The Havok Journal | Military & Veteran News, Commentary, Culture

• The Algorithm Didn’t Break Us Because We Arrived Pre-Cracked June 25, 2026
  America has reached that glamorous stage of empire where half the country thinks every stranger online is a patriot, a prophet, or a constitutional scholar because the profile picture contains sunglasses, an eagle, and a jawline stolen from a protein powder label. We used to fear foreign spies in trench coats slipping microfilm into park […]
  Tammy Pondsmith
• The Expectation and the Job June 25, 2026
  “When I enlisted, I tried to sign up for the infantry,” said every POG (person other than a grunt) ever. It’s true, but with little means for college funding and an enlistment bonus dangling over my head, I opted for field artillery. I mean, the recruiter said I’d get to “blow shit up.” Done and […]
  Stan Lake
• When Afghanistan Broke Trust June 25, 2026
  By Dr. Wylie Brace and Samantha D. Glidewell This article is the second installment in a three-part series adapted from qualitative research on veterans’ responses to the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The full manuscript, including methods, references, and broader clinical discussion, is available through a DOI-linked version on OSF here. Direct quotes are from […]
  Special Guest
• “Sometimes, America”: Reflections on the Ranger Legacy June 24, 2026
  I had a lot on my mind on 14 October, 2025 as I rode the Amtrack train from Washington, D.C. to New York City. I had been in our nation’s capital to speak at an event put on by the Ranger Legacy Foundation, and there was a lot to unpack from the experience. To begin […]
  Charles Faint
• That Was a Sad Video June 24, 2026
  I’m tired and I should be asleep right now, but obviously, I’m not. I went to court yesterday and I’m still wound tight. I am replaying the events of the hearing in my head over and over, hoping for some clarity and closure. So far, I’ve had no luck with that. Maybe by writing about […]
  Special Guest