Veteran Culture

You take a rusty piece of scrap metal, a hack saw, a file, and you get to work. After hours of cutting, grinding, and sanding spread out of a week’s worth of days, you’re left with a knife that’s probably not quite as good as one you might buy at Walmart for just less than […]

Last week, a number of videos emerged on social media showing an off-duty FBI agent dancing in Denver nightclub, punctuated with an impressively executed backflip and stomach wrenching display of poor weapons handling when his pistol fell from its friction retention holster onto the floor. To make matters worse, as the agent hurried to regain […]

You hear about the perks of joining the military quite a bit. Not only does it offer the veteran a myriad of benefits, but it gives the individual certain life skills and experiences that are very difficult to attain elsewhere. Discipline, a solid work ethic, and the willingness to do the dirty-work that no one […]

Recently I have been speaking with many of the Kurds I had previously served alongside in the Kurdish Peshmerga military forces. Many have moved on to veteran status and found civilian jobs. Many feel disenfranchised with the Peshmerga because it is surrounded by family hookups and back door deals. Corruption is common practice among the […]

I have fought for what I believed in for a year now. If we win here we will win everywhere. The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it. And you had a lot of luck, he told himself, to have had such a good […]

Starting your day off with a cup of coffee is a nearly universal American experience. A piping hot cup of caffeinated crude can help you shake off the cobwebs of a long (or short) night’s sleep and serve as an important part of your morning ritual, but for those that have stood 24 hour posts […]

This article contains spoilers — I highly recommend watching the movie before reading. *Managing Editor’s note: Absolutely recommend, from my own point of view. The legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who also made “Seven Samurai,” pioneered modern film in his mult-faceted “Rashomon (1950).” The film is primarily known for being the first of its kind: it […]

For most civilians (and even plenty of folks in the military) the AA-12 automatic shotgun is perhaps best known as the weapon of choice for Adrien Brody’s character in the movie “Predators.” In the movie, Brody’s character “Royce” carries the AA-12 as his primary weapon as he and a band of “warriors” from various cultures […]

Late last week, Tom Cruise broke the internet with a single image overlaid with the words, “Feel the need.” The line, of course, alludes to the famous bit of dialogue between Cruise’s Maverick and his Radar Intercept Officer/best friend Goose (“I feel the need — the need for speed!”) but perhaps the most memorable moment […]

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 […]

Reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s “deplorable” comments when she referred to supporters of then candidate Donald Trump, MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance — and self-appointed counter-terrorism, cryptology, intelligence, interrogation and linguistics expert — has stated that all military persons that support the President are “not honorable.” As a retired Senior Chief (E-8), Airborne Mission Supervisor, cryptologist (Arabic) and […]

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 […]