You never forget your drill instructor’s voice. It makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. Anything tied to fear or anxiety takes up some prime neurological real estate. This feature of the human brain might not be very helpful with modern-day problems like knowing what the deafening silence of a tough crowd sounds like. But a […]
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Dramatic ‘United States of Al’ season 2 premiere is Thursday
LifestyleThe Season 2 premiere of “United States of Al” airs this Thursday with a plot centered around America’s recent withdrawal from Afghanistan and the evacuation efforts that came with it. For veterans who served in Afghanistan like me, it’s heavy watching for a sitcom, but a spoonful of comedic sugar just might help America’s medicine […]
Ted Williams: Greatness on the diamond and in the air
HistoryTed Williams wanted to be known as the greatest hitter to ever play the game. It is safe to say that he, even 61 years after his retirement, put himself very squarely in the conversation. He worked tirelessly at it. He had a passion and an understanding for it that most around the game had […]
The first US air to air kill was in a French airplane
HistoryOn Feb. 5, 1918, Lt. Stephen Thompson recorded the first combat victory in American aviation history. It certainly wasn’t the most conventional way to get a win. Thompson was in a French aircraft, and he wasn’t even supposed to be in the air! Lt. Thompson was in France assigned to the United States’ 12th Aero […]
‘I am where I’m supposed to be’ – HistoryFlight’s SgtMaj Justin LeHew
LifestyleIf you were to do some research on the opening stages of Operation: Iraqi Freedom, you would undoubtedly come across the story of Private Jessica Lynch and the rest of the Army’s 507th Maintenance Company. The 507th got lost in the midst of the blistering pace of the opening days of the offensive, ended up […]
Pat Tillman: The legacy of an athlete, patriot and Soldier
HistoryThe terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the United States‘ occupation of Afghanistan in its wake will both reach their twentieth anniversaries in the coming days. The weight of the terrible memories that day, our recent withdrawal from the war-torn nation and the inevitable reflection that comes with it, and the excitement of another football season […]
Tokyo Olympics: Update on 19 service members and more
LifestyleThe greatest athletes in the world had to wait an extra year to display their abilities on the world stage, but the Tokyo Olympics have finally come. The one-year delay due to the pandemic was worth the added anguish for many athletes who have already competed in the six days since the opening ceremonies on […]
Former SOCOM, CENTCOM commander wants no one left behind in Afghanistan
Featured“No one left behind” is a phrase inextricably linked with our military culture. The concept is a pillar that supports the platform of what it means to serve, analogous to “defending those who can’t defend themselves” and “protecting our freedom.” Like all military axioms, no one left behind means many different things, depending on the […]
How a US Air Force fighter landed itself after the pilot ejected
HistoryThe story of the “Cornfield Bomber,” an aircraft that landed without a pilot, might not sound very impressive in today’s age of drones and increased automation. The narrative changes drastically when one key piece of information is added: this happened in 1970, after the pilot was forced to eject from a jet he had last […]
DOD: Masks no longer required for vaccinated personnel
Military AffairsIn a long-awaited and significant step towards normalcy in the wake of the COVID epidemic, the Department of Defense (DOD) has determined that masks are no longer required for vaccinated personnel, either indoors or outdoors on DOD facilities. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks sent a memo on Thursday to senior Pentagon leadership, commanders of […]
