Bullet shell casings fell from the sky as the sun peeked through the clouds, raining brass on our camouflaged Kevlar helmets like a hailstorm on a sunny day—a peculiar sight to see. I looked up in the sky and saw the outline of the black AH-6 little bird helicopter and thought, “this is what they me …

My first experience in understanding what it means to be a leader came as a result of my attendance at the Primary Leadership and Development Course (PLDC) or what is now referred to as the Warriors Leader Course (WLC). I attended PLDC in the summer of 2000, as an 11B Infantryman. By that time, I ha …

I remember the first military class I was ever called on to teach. Days before, my stomach was sick. I barely slept. It wasn’t the actual class that scared me because I knew the subject, it was public speaking and being judged by my peers. I was teaching individual movement techniques on the “method …

I spent most of my years in the military operating in the Recon genre of Special Operations. A job that had me living out of a rucksack for days if not weeks at a time. I learned very quickly in combat what optimization and efficiency meant, how important considering every ounce was, and how that tr …

I’ve spent the majority of my adult life Overlanding. I started with my Jeep Wrangler Sahara. To this day, the only vehicle I’ve never sold and will never part with. I frequented Uwharrie National Forest every weekend and spent my free time looking for new trails, new experiences, and new places to …

I served 20 years in the Army as a Psychological Operations Specialist under Special Operations Command. I was kind of on my own from a tactical standpoint in relation to supporting ground commanders. I was the voice of leadership and the voice of whoever we were supporting at the time. I was able t …