Pathfinder LLC

Women in Combat

Second Mission Foundation

Savage Wonder podcast

Veterans Repertory Theater

 _____

Episode guest: Liz DeGraeve, Elana Duffy, and LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Americans worry a lot that we are headed towards ruin – unsustainable spending, foreign adventurism, even civil war. How warranted is that concern? I sat down this week with Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint to discuss the three best ways to become a failed state. We take the scenic route to get there, which is very “on-brand” for us. Somehow The Sound of Music weaves its way into the episode…three times. Which may say more about us than we planned to reveal prior to the episode. Crumbling infrastructure, personal terror, lively musicals, this episode covers it all. 

 Show Alibis:

As you’ve heard me say every week on the podcast, the Weekly Havok is a “roundtable discussion of the week’s events by the staff and writers at Havok Journal.” This week that was still sort of true, it’s just that the roundtable was much, much smaller than normal. No great story behind it, it just became me and Charlie due to the machinations of the scheduling gods. We had a good time, although we realized that we actually could have done the show in person, but clearly COVID restrictions have become so embedded in our brains, it never occurred to us until the show started.  

Charlie mentions it at the end of the episode, but Jimmy Gagliano is mayor in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. This isn’t so much an alibi as an extra opportunity to congratulate him. He won by three votes, which indicates that any politician who needs a competitive advantage in a tight race should think about coming on the show. 

On the other hand…there’s always a danger in talking. For writers like me, talking is just broadcasting your first draft out loud which makes it kind of a crapshoot to listen to. I only mention this because there’s a point in the episode when Charlie and I compare how many of Fund for Peace’s top ten fragile states we’ve been to. I say something to Charlie about not meaning to make it a “dick-measuring” contest, since “I know yours is bigger than mine” or something to that effect. And then I silently – but not audibly – say my favorite line from Archer: “phrasing!” which leaves the distinct impression that I know way more about Charlie than I should. Was this an intentional act on my part so I could keep these alibis relevant and necessary? Or do I just pick amazing times to brain fart? Either way, I apologize to Charlie and to everyone listening. I’m riddled with shame and I can’t shake my head enough (phrasing). I’d like to blame COVID, since I haven’t had my shot of Johnson & Johnson (careful…). But sometimes when you’re talking and a real boner leaves your mouth (seriously?), you’re too headstrong (c’mon) and cocksure (do you even hear yourself?) to notice. It’s the danger of doing a topical podcast, and it’s a good reminder that it can’t be all lollipops (huh?) and joysticks (that’s not a saying). In the future, I promise to up my caffeine dosage and use my damn head (I…I give up).

Wokeness and the New Cold War by John Schindler

Fund for Peace’s Fragile State Index 2020

Returning to the “Poor Game” of U.S. Modern Warfare by Scott Faith

The First Generation of...]]>Show Notes:

Americans worry a lot that we are headed towards ruin – unsustainable spending, foreign adventurism, even civil war. How warranted is that concern? I sat down this week with Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint to discuss the three best ways to become a failed state. We take the scenic route to get there, which is very “on-brand” for us. Somehow The Sound of Music weaves its way into the episode…three times. Which may say more about us than we planned to reveal prior to the episode. Crumbling infrastructure, personal terror, lively musicals, this episode covers it all. 

 Show Alibis:

As you’ve heard me say every week on the podcast, the Weekly Havok is a “roundtable discussion of the week’s events by the staff and writers at Havok Journal.” This week that was still sort of true, it’s just that the roundtable was much, much smaller than normal. No great story behind it, it just became me and Charlie due to the machinations of the scheduling gods. We had a good time, although we realized that we actually could have done the show in person, but clearly COVID restrictions have become so embedded in our brains, it never occurred to us until the show started.  

Charlie mentions it at the end of the episode, but Jimmy Gagliano is mayor in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. This isn’t so much an alibi as an extra opportunity to congratulate him. He won by three votes, which indicates that any politician who needs a competitive advantage in a tight race should think about coming on the show. 

