Inspirational

The sacrifice and gratitude experienced by those who serve is the topic of our conversation with Lt. Col. Charles Faint, Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point. Faint has published several insightful articles in the Havok Journal. The theme of today’s conversation was inspired by a self-obituary written by West Point graduate John Alexander Hottell III when he was 26 years old. Capt. Hottell would lose his life in Vietnam at the age of [...]

September 11 survivors Matt Rosenberg and James Gagliano share their thoughts 20 years after the attacks.  Matt was an Army Medic at the Pentagon and Jimmy was an FBI agent in lower Manhattan. Matt was assigned the position of Mass Casualty NCO at the Pentagon about two weeks before September 11. His primary duty was as a medic in the minor surgery clinic and emergency response teams. Because the plane that hit the Pentagon impacted a section recently been renovated [...]

Mount Elbert is the second highest peak in the contiguous United States, rising to 14,440 feet above sea level. On September 15, Shannon vonDriska will be part of a Challenge America team of four severely injured Veterans climbing the mountain. Their mission is to inspire Veterans and others struggling to overcome their physical and psychological scars. Shannon had hoped to become an Army medic. However, on a nighttime march she fell and immediately knew something serious was wrong. She continued [...]

Independence Day should hold a special place in the hearts of all U.S. citizens. This special show features four guests sharing their perspective on freedom and liberty. British born actor Matthew Marsden met a young Army Ranger at Fort Benning while filming the movie Blackhawk Down. The experience changed his life.  He shares how the US mindset is different even from our closest “cousins” in England. “There’s nowhere else to go Ben. America is the last place, the last bastion [...]

This year it was an honor to be asked by Nevada & Arizona Hall of Fame broadcaster Bill Buckmaster to put together a Memorial Day show for his program. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded every minute of every day since 1937. Ruth Robinson is one of only five female soldiers to be selected for this duty.  Only 20% of the soldiers that volunteer are selected for training and even fewer ultimately selected. Ruth also serves as [...]

The Warrior Tradition is a PBS documentary that features more than a dozen Native American Veterans from all branches of the service. Per capita, more Native Americans serve our nation in greater numbers than any other ethnic group. Over 12,000 served in the First World War, even though many were not granted US Citizenship until 1924. Lanny Asepermy served 24 years in the Army and saw combat in Vietnam. He is Comanche/Kiowa, both tribes with a strong warrior tradition. However [...]

Resiliency is defined as the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity or the like. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein recently stated “Suicide is an adversary that is killing more of our airmen than any enemy on the planet” and ordered a branch wide Resiliency Operational Pause. Master Sergeant Lisa Goad served more than 20 years as an Air Force Security Forces Defender. She took pride in the idea that she was protecting others every day. [...]