western movie genre is one that I enjoy a great deal. When I saw Luke Ryan’s article about “The Magnificent Seven” I thought I’d write one about of my favorite film in the genre. The film in question is the polar opposite of the adaptation of “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa, “The Magnificent Seven,” […]

Stay Tooned: Time to re-enlist

Stay Tooned: Time to re-enlist

Re-enlistment bonuses are friggin sweet! I didn’t get one, though — one and done I always say. Pilots are getting bank for staying in and flying for a living. Hell, I wish I got a regular enlistment bonus. That would have been awesome, but I still would have blown it all on dumb stuff. I […]