On the other hand…there’s always a danger in talking. For writers like me, talking is just broadcasting your first draft out loud which makes it kind of a crapshoot to listen to. I only mention this because there’s a point in the episode when Charlie and I compare how many of Fund for Peace’s top ten fragile states we’ve been to. I say something to Charlie about not meaning to make it a “dick-measuring” contest, since “I know yours is bigger than mine” or something to that effect. And then I silently – but not audibly – say my favorite line from Archer: “phrasing!” which leaves the distinct impression that I know way more about Charlie than I should. Was this an intentional act on my part so I could keep these alibis relevant and necessary? Or do I just pick amazing times to brain fart? Either way, I apologize to Charlie and to everyone listening. I’m riddled with shame and I can’t shake my head enough (phrasing). I’d like to blame COVID, since I haven’t had my shot of Johnson & Johnson (careful…). But sometimes when you’re talking and a real boner leaves your mouth (seriously?), you’re too headstrong (c’mon) and cocksure (do you even hear yourself?) to notice. It’s the danger of doing a topical podcast, and it’s a good reminder that it can’t be all lollipops (huh?) and joysticks (that’s not a saying). In the future, I promise to up my caffeine dosage and use my damn head (I…I give up).

Wokeness and the New Cold War by John Schindler

Fund for Peace’s Fragile State Index 2020

Returning to the “Poor Game” of U.S. Modern Warfare by Scott Faith

The First Generation of the Warrior Class by Christopher Paul Meyer

Family Guy and the military

John Kerry demeans military service

Modern War Institute at West Point

How did The Sound of Music end in real life?

The Wisdom of Youth by Jonah Goldberg

The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt

“We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” George Orwell, Facing Unpleasant Facts

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

Am I the bad guy in Breakfast Club?

Second Mission Foundation

Havok Journal

Black Rifle Coffee Company

Savage Wonder

_____

Episode guest: LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

This week, I talk with the witty and erudite Kevin Wilson and Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint about the importance of pop culture to the military. We talk deployment shows, movies and TV that influenced us to join, why The Hurt Locker is so disappointing to Charlie and Kevin. This was a fun one. If you don’t understand pop culture’s role in the military, you don’t understand the military.

Show Alibis: 

A little explainer on this week’s Easter egg. I thought HJ writer Kerry Patton was going to join us. After ten minutes of small talk, Charlie mentioned that Kerry wasn’t going to be there and I realized that Charlie and Kevin had really just been humoring me, waiting for me to start recording. So you missed all the hilarious and insightful comments that usually would make an Easter egg, but that’s why.

This podcast was recorded when Charlie Faint was on active duty. He is now retired.

 Right to Bear

 The Hill by Aaron Kirk

 Second Mission Foundation

_____

Episode guest: Kevin Wilson and LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

This week I talk with Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint and Andrew, a 18-year old firefighter on the East Coast. I know what you’re thinking – how much wisdom, insight and life experience are you really going to get from an 18-year old? I agree – but Andrew is not your typical 18-year old. The story he wrote for Havok Journal was jarring enough that I made the editorial decision to focus on it instead of any topical stuff this week. Your next question is probably about Andrew’s anonymity – how many firefighters hold top secret clearances and need to protect their identities? True, but not many of us have been raised in the age of social media where opening your mouth to discuss anything important – or unimportant – is essentially handing ammunition to the trolls in your life. That said, Andrew doesn’t say anything particularly controversial, but he is very comfortable discussing the nuances of life and death issues. Which reminds me – consider this your trigger warning. The story Andrew leads off with is a tough one. It gets more philosophical from there. We get into some late-night, dorm-room-style, lava-lamp-in-the-background-type ruminations. We talk about death, insecurity, and maybe why more 16 year-olds should become volunteer firefighters.

Show Alibis:

 In the episode, Andrew and I discuss our shared firefighting experience and I talk about the firefighter/cop rivalry – cops are “pigs,” everyone loves a firefighter because they save people, everyone hates the police because they have to enforce the law, blah blah blah. That kind of stuff seemed a lot funnier before the whole “defund the police” movement took off. Not a lot else to say, I just feel a little weird that I brought it up. 

