Dedicated to those first responders, troops, and veterans who serve and have served.
Deeds not words – Some time ago I was privileged to visit Fort Drum, NY, home of the 10th Mountain Division. They have a memorial garden there for all the men and women who have died in combat. In the midst of this beautiful garden is a plaque with a…
I had the privilege to speak and perform at Camp Atterbury, IN tonight for the about thirty members of the base command group. They are an outstanding team who help prepare our troops for combat and then help them prepare for life after combat when they return. After my performance…
I was having a bad day. I was down, discouraged, and afraid. The last thing I expected was to receive hope from the homeless. That evening I was to visit the local Veterans Administration Domiciliary, a place where once homeless veterans can live while they get counseling, clean up, find…
We spend years and millions of dollars training our troops to fight. We take young men and women, most of whom have never been trained to shoot, and teach them how to aim at a stranger and successfully kill them. Now that sounds harsh, but it is the truth. In…
How do we understand and do something about veteran suicide? First we need to understand suicide itself. Typically, when someone kills themself three things have happened. In reality it’s obviously more complicated than this, but it is a good place to start: 1) They are in long-term physical and/or emotional…
Here is another heartbreaking story about the toll of war on our special forces. They are the best trained of our Armed Forces, yet as I hammer home in my workshops and lectures, life can break anyone. Yet, Special Forces suicide has become an all too common reality. http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/18/special-forces-suicide-rates-hit-record-levels-cas/ This…
