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
- Why Are So Many People Suddenly Obsessed With the USS Liberty Incident (Again)? July 6, 2026Every few months, it, seems, the USS Liberty incident makes the rounds online again. Someone discovers it for the first time. Someone else insists it’s the greatest cover-up in American history. Social media fills with heated arguments, accusations, and declarations that this single event should permanently define America’s relationship with Israel. And honestly, I don’t […]Charles Faint
- Saved by a Stubby Pencil July 6, 2026AI is here and it’s not going anywhere. The new technology is the subject of much scrutiny and controversy. People are upset about AI forcing humans out of jobs. They are up in arms about huge data centers and their massive consumption of electricity and water. There is the question of what we should do […]Frank Pauc
- There Is Merit in the Admiral’s Reading List July 6, 2026By Bruce D. Kowal It is a marvelous tradition of the chiefs of our armed forces to publish a professional reading program, a reading list for officers and enlisted. Recently, the new Chief of Naval Operations, the CNO, put out his reading list, CNO Professional Reading Program, by U.S. Navy. This CNO has announced that […]Special Guest
- “Case Study” Ramadi: A “Rip-It Ranger” Looks Back July 5, 2026Editor’s Note: Sadly, no one had the foresight in 2006 to assign a combat photographer to capture a Rip-It-fueled gastrointestinal war crime inside an armored vehicle. The AI-generated images are meant to match the spirit of the story. If the patches, camo, gear, or facial expressions offend your inner sergeant major, please direct all complaints […]Shane Snell
- Memorial Plaque: I Wanted Them to Remember and to Be Grateful July 5, 2026When it happened, I cannot recall. It just seemed to happen. I could not take it anymore, and I wanted the world to know. I wanted those passing by to be reminded. I could not take one more expression of gratitude for a day that was not mine to receive. I have long struggled to […]Jake Smith