Andrew consistently acquits himself well throughout the episode. But any immaturity he still has seems to have been channeled into his driving. It was the end of the episode so I didn’t have time to make a big thing about it, but how many accidents did he mention that he’s been in? Next time he comes on the show, I’m going to see if he’s willing to move to the city and start taking the subway.

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 _____

Episode guest: "Firefighter Andrew" and LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Firefighters Deal with More Than Just Flames by Andrew

Having PTSD means you’re normal

LTC Dave Grossman

Meekness in the beatitudes “Strength Under Control”

The Hill by Aaron Kirk

The civ-mil divide is something we kind of always bring up in one way or another on the show. You might even say it’s a large part of why we even do the show. So it was probably overdue for us to do an actual episode about it. I spoke with retired Air Force/Air Guard Chief Master Sergeant Dave Chamberlin, Uriel Epshtein of the Renew Democracy Initiative, and Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint. We talked about what the military and civilian communities can learn from each other, the role pop culture plays in the perceptions/mis-perceptions about the military, and the difference between discipline and repression – and why that may matter in the civ-mil divide.

 McChrystal’s Service Year Alliance

Stan Goff

Code 1 Maintenance

Renew Democracy Initiative

_____

Episode guests: Dave Chamberlain and Uriel Epshtein

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Is the US Losing Faith in the Military? That was supposed to be the subject this week – and after about 30 minutes, it was. My guests were Coffee or Die Executive Editor Havok Journal founder Marty Skovlund Jr. and Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint. We had a lot of ground to cover with Marty - from the founding of Havok Journal to the latest on his new book - which explains why we took the scenic route to get on topic. But when we got there, we dove in headfirst: why are most parents patriotic up until their kid is about to enlist? Should vets look down on those who never served? How many of the Army’s image issues would be eliminated if we just closed Fort Hood? What is the single best tool to eliminate toxic leadership? Marty and Charlie are at the top of their game and have answers to these and so many more questions.

Show Alibis:

So I asked Marty about Charlie’s acronym-ization of the “Havok” in Havok Journal. He answered. And then we moved on without me explaining what acronym Charlie came up with. We had talked about it on the first episode, so this should really be on you for not going back and listening to all of our old episodes first. (Please don’t. Seriously, we’re so much better than we were two months ago). So, on the off-chance you haven’t heard the first episode yet, it stands for “Have A Voice Outside of Killing (HAVOK).”

Marty says he leaned into leaving the military for a writing career like Leroy Jenkins. I didn’t have enough time to mention that Leroy Jenkins was a fraud. But you should know that by now.

It takes me just under a decade to get to Charlie in this week’s episode. How he hung on that long, I don’t know. Maybe he was delirious from holding his middle finger into the camera for a prolonged period of time. Wayne Knight once said that playing Newman on Seinfeld was challenging because he would only have a few lines an episode, yet he had to make a huge impact every time out. Charlie was our Wayne Knight this episode. Hopefully, he won’t ever have to be again. And I won’t do anything corny like say, “Hello, Charlie.” But seriously, he was on point.

So, while listening to a rough draft of the show, I winced, noticing that I laughed when Marty says that Vanessa Guillen wasn’t even the only soldier murdered at Fort Hood that month. Trust me, I don’t find anything that happened to her funny. But Marty had a great delivery, and, as I explained on the show, I was thinking of the tepid parents who don’t want their kids to enlist hearing this and rolling their eyes in “I told you so’s”. What happened to Vanessa Guillen was horrific and so crazily over the top, it’s hard to quickly summon appropriate human emotions when her case is thrown into a conversation. We rag a lot on Fort Hood in this episode, but, all joking aside, there is something rotten in the culture there that needs to be addressed, like, yesterday.

Marty Skovlund Jr.

The Ranger by Marty Skovlund Jr.

The True Story of How Standing Rock Fell by Marty Skovlund Jr.

The Longest War by Marty Skovlund Jr.

