Civic Essays
What We Owe the Next Generation
There is a kind of conversation that has gone out of fashion in this country, and we are paying for its absence. It is the conversation older people used to [...]
The Havok Journal | Military & Veteran News, Commentary, Culture
- Sometimes the Best Thing to Do is Just Walk Away August 2, 2026Summer of 2003. A couple of unexpected downturns and one unmitigated disaster left me poor as a church mouse for about 6 months. Not broke, destitute. As in if it wasn’t for my little sister taking care of the cell phone bill… I probably shouldn’t finish that sentence. It was a very ugly summer. I […]Michael Bama Katt
- Living With a Time Bomb August 2, 2026I live with a time bomb. He looks like a regular guy. Maybe a little tightly wound: high and tight haircut, rigid posture, authoritative tone. He can’t go anywhere without scoping out the exits and the people who may pose a threat. He relaxes by going to the gym and by lifting weights that are […]Wendy Arena
- Where Shadows Build Leaders August 1, 2026During the GWOT era, combat MOS soldiers typically had about two years to attend Ranger School after completing RIP or RASP. This applied not only to infantry, but also to combat medics, forward observers, mortarmen, commo specialists, and others. Failing to attend often meant being Released For Standards (RFS). Completing Ranger School meant earning your […]Jake Smith
- Tactical Regret August 1, 2026“A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once”. William Shakespeare I’ve had a lot of interesting jobs in the tactical world. The common denominators for these gigs were the fact that they were hard, dangerous and the pay sucked. So, when a guy offered me $30 […]Nick Perna
- War Just Got a Whole Lot Easier, so Expect More of It July 31, 2026The Changing Character of War The character of war has always evolved alongside technology, but its underlying logic has remained remarkably consistent: when the costs and risks of using force decline, the frequency of its use tends to rise. Today, advances in long-range strike capabilities, cyber operations, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the cost-benefit calculus […]Charles Faint
