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
- I’m Glad I Did It. I’m Glad I’m Not Doing It Anymore November 6, 2026There are things in life that you can be profoundly grateful for without wanting to experience them again. Military service is like that for me. I spent 27 years in the Army. During that time, I served in conventional units and in three different special operations organizations. I deployed seven times to Iraq and Afghanistan. […]Charles Faint
- It’s Easier to Replace Fighter Pilots with AI Than Aircraft Mechanics November 6, 2026Fighter pilots might want to start updating their résumés. Aircraft mechanics can probably relax for a while. That may sound like a ridiculous prediction, especially considering the skill, training, judgment, and experience required to fly a modern combat aircraft. But recent developments in artificial intelligence suggest we may be approaching an extraordinary technological milestone: replacing […]Dave Chamberlin
- Before You Bid, See Who Won Last Time November 6, 2026By Magnus Williams Plenty of veterans go into business with their first customer already picked out. The federal government buys everything from janitorial services to satellite imagery, and it sets yearly spending goals aimed at businesses like theirs. Naturally it looks like the place to start. Sometimes it is. But the government will also let […]Special Guest
- Congratulations, You’ve Met Everyone on Earth November 5, 2026The intellectual laziness of sweeping generalizations There are roughly eight billion human beings wandering around this planet, and apparently some people have managed to meet every single one of them. It’s an extraordinary accomplishment. Between working, sleeping, eating, scrolling through TikTok, and arguing with strangers on Facebook, these remarkable individuals have somehow found time to […]Dave Chamberlin
- The Power of a Patch November 5, 2026“What are you doing?” a little boy asked me as I tapped an Army patch hanging in the doorway at our gym. He, like many kids, was hanging out, playing with toys as his mom or dad worked out. “I’m just saying ‘Hi’ to my buddies. This is one of my Army patches. The Army […]David Hartmann
