I’m excited to share with you all the beginning of a journey that has been both challenging and deeply personal for me. My upcoming book, The Shattered Shield, is more than just a story of war—it’s a story of survival, resilience, and the bonds that hold us together through the…
I never fit in this twisted realm,This world bled me dry from the start,Where the air is thick with forgotten dreams,And shadows dance with fractured hearts. A place where smiles are stitched with lies,Where hope is sold on shattered streets,Where broken minds drift like smoke,And empty eyes avoid what they…
The view from the cockpit windows of a Royal Air Force E-3D AWACS is pretty enough. Any view from high above in the air is stunning, with the Earth’s curve barely visible, the sky growing darker blue the higher you go, and the clouds far beneath, casting long shadows across…
Why do I love the outdoors? Where else can you get a therapist, an art room, and a personal gym all in one package—no membership cost? Nature does have a way of humbling you, reminding you of your place, keeping you small, and simultaneously making you more alive than you’ve…
“The VA’s Mental Health ‘Care’: Where Veterans Go to Get Ignored” Ah, the Veterans Administration, America’s gesture of appreciation for our service. Instead of a welcome with open arms, it’s more like being given directions and saying, “Good luck finding the exit.” For vets who have mental health problems, that…
A few years ago, after being diagnosed with PTSD and just before my divorce, I slept on the couch in our house. Insomnia was my constant companion, so I spent the hours watching TV, hoping to distract my restless mind. I ended up being stuck on a show about plane…
Down in the woods by a glinting lake, where the wind hummed with the thrum of insects and the laughter of boys, Scout Camp was a whirlwind. It was that type of camp where the air was pine needles and anticipation, and the potential for trouble never ceased. The leaders…
During my 11 years in the Navy, I can’t say I was a model sailor by any stretch of the imagination. I wasn’t a total screw-up or a dirtbag, but I definitely had my share of boneheaded moments. Actually, if I’m being honest, I had more than my share. What…
Seventeen years. A lifetime, yet the memories are clear, etched into my memory like the graffiti on a monument. Cameron Hall, Ryan Betton, and Jerry Smith. It’s hard to imagine it has been so many years since that day, yet some wounds never close. They might scar over, allow us…
I’ve cut through ocean’s restless tide, where steel and salt embrace the sky, And soared beyond where eagles glide, Into the boundless, blackened high. Through whispers of the midnight wind, I’ve sailed on wings both tried and true, In silent arcs where stars rescind, Their light to those who fade…
