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Continuing Actions v.s. After Action
"What's the difference between Continuing Actions and After Action?" This is the response I've gotten from several people after I told them about my upcoming second book. In fact, I've heard that question enough times that I decided to write this post to explain the difference. To begin with, let me list their similarities: Both books are non-fiction, both about combat and its after effects, both include my personal experiences in Iraq and afterward, and both were written to fill gaps in our modern understanding of what it means to be a warrior. They both contain information I wish someone had [...]
Clay Hunt Act–A Good Start
Thanks in no small part to the lobbying efforts of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act is heading to the President's desk. This bill is designed to, among other things, increase accessibility of mental health treatment for veterans. This bill only passed because the pressure applied by various veterans groups kept it on politicians' "to do" lists. That's no small feat when you remember they also had to squeeze in another vote to repeal ObamaCare (56th and counting). But they did vote on it, and pass it, and now the Clay [...]
How Not To Promote A Book
So, I've been doing a fair amount of research into the right way to promote an upcoming book. Turns out that my strategy of neglecting to write blog posts in favor of focusing solely on the manuscript is recommended by no one. Anywhere. Ever. As I am likely going to self-publish this second book, it falls squarely on my shoulders to promote and market it as well as to write it. While those things can take place in sequence it is generally considered best to do them all at the same time. To that end, I will begin sharing more [...]
Canned Tuna Fish and A New Project
I believe that most writers have an endless fountain of creativity. For them, ideas spring to mind and continue into their work without any effort. I imagine them sitting atop an almost unstoppable flow of well thought-out arguments, witty observations, and amazing fiction that covers a wide range of topics. That's not me. My creativity oozes out like molasses. Or maybe like the goo left behind a snail when it traverses the lawn. It's pretty useful stuff but there isn't a whole lot of it. In fact, my creativity oozes so slowly that if I divert the flow even a [...]
What’s A “Vet Center?”
My last combat tour was in 2004 and I just recently went to talk to a counsellor at my local Vet Center. Why did it take me nine years to do this? Mostly because I didn't know anything about the Vet Centers. I envisioned the Veterans Administration as a monolithic organization that sucks you in and sticks pills down your throat as soon as you walk in the door. There was no way I was going to put myself in that position. This post is designed to shed some light on the misperceptions I had about the VA, specifically the [...]
Why Do We Shun Help?
It's no secret that the vast majority of people in distress can get relief by asking for help. Indeed, most issues get worse when ignored, not better. This is especially true for veterans where adjustment issues and PTSD mutate into insurmountable obstacles for the lack of professional assistance. So why, if help is available, do we prolong our suffering by refusing to ask for help? Because that's how we were brought up. I don't mean by our parents or society. I mean by the military. The changes a person goes through when joining the military are designed to prepare them [...]
How To Help The Veteran In Your Life
I was getting the kids ready for bed last night when the phone rang. I almost didn’t answer--I didn’t recognize the number, the kids were rebelling like only 3 and 5 year-olds can, and I could feel the chances of getting to bed at a reasonable hour slipping away. As one pants-less monkey jetted down the hall--chased by another with only a spiderman mask on--I answered anyway. I’m really glad I did. On the other end of the line was a Marine I’ve never met--let’s call him Tim. Tim had just finished After Action and found that the experiences I wrote [...]
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