Show Notes:

Is the US Losing Faith in the Military? That was supposed to be the subject this week – and after about 30 minutes, it was. My guests were Coffee or Die Executive Editor Havok Journal founder Marty Skovlund Jr. and Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint. We had a lot of ground to cover with Marty - from the founding of Havok Journal to the latest on his new book - which explains why we took the scenic route to get on topic. But when we got there, we dove in headfirst: why are most parents patriotic up until their kid is about to enlist? Should vets look down on those who never served? How many of the Army’s image issues would be eliminated if we just closed Fort Hood? What is the single best tool to eliminate toxic leadership? Marty and Charlie are at the top of their game and have answers to these and so many more questions.

Show Alibis:

So I asked Marty about Charlie’s acronym-ization of the “Havok” in Havok Journal. He answered. And then we moved on without me explaining what acronym Charlie came up with. We had talked about it on the first episode, so this should really be on you for not going back and listening to all of our old episodes first. (Please don’t. Seriously, we’re so much better than we were two months ago). So, on the off-chance you haven’t heard the first episode yet, it stands for “Have A Voice Outside of Killing (HAVOK).”

Marty says he leaned into leaving the military for a writing career like Leroy Jenkins. I didn’t have enough time to mention that Leroy Jenkins was a fraud. But you should know that by now.

It takes me just under a decade to get to Charlie in this week’s episode. How he hung on that long, I don’t know. Maybe he was delirious from holding his middle finger into the camera for a prolonged period of time. Wayne Knight once said that playing Newman on Seinfeld was challenging because he would only have a few lines an episode, yet he had to make a huge impact every time out. Charlie was our Wayne Knight this episode. Hopefully, he won’t ever have to be again. And I won’t do anything corny like say, “Hello, Charlie.” But seriously, he was on point.

So, while listening to a rough draft of the show, I winced, noticing that I laughed when Marty says that Vanessa Guillen wasn’t even the only soldier murdered at Fort Hood that month. Trust me, I don’t find anything that happened to her funny. But Marty had a great delivery, and, as I explained on the show, I was thinking of the tepid parents who don’t want their kids to enlist hearing this and rolling their eyes in “I told you so’s”. What happened to Vanessa Guillen was horrific and so crazily over the top, it’s hard to quickly summon appropriate human emotions when her case is thrown into a conversation. We rag a lot on Fort Hood in this episode, but, all joking aside, there is something rotten in the culture there that needs to be addressed, like, yesterday.

Marty Skovlund Jr.

The Ranger by Marty Skovlund Jr.

The True Story of How Standing Rock Fell by Marty Skovlund Jr.

The Longest War by Marty Skovlund Jr.

Violence of Action by Marty Skovlund Jr.

Nomadic Veterans

35P/SOT-A job description

Reagan Foundation poll

2020 Gallup Poll on US trust in the military

Vanessa Guillen murder at Fort Hood

Coffee or Die

Shannon Kent

Second Mission Foundation

FAIR

Bari Weiss

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Havok Journal

Savage Wonder

_____

Episode guest: Marty Skovlund, Jr. with LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

This week, I discussed how vets should maintain their mind, body, and spirit with MSG Geoff Dardia and Meg Kelvington. In my experience, not many of my peers wanted to have conversations focused on the mind, the body, or the spirit. I mean we weren’t in church – or in yoga class. But when you boil down a lot of our conversations, they actually were about mind/body/spirit issues – from dealing with inter-personal issues to fitness regimens to coping with work/life demands. There’s something about the label “veterans’ health” that seems too vague to successfully capture its importance and relevance to current or former servicemembers. I’ll also say that Geoff and Meg have each taken remarkable yet unpredictable paths to wellness. This might be the first episode that actually helped me, albeit unintentionally. There’s no way to do justice to a subject as complex and broad as veterans’ health in one hour. But you might find enough in it to help you too – even if you didn’t know it.

