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

• The Pentagon Put a Résumé on Your Chest July 30, 2026
  Author’s Note Yes, I’m aware the ribbons, badges, patches, and uniform configuration in the illustration aren’t regulation-correct. Before anyone alerts the Pentagon, contacts Stolen Valor, or begins cross-referencing AR 670-1 with the forensic intensity normally reserved for a coup investigation, please remember that this is satire, not a promotion-board photograph. The image is meant to […]
  Tammy Pondsmith
• Military Housing Allowances Should Follow Need, Not Rank July 30, 2026
  By SSG Taylor Ambos The views presented in this paper are those of the author and do not reflect the position of the Department of War, Department of the Army, or their components. Introduction Should the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for service members be anything but basic? The U.S. military prides itself on being […]
  Special Guest
• My Greatest Friends July 30, 2026
  In another life, I lived among giants. I brushed shoulders with living legends. I lived a life on the tip of the spear. My generation got what so many before envied: a war. My generation applied rigorous training in the fury of battle. The GWOT generation got rotation after rotation of war across the world. I met my […]
  Jake Smith
• “The Money Listens…” To Your Self-Discipline July 29, 2026
  I came across a short video the other day—one of those algorithm-fed clips that shows up whether you asked for it or not. In this case, it was definitely something I asked for: a clip from one of my favorite comedians, Bill Burr. This was his older (and better) work, which covered a number of […]
  Charles Faint
• Leadership Begins With Self-Command July 29, 2026
  Leadership is often mistaken for a title. We associate it with rank, authority, position, or the ability to direct the actions of others. Promotions are celebrated as though they automatically produce leaders, and too often we confuse organizational power with genuine influence. I have come to believe something very different. Leadership is not found in […]
  Sergeant Ayman Kafel, MSC