Jan
31

Enlisted & M.A.S.H. Humor & Warrior roles

Enlisted! is on its critical 3rd air date after the pilot episode. Will it be chopped? Or, will it survive to serve up weekly TV fun to its military and civilian audience? Some might even hope the guffaws might bridge the gap between those camps.

cast of mashOne MilSuccessNet team member shares the impact of another, groundbreaking military themed show. It was an imperfect depiction that was somehow the right dose of military medicine to help heal America at the time.

That weekly ‘sitcom’ let us all pretend that one, older war was actively being fought in our living rooms. Meanwhile, so many veterans were just beginning to crawl out from under the crush of a much fresher war, and trying to find their way ‘home’. [Read more…]

Feb
20

Siren’s Song book review by Nate Brookshire

A post on the process of a warrior writer was shared by newly published author, Antonio Salinas, in his own words recently on Military Success Network.  With WoW- Words on Wednesday we continue to present reviews of books and other materials produced by military writers and often reviewed by current, separated or retired military members. 

Nate_Brookshire and Marius_Tecoanta

Nate Brookshire (L), co-author of Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden shares his review today of Siren’s Song: The Allure of War.   (Deeds Publishing, 412 pages)

[Read more…]

Feb
05

Review: In the Shadow of a Mountain by Sue Daigneault

In the Shadow of a Mountain [Kindle Edition]

Susan Dahlgren Daigneault (Author)

Available at Amazon
Dahlgren_Banner 2Susan Dahlgren Daigneault, author of “In the Shadow of a Mountain” gives us an invitation into the family of Medal of Honor recipient Edward C. Dahlgren. This is a deeply personal account of the life of a true hero. It has many layers and gives the reader insight into the character of a man who epitomized selfless service, humility, integrity and honor. [Read more…]

Aug
08

Writing Life Based on Military Experiences

This has been an interesting year to say the least.

Hidden Wounds: A Soldier's Burden, a historical fiction novel,Our book, Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden was published and found its official launch on November 15th, 2011 while I was deployed.

Marius and I received a lot of positive feedback. The most common responses to us getting published were, “That’s cool.” and “How did that happen?” with the latter often said with surprise and wonderment.

We both appreciated the “That’s cool!” and have yet to fully answer the “How did that happen?” [Read more…]

Jun
19

The Space A Blanket Covers

Wrapped up in a bit of security

Stepping off the plane after my fourth deployment I saw my anxious family waiting. Then they were running. That scene was to record one of the top moments in my life and it was definitely an emotional roller coaster.

My twin boys were clutching their blankets. It being midnight, they were well past their bedtime. As I picked them up I noticed how tightly they held on, not to me but to their blankets. I also noticed that both blankets were well-worn and a little frayed. What I didn’t know was the routine they had with their “Be Be”s and how important their “security” blankets were to them. [Read more…]

Jun
14

In Honor of Air Force Fighter Pilot Brigadier General Robin Olds

 

Grave marker for Air Force fighter pilot BGen. Robin Olds

What do you do when your daughter wants to see her best friend-the one who helped her through her dad’s last deployment? If you are within a 100 mile radius you load up the Family and make it happen.

We all met up at a hotel outside of the Air Force Academy and soon saw that the rest of the tribe was getting restless with simply hanging out at the hotel.

In the previous week, I had just missed an opportunity to check out the Air Force Academy. I had been on location surveying possible upcoming training areas for use in my new assignment. [Read more…]

Jun
11

Yankabilly Comedian Sheila Van Dyke “Pokes” Army to Git-R-Done

My favorite breakfast spot while stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, was the golf course snack bar. The routine was to appear around 0930 just as breakfast was closing.  After awhile, the ladies knew my order and the portions started to increase as did the frequency of my visits.

As I left the building, feeling pretty content with my belly full of a Western omelet and home fries that would have buckled anyone under the weight of  200 pounds, I ran into Sheila Van Dyke. [Read more…]

Jun
06

Daughter’s Account of D-Day Legacy Helps Modern Military Dad

Carol Schultz Vento in her book, “The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter’s Journey of Discovery” details the generational impact of war trauma. The author’s father, Arthur “Dutch” Schultz, had previously been immortalized in the film. “The Longest Day” and also by famed historian Stephen Ambrose in his book “Citizen Soldiers.” As noted in Carol’s work, the narrative of the “Good War” is dispelled when the families share the reality of being in the sphere of a combat veteran. [Read more…]