“Rashomon” and the reality of a fight

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 […]

The AA12 Semi-Automatic Shotgun

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 […]

Top Gun 2 is going to need some bad guys, here are some top contenders

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 […]

Why getting shot won’t make you go flying

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 […]

Opinion: A Matter of Honor and the Fiction of Malcolm Nance

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 […]

Memorial Day, 2018 in pictures — Never forget

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 […]

Former Army Ranger medic to teach trauma course in Burma

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. […]

Memorial Day: It’s okay to have a barbecue

In recent years, a series of cringe worthy posts inevitably find their way on to social media that lambaste veterans and chastise civilians about what the appropriate way is to observe Memorial Day. Rather than enjoy a long weekend and some time with our families, we are now expected to be sad and solemn as […]

Texas veteran memorials destroyed in possible vandalism

Four granite memorials meant to honor veterans were destroyed in Brownwood, Texas recently. The slabs lay shattered in pieces across the memorial platform, metal and wood scattered about the bits of granite that now bear engravings that cannot be read. Previously, they had honored veterans from WWII and the 36th Infantry Division which had been […]

Watch: How does astronaut food compare to MREs?

Retired Marine Colonel Randy Bresnik cut his teeth as a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet program, before going on to serve combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now, he’s an astronaut, and one of the few remaining with the experience necessary to give us the lowdown on how space food stacks up […]

VA study establishes link between TBI and dementia

A study was recently conducted by various veteran, psychiatry and other health organizations out of San Francisco, regarding the correlation between TBIs (particularly mild ones), and the likelihood they have on the onset of dementia. Their conclusion reads as such: In this cohort study of more than 350 000 veterans, even mild TBI without LOC was […]