I first wrote this a few Christmases ago. It still seems to resonate. Every Christmas, I look back to my Christmas in Iraq, some years ago. I served as a Civil Affairs officer supervising a staff of 3. In the war zone, everyday is a work day. On Christmas Eve, we worked a full day.
To mark Memorial Day, let us recall two area San Antonio heroes. They were both friends of mine. They both died in war zones back in 2005 and 2006 when I was deployed myself.
SSGT Clinton Newman was a fine soldier. He was a bright young man in the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade during my
I am an Iraq veteran. I served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. Some 140,000 other brothers and sisters served in Iraq with me. I am told there were some 1.5 million total who served in Iraq. Wherever I go, I find a bond with fellow Iraq and Afghanistan vets. We share the bond of
I first wrote this for Veterans Day in 2009. On Veterans Day, we note the spirit of service. Here are some examples:
The Ft. Hood 13
Today comes another Veteran’s Day. Many of us recall a grandfather who served or an uncle who endured. The 13 who were killed at Ft. Hood exemplify the hundreds
Back in the 90’s, I recall folks, pundits and the like, asking if the kids of the time would step up the way prior generations did in WW II and even in the Viet Nam War. Folks doubted the young people, spoiled as they seemed, would step up. I was in the Texas National Guard
You served in Iraq twice. Both times, you served in a combat role, kicking in doors. You lost a few members of your Army family, but you accepted that. It is part of the deal you made with Uncle Sam. You were commissioned through ROTC at one of the Ivy league schools. You get out
I had a dream a couple of nights ago in which I visited the netherworld. Felt this overwhelming desire to assure those brave men buried at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France that the President’s comments were wrong, all wrong. For those of us with a modest bit of PTSD, Pres. Trump’s comments stung. Those
SPC Vincent Ibarria, 21 years old, died in Afghanistan recently. SPC Ibarria was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. He died in a vehicle rollover accident. SPC Ibarria joined the Army in 2017. He was described as a soldier who always volunteered. He believed firmly in the motto, “Choose the harder right over the easier
I served in the Iraq war 2005 to 2006. My job was to approve (or not) reconstruction projects. My post was at division level. We had some $90 million dollars each fiscal year to spend on projects inside Iraq. There were various civil affairs constraints on how to spend that money. It was my job
In the military, it is has always ben understood that discipline is critical. But, what does that mean in actual practice? Proper discipline starts with the small things. Commanders eat last. Officers do not leave the bivouac area to go into town for a shower and a nice meal. Those small things matter. They create