PTS
Continuing Actions Chapter 1
NONE OF THIS IS NEW A FEW YEARS BEFORE the invasion of Iraq, Mongo (his mom didn’t name him that; we—his friends—did) was flying a Cobra helicopter with a senior officer from our squadron. Crossing a huge desert training range, they heard the electronic beeping of an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) coming through their radios. Knowing a stricken aircraft must be nearby, they began searching and soon spotted smoke rising above the desert scrub. Not far away from the blackened remains of the jet, they saw the pilot, still strapped in his ejection seat and not moving. After landing the [...]
How to address veteran suicide–other than filming ourselves doing pushups, I mean.
I've done the 22 pushups-thing. Other than giving my giant mutt unfettered access to thoroughly tongue my ears, I can't say they accomplished much. That's not completely true--my ears are sparkly clean--but that wasn't the point. The short videos were supposed to help raise awareness that an alarming number of veterans are choosing to take their own lives. I don't know who started the whole campaign but I think it has, thankfully, run its course. Veteran suicide, on the other hand, hasn't gone away. Funny thing, that. Letting folks know about the problem is one thing. Addressing it [...]
Tom Ricks Reviews ‘Continuing Actions’
Tom Ricks has an impressive resume. With five books under his belt (including the best-seller Fiasco), a Pulitzer prize for his reporting with the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and contributing editor for Foreign Policy Magazine, Tom has made a career out of calling bullshit on things that don't seem right. Which is why I am so very pleased with his review of my second book, Continuing Actions. Here's a link to the review on his blog: Tom Ricks Review by Tom Ricks, Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for the Wall Street Journaland Washington Post, bestselling author of Fiasco, Senior [...]
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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