 Show Alibis

 I usually let Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint do most of the pre-show socializing; for one thing, he knows the guests better than I do beforehand, and for another, I want to save any interesting conversation that may occur for the recording. But after his solo hosting last week, Charlie had a nervous breakdown and checked himself into the Betty Ford clinic, so he wasn’t available for the show this week. I’m kidding, of course. Does the Betty Ford clinic even exist anymore? Would this joke have worked better in 1982? Doesn’t every joke? Anyway, Charlie wasn’t there this week and as a result, I got into too fascinating a conversation with Geoff Dardia before the show started and then had to try to recreate it during the recording. I think we mostly succeeded, but I’m still holding it against Charlie.

 Meg Kelvington must have felt bad enough that I’m the only one who does alibis each week. She emailed me after the show to say she felt terrible for not remembering to thank Charlie’s Second Mission Foundation during the episode since the foundation paid for her to start Riveting Mission LLC. I’m glad she forgot to say anything during the episode because it’s about time I gave Second Mission some plugs in writing. From Aaron Kirk’s book to Meg’s business to, well, this podcast, Charlie has really helped a lot of veterans launch their “second mission.” We all owe him a lot of thanks.

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 Task Force Dagger

Functional Medical Initiative

Team Red, White, and Blue

Wear Blue: Run to Remember

Riveting Mission LLC

Whole Health Initiative

Show Notes:

This week, I discussed how vets should maintain their mind, body, and spirit with MSG Geoff Dardia and Meg Kelvington. In my experience, not many of my peers wanted to have conversations focused on the mind, the body, or the spirit. I mean we weren’t in church – or in yoga class. But when you boil down a lot of our conversations, they actually were about mind/body/spirit issues – from dealing with inter-personal issues to fitness regimens to coping with work/life demands. There’s something about the label “veterans’ health” that seems too vague to successfully capture its importance and relevance to current or former servicemembers. I’ll also say that Geoff and Meg have each taken remarkable yet unpredictable paths to wellness. This might be the first episode that actually helped me, albeit unintentionally. There’s no way to do justice to a subject as complex and broad as veterans’ health in one hour. But you might find enough in it to help you too – even if you didn’t know it.

 Show Alibis

 I usually let Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint do most of the pre-show socializing; for one thing, he knows the guests better than I do beforehand, and for another, I want to save any interesting conversation that may occur for the recording. But after his solo hosting last week, Charlie had a nervous breakdown and checked himself into the Betty Ford clinic, so he wasn’t available for the show this week. I’m kidding, of course. Does the Betty Ford clinic even exist anymore? Would this joke have worked better in 1982? Doesn’t every joke? Anyway, Charlie wasn’t there this week and as a result, I got into too fascinating a conversation with Geoff Dardia before the show started and then had to try to recreate it during the recording. I think we mostly succeeded, but I’m still holding it against Charlie.

 Meg Kelvington must have felt bad enough that I’m the only one who does alibis each week. She emailed me after the show to say she felt terrible for not remembering to thank Charlie’s Second Mission Foundation during the episode since the foundation paid for her to start Riveting Mission LLC. I’m glad she forgot to say anything during the episode because it’s about time I gave Second Mission some plugs in writing. From Aaron Kirk’s book to Meg’s business to, well, this podcast, Charlie has really helped a lot of veterans launch their “second mission.” We all owe him a lot of thanks.

 -----

 Task Force Dagger

Functional Medical Initiative

Team Red, White, and Blue

Wear Blue: Run to Remember

Riveting Mission LLC

Whole Health Initiative

Total Force Fitness

Holistic Health and Fitness

SOF Health Initiative

Boot Campaign

Hunter Seven Foundation

Second Mission Foundation

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Episode guests: Geoff Dardia and Meg Kelvington

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Some weeks, "The Weekly Havok" isn’t just the name of the show, it’s also the way the show comes together. This was one of those weeks. We threw every hiccup and technical glitch we could at Ben Varlese and Dax Mallory and they kept on ticking. Best of all – thanks to our producer Michael Neal – none of the glitches will even make it into the episode. So you will never know the landmines you dodged in your audio experience this week. Probably good to have a week like this every so often – keeps us humble. But if you think Ben and Dax are good guests, just wait until they do a show where everything goes smoothly.

