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

• Beware of All Enterprises That Require New Clothes… Or Uniforms September 16, 2026
  Before Walden became a staple of American literature, Henry David Thoreau offered a simple warning that has aged remarkably well: “I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” At first glance, it sounds like advice from someone who disliked shopping. But Thoreau wasn’t criticizing clothing. […]
  Charles Faint
• Ranger Regiment Ruined My Life September 16, 2026
  Rarely do I write with the intent to post. Most of my words are written so I might make some sense of my life. They are then shared in a fit of liquid courage or the realization that I must do what I preach. I say we are not alone, and we fail to share, […]
  Jake Smith
• Why Suicide Prevention Awareness Campaigns May Be Hurting Veterans and First Responders September 16, 2026
  By Dr. Shauna Springer September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time often marked by well-intentioned campaigns aimed at reducing suicide and encouraging help-seeking. Slogans like “It’s okay not to be okay,” “It takes courage to ask for help,” and “You are not alone” appear across social media, posters, and billboards. But these efforts are […]
  Special Guest
• Straight to Fifth Gear September 15, 2026
  My son, Hans, called me. Hans is an Iraq War vet (2011 deployment). He likes to talk to me about his work (he pumps concrete for a living down in Texas). When we chat on the phone, the conversation always drifts toward military topics. Both Hans and I are veterans, and we have a mutual […]
  Frank Pauc
• Coming Down From Mission Mode September 15, 2026
  I was in that middle ground between frustration, fatigue, and anger… again. What’s worse is I couldn’t remember why I was there or how to fix it. It was 0200 as I put my now one-year-old back in his crib. Technically speaking, he’d been a toddler for two hours. I got up to check the […]
  K.C. Aud