I’m a guy who loves a good, well-deserved punch. I grew up knowing that, from time-to-time, I would have to be able to stand my ground and defend my values and beliefs. I never shied away from a fight, even when the odds were stacked against me. I never started…

It was a conversation that’s been played over and over again. A child, embarrassed and humiliated, confessing to friends about a disturbing revelation from a family member. My cousin, who in his late 40s confessed to being homosexual, endured a similar fate. Family members who, despite well-paying jobs, couldn’t keep…

A MINORITY FEMALE LEADER’S PERSPECTIVE The following post was penned by a U.S. Army soldier, who also happens to be a woman and represents a racial minority in the armed forces. Her previous post, The Irony: An Unequal Application of Gender Equality, remains the most widely-read post on The Pendulum…

Getting Beyond the Push-Up Challenge — by Tim Stolinski Today, I learned of another soldier whom I served with has passed on to Fiddler’s Green by his own hand. Sean Long was still a kid when I last saw him, barely able to grow a mustache. He was a 14S in 3rd PLT, E/1–43 ADA at Camp Casey, in…

A Simple Proposal for a Simple Solution to a Simple Problem — by Edward M. Van Court The Army has been identified as the executive agent for the Department of Defense’s search for a new service pistol, designated the Modular Handgun System. The goal is to replace the aging M9 Beretta 9mm pistol, so the contract could be for up to a…

Memorial Day May 30, 2016 Always a hard day. Mixed feelings of what my service meant, its utility, and how to honor those who did not come back. Nobody I served with died, I didn’t even know many who were wounded — a privilege of being Air Defense Artillery I…

Fear and Loathing in the Internet Age — There’s a new sheriff in town. And his name is Eric Fanning. From the moment he took the oath as the 22nd Secretary of the Army, people knew something was different about him. Despite the media’s bizarre obsession over his sexuality, that wasn’t it. Some speculated that it might have…

20 Questions with David Barno and Nora Bensahel — One is a proven wartime senior commander long known for keeping a thumb on the pulse of the shifting dynamics of conflict and its impact on national security. The other is a seasoned scholar and mind mentored under the guidance of some of the most experienced foreign policy leaders our…

The Real Story of the Green Zone — “…what we do in life, echoes in eternity… ” — Maximus Aurelius I named the Green Zone, and I am so sorry. I truly am. There, I’ve said it, in public. Funny, I don’t feel any better. Since retirement, I’ve made a list of topics I feel compelled to write…