 Show Alibis:

Did I even mention the subject this week? That was the first audible we called on Dax and Ben – getting them to pick the subject about a minute before we started the show. I gave them three choices and they picked the one I could barely articulate, go figure. So I spent the first five minutes of the show trying to figure out what the hell I had signed us up for.

And then…

As you all probably know, Afghanistan has been weighing heavily on me – to the detriment of the other news stories in the world now. That’s my way of saying that I should have pushed Dax harder on the subject of Haitian immigrants and the southern border. Of course, we try not to do a show that is topical punditry, but this was a missed lay-up.

The cross-pollination of criminal organizations and terror groups is a pet fascination of mine. So when Ben brought it up, I couldn’t wait to get into it. Or, actually, I guess I could wait, because I never got around to talking about it again. Make that two easy lay-ups missed during this episode. Did I mention we had problems this week?

Blackwater Memorial Alumni Association

Havok Journal

Savage Wonder podcast

Veterans Repertory Theater

_____

Episode guests: Dax Mallory and Ben Varlese

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

From the battlefield to the home front, and from West Point to Afghanistan and Iraq, these... are Charlie Faint's Battlefields.

_____

Show Notes

“Bro-ing Alone”: Why Veterans Still Need Each Other… and the Rest of Us

DD-214: a military discharge document

Modern War Institute at West Point

Profiles in Havok

The Havok Journal

West Point Combat Weapons Team

_____

Episode guest: LTC (R) Charlie Faint

Host: Christopher Paul Meyer

Edited by: Michael Neal and Richard Gash

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

_____

Show Notes

Balad: US military airbase in Iraq

Conservative Move

Explorers

Law Enforcement ROP: an after-school program focused on law enforcement

Military Vet Move

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Episode guest: Dr. Paul Chabot

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with Dr. Paul Chabot is an American businessman, author, public speaker, former law enforcement officer, adjunct professor, and Commander of Naval Intelligence with the United States Navy Reserve. He formerly served as a White House senior policy advisor on law enforcement for President George W. Bush and was a Presidential Management Fellow. Paul also served in the U.S. State Department, Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Attorneys Office. He was the Republican candidate for California's 31st congressional district in 2014 and 2016. He then moved with his family to McKinney, Texas, and in May 2017, launched Conservative Move, a company that conservative residents of California sell their homes and relocate to red states, starting with Collin County in Texas. He also launched Military Vet Move and Law Enforcement Move, helping veterans and police relocate.

_____

Show Notes

Balad: US military airbase in Iraq

Conservative Move

Explorers

Law Enforcement ROP: an after-school program focused on law enforcement

Military Vet Move

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Episode guest: Dr. Paul Chabot

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Chris was in New York City and near the World Trade Center on 9/11, an experience that ultimately led him to join the Army and to serve in Afghanistan with an Army Special Forces unit. Chris is now the director of VETREP, the Veterans Repertory Theater, and the host of both the Savage Wonder podcast and Profiles in Havok.

From NYC on 9/11 to prison chaplain, from club bouncer to the Global War on Terror, these... are Chris Meyer's Battlefields.

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Show Notes

B-52 crash into Empire State Building

Prislam: Prison Islam (link)

VETREP: The Veterans Repertory Theater

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Episode guest: Christopher Paul Meyer

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Seth Allard is a USMC Veteran of OIF, and Citizen of the Sault Saint Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Ojibwa), and a recipient of the Deans Diversity Fellowship at Wayne State University. His focus is understanding the life cycle and development of chronic health disparities, the cultural and historical meanings of health disparities from an existentialist perspective. Seth approaches his studies with the goal of expanding and enmeshing the purpose and impact of social science and social work.

From serving in the United States Marine Corps in the Global War on Terror to graduate studies in social work, these... are Andy Denbow and Seth Allan's Battlefields.

