When I was ending my time in service in the Army, I had a moment of clarity on my final day of active duty. When you finish your time in service, you go through about a month long process of clearing- it's a bunch of paperwork, confirming you turned in gear, attended a few transition …
Continue reading Out of The Army: A moment of clarity on my last day in uniform
I'm a one man shop here, so there isn't too much in the way of "editorial decisions". I have a log of articles that I've written and ideas for articles to write, select some graphics and try to keep things relatively fresh. One thing I've realized is that the writing process itself does not have …
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be updating the site a bit and might even start some social media accounts for better outreach. I've never been too concerned with numbers; I like to write, and if a few people enjoy what I write, that's great! When I started the website, it was a …
For the past year, I've been working in the medical device industry. I've really enjoyed the work and the people I work with on a daily basis. There's a good mix of personalities and people to keep things interesting, and we all have different backgrounds. One of the things I've noticed in this job, that …
Very few people finish their career in the same industry, let alone with the same company. The internet has revolutionized how we conduct business, wage war and even read and write. Obviously other economic and external factors unconnected to the rise of the internet played a part in this, but the internet career mobility is …
This week I'm focusing on veterans and soldier life. I enjoy writing about this, and will probably write more extensively on soldier life and veterans issues in the future. I have lived experience as a Light Infantryman in combat, but have also been fascinated by war and history since I can remember. An earlier article …
Continue reading Quick Hits: Combat Catnaps and Living in The Moment
Armies are built on small units that work together as a whole. Depending on how well these smaller teams coalesce into a bigger unit, is one of the main factors that will contribute to battlefield victories and sustained success. These units are bought together through discipline and individual bonding between soldiers. Throwing a group of …
Continue reading Military Discipline, Barracks Life and Soldiering
November 11th has always been a special day for me. As a kid growing up in the city, I looked forward to the yearly parades. But it also holds some personal significance as well; On my first deployment, November 11th was also the first time I was in a serious, lengthy and sustained firefight and …
No one likes the new guy. And, if you're the new guy, you always want to avoid the first couple of dudes to talk to you. They are looking for an easy friend because no one likes them. In one way or another, you have to prove yourself to be accepted by the new tribe …
The "fake news" phenomenon is still going strong, with talking heads throughout the political spectrum and on all levels throwing out accusations of lying and misinformation. As a business model, the mainstream media, collective thought and conventional narratives are ingenious, because it always guarantees a story that is palatable that the general public will not …
Continue reading Primary Sources: The Importance of First Hand Information
Steel and Stylus 