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

• Marx Is Dead but His Middle Managers Are Thriving August 20, 2026
  America spent half the twentieth century terrified that communists were infiltrating the country, which was awkward because communists were, in fact, infiltrating the country. This remains one of history’s more embarrassing complications. The Soviet Union ran espionage networks inside the United States. American government employees passed information to Moscow. Soviet intelligence penetrated the Manhattan Project. […]
  Tammy Pondsmith
• Dad, You’re on a List August 20, 2026
  My son, Hans, sometimes tells me stories of his youth without any warning. He did that today. He is a combat vet from the most recent Iraq War (deployed there in 2011). I’m a veteran too, but I am Cold War vintage. Anyway, out of the blue, he started telling me about how he enlisted […]
  Frank Pauc
• The Fear We Carry August 20, 2026
  “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” – Patton Those lucky enough to have children have probably heard it before—“My dad isn’t scared of anything.” It’s how they see us, standing ten feet taller than everyone else. Then came the question that caught us off guard. “What are you afraid of?” She had just […]
  Clay D
• The Further We Get From 9/11, The Closer We Get to 9/10 August 19, 2026
  There’s a phrase that’s been making the rounds in quiet conversations, veterans’ circles, and the corners of the internet where memory still carries weight: “The further we get from 9/11, the closer we get to 9/10.” It’s not a slogan. It’s a warning. That’s because 9/10 wasn’t just a date, it was a mindset. 9/10: […]
  Charles Faint
• What a Police Chief Leaves Behind August 19, 2026
  During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work under and have met several police chiefs. Like every police officer, I’ve seen different leadership styles shape organizations in very different ways. Some leaders leave behind visible accomplishments that everyone can point to. Others leave something far less tangible, but far more enduring. Recently, I heard […]
  Sergeant Ayman Kafel, MSC