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Show Notes

Ian Fishback: Army veteran and whistleblower, who died in 2021

In Their Words: a call for papers for a book written by, with, and for the military and veteran community

PMIE: potentially morally-injurious event

Wayne State University

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Episode guests: Andy Denbow and Seth Allard

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

The outcome of that night has led him down a lengthy road to recovery. With lifelong challenges that come from being wounded in action, Donny's injury has shown him that being alive, being capable and having a beautiful, loving family is truly a gift.

Using this horrific experience as a positive, Donny now proudly represents the Coalition to

Salute America's Heroes as the Senior Vice President of Veteran Care and a national spokesperson. Through the Coalition, he is able to help other wounded veteran families as they transition from being injured or disabled while serving, to a successful and higher quality of life.

Donny holds a master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado Technical University and a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Western Governors University. He lives in League City with his beautiful wife Sarah and their 2 children Kollin and Everleigh. Donny’s 19-year-old daughter is a sophomore at Sam Houston State University.

From a long road to recovery after being severely wounded in action, to an MBA, to Senior Vice President of a major veteran-focused nonprofit, these… are Donny Daughenbaugh’s Battlefields.

Show Notes

0311: Marine Corps occupation code for Infantry

BAMC: Brooke Army Medical Center

Coalition to Salute America's Heroes

concrete T-wall (also known as Bremer wall): defense concrete barrier, commonly used in Iraq

FLIR: forward-looking infra-red (weapon sighting device)

MEDEVAC: medical evacuation

NVGs: night vision goggles

Sunni Triangle

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Episode guest: Donny Daughenbaugh

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From the to writing novels in New York State, these... are Tim Hendricks' Battlefields.

Show Notes

Deck of Many Things: the Iraq article mentioned during the podcast

Huey: UH1 Iroquois helicopter

LOGPAC: logistical resupply mission

ROTC: Reserve Officer Training Corps

The Instructor book

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Episode guest: Tim Hendricks

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From the rice paddies of Vietnam, to the deserts of Iraq, to the board room at Ingersoll Rand, these... are Joe Fair's Battlefields.

Show Notes

Call Sign Dracula

203: M203 grenade launcher

7.62: 7.62mm; weapon caliber of the M60 and M14

Big Red One: nickname of the Army's chopper: helicopter

M79: 40mm grenade launcher, replaced by the M203

PT: Physical Training

RTO: Radio-Telephone Operator; i.e. the person who carried the radio

woobie: soldier slang for the poncho liner

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Episode guest: Joe Fair

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Larry Freeland was drafted into the US Army and served as an Infantry officer in Vietnam. He went on to be a banker, financial consultant, and college instructor before retiring completely. He is also a published author, with his book The Patriarch, the first in his Legacy of Honor series, now available on Amazon.

From Infantry officer to pilot in Vietnam, and from banker to college instructor to published author, these... are Larry Freeland's Battlegrounds.

Show Notes

boondocks: slang expression for remote geographic areas

I Corps: (eye-core) First US Army Corps

Legacy of Honor: The Patriarch (link)

LOH (loach): OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter

NFG (also FNG): New F-ing Guy (i.e. a replacement)

NVA: North Vietnamese Army

OCS: Officer Candidate School

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Episode guest: Larry Freeland

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Vicki Cody is an accomplished author, an Army wife, and an advocate for Army families.  She spent 33 years as an Army wife, supporting her husband and her two sons in their military careers, while managing the triumphs and tribulations of life as a military spouse. 

Vicki’s two most-recent books are Army Wife: A Story of Love and Family in the Heart of the Army, and Fly Safe, a collection of letters between her and her deployed husband.  You can find more information about Vicki Cody and her work in support of military families on her website, VickiCody.com.

From Army Spouse to Army Mother to accomplished author and military family advocate, these... are Vicki Cody's Battlegrounds.

Show Notes

160th: 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

Little Bird: AKA "Killer Egg," the MH-6 helicopter platform, used extensively by the 160th.

MARS: Military Auxiliary Radio System; a radio relay system often used by military members in the pre-Internet days.

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Episode guest: Vicki Cody

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Aaron Love is an active duty Pararescueman in the US Air Force, currently serving in a Special Tactics Squadron as a Troop Chief. He joined the military shortly after the 9/11 attacks, and as part of the US Special Operations community Aaron served overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa.  Aaron is also a founding member of the Ones Ready project, which you can find at OnesReady.com. 

Aaron is with us today in his capacity as a private citizen, and his participation in the Battlefields podcast does not reflect an official endorsement by the Air Force or the US government.

From  his post-9/11 enlistment to his combat service to the Ones Ready podcast, and so that “others may live,” these… are Aaron Love’s Battlegrounds.

Show Notes:

CASEVAC/Dustoff: casualty evacuation operations

CRO: Combat Rescue Officer

DoD: Department of Defense

HKIA: Hamid Karzai International Airport (Afghanistan)

Ones Ready: https://onesready.com/

OPORDER: Operations Order

PJs: (retronym) Pararescue Jumpers, AKA Air Force Pararescuemen

PR: Personnel Recovery

ST: Special Tactics operations

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Episode guest: Aaron Love

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From West Point to Germany to the front lines of social causes, these... are Frank Pauc's Battlefields.

Show Notes

7th ID: 7th Infantry Division

Amis: slang term for Americans

Boll weevil: an insect that eats cotton plants

Bundeswehr: German army

Grunts: foot soldiers (infantry)

Luftwaffe: German air force

Mother Rucker: Fort Rucker, a US Army base in southern Alabama

PX: Post Exchange (on-post military shopping center)

Tribe: a book by Sebastian Junger

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Episode guest: Frank Pauc

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From enlisting in the US Army to serving in Iraq to helping his veterans through Code Platoon, these... are Greg Drobny's battlefields.

Show Notes:

101st: 101st Airborne Division

AO: Area of Operations

Code Platoon

PSYOP: Psychological Operations (military career field)

Q Course: Special Forces Qualification Course

Ranger Up

RIP: Ranger Indoctrination Program

RTB: Ranger Training Brigade

RUMINT: Rumors Intelligence, i.e. gossip

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Episode guest: Greg Drobny

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact email: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From a family tradition of national service, to earning the Purple Heart in Iraq, to teaching at West Point, and then on to retirement in Pennsylvania, these... are Matt Sacra's battlefields.

Show Notes:

155 rounds: 155mm artillery ammunition

DIME: diplomatic, informational, military, economic; Elements of National Power

DFAC: dining facility

NSA: National Security Agency

Profiles in Havok

PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder

S3/XO: operations officer (S3) / executive officer (XO)

Second Mission Foundation

Sosh Department: Department of Social Sciences at West Point

TBI: traumatic brain injury

Veterans Repertory Theater

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Episode guest: LTC (Ret.) Matt Sacra

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact information: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

From southern Louisiana to college to the Marine Corps, and then Syria and back again, these... are Mason Rodrigue's Battlefields.

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Show Notes:

0331: Marine Corps enlisted career code for machine gunner

Dead Reckoning Collective

LAW: Light Anti-Tank Weapon

M2: .50 caliber heavy machine gun

Ma Deuce: M2 heavy machine gun

Mark19: M19 heavy automatic grenade launcher

NJP: Non-Judicial Punishment, administrative military justice

Patrol Base Abbate

Profiles in Havok

Veterans Repertory Theater

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Episode guest: Mason Rodrigue

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact information: havokjournal@havokmedia.com

Liberia. Lebanon. Iraq. The streets of Massachusetts. And now, the business world. These... are Ayman Kafel's "Battlefields."

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Show Notes:

Deuce-and-a-half: a military 2.5-ton transport truck

IBA: Individual Body Armor

MOS: Military Occupational Specialty

OSUT: One-Site Unit Training (military basic and advanced entry-level training)

PSD: Personal Security Detail

Second Mission Foundation

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Episode guest: Ayman Kafel

Host: LTC (Ret.) Charles Faint

Edited by: Michael Neal

Music: "King Around Here" by Alex Grohl (courtesy of Pixabay)

Sponsored by: The Epoch Times, in conjunction with The Havok Journal

Contact information: havokjournal@havokmedia.com