-
Recent Posts
The Dog Tag Chronicles
Categories
Archives
- December 2022
- February 2022
- December 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- January 2020
- July 2019
- June 2019
- July 2018
- June 2018
- July 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- November 2016
- September 2016
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- June 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- 9/11
- Afghan
- Afghanistan
- Air Force
- Army
- Bosnia
- Combat Zone
- current-events
- Danny Chen
- Deployment
- dogtag chronicles
- Enlisted
- Experiences
- FOB
- Fort Lewis
- Germany
- Greatest Generation
- Grunt
- grunt v. POG
- GWOT
- Harassment
- Hazing
- Hero's Journey
- IFOR
- Infantry
- Iraq
- Joseph Campbell
- Kandahar
- Leadership
- Life Skills
- Management
- Marines
- Military
- Military leadership
- Mission
- My Deployment
- Navy
- Navy SEAL
- Officers
- Osama bin Laden
- POG
- politics
- Post Traumatic Stress
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- POW
- PSYOP
- PTSD
- Ranger
- Rank
- Remember the Fallen
- Sailor
- September 11
- Service
- SFOR
- Soldier
- Soldiers
- Soldier Suicide
- So There I Was
- Special Forces
- Star Wars
- Stolen Valor
- Suicide
- Taliban
- The hero's journey
- the hero's journey home
- Training
- VA
- Veteran
- Veterans
- Veterans Affairs
- Vets
- Victim
- Village
- Women in Combat
- WWII
Category Archives: Commentary
Suicide and Support: Don’t Be an Elitist Asshole
It’s been over a year now since I wrote the first draft of this article. Reading over it is pretty excruciating, it reads like a poor attempt at controlling an angry rant. Probably because that’s what it was. The initial … Continue reading
Protesting the national anthem distracts from your cause but you have the right to do it
As patriot, proud of my service, I can say without reservation that I don’t give a good damn if a football player stands for the national anthem or not. In fact, having the choice to stand or not it is … Continue reading
Don’t be a Dick on Veteran’s Day
I have been seeing articles popping up lately by vets about Veteran’s Day. Some are insisting they are not a hero and some are pissed that some furniture store is having a sale because this day is about sucking up … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
Tagged dogtag chronicles, Life Skills, Military, Veteran's Day, Veterans, Vets, what is a vet?
Leave a comment
Random Memory: The Power of the Sham Shield
By Peter Sessum A recent post on social media about the attitudes of the enlisted ranks in the Army prompted me to write this. The breakdown of ranks were pretty accurate but I thought the Specialist one was too limiting … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Kicking Some Knowledge, Military Leadership, Random Memories
Tagged AR 670-1, Army, CSM, dogtag chronicles, E-4, E4, Enlisted, Experiences, Germany, Leadership, Life Skills, Management, Military, Military leadership, Rank, Rnadom Memory, Sergeant Major, Sham Shield, So There I Was, Spec-4 Mafia, Specialist, Veterans, Vets
Leave a comment
The Duality of the American Veteran
By: Peter Sessum Serving in the military is one of those few jobs that brand you for life. No matter what you do, you will always be a veteran. It is one of the few professions that stays with you … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Kicking Some Knowledge
Tagged Air Force, Army, current-events, Experiences, Life Skills, Marines, Military, Navy, PTSD, Soldier, Veterans, Vets
1 Comment
Who is to Blame for 9/11 a Veteran’s Perspective
By: Peter Sessum This has been in news lately as names have been thrown around and the blame being passed like a political hot potato. I thought it might be fun to weigh in, not the political part because we … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
Tagged 9/11, Army, Bill Clinton, bin Laden, Bush, Clinton, Combat Zone, George Bush, Leadership, Military, Osama bin Laden, Sept 11, September 11, Veterans, World Trade Center
5 Comments
You Can’t Cherry Pick Your Oath
By Peter Sessum I was really hoping to let this die, but since Kim Davis is back in the news I just have to vent a little about the situation. What drives me crazy is how she disagrees with part … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
Tagged 5-20 INF, 5/20 INF, Army, current-events, Ehren Watada, Enlisted, Germany, Iraq War, Iraw, JBLM, John Boehner, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Lawful Order, Lt Watada, Macedonia, Michael New, Oath, Oath of Enlistment, refusing an order, Soldier, UCMJ
1 Comment
I am Going to Cut Brian Williams Some Slack
By Peter Sessum The Pope’s visit to America heralded the return of Brian Williams to news. While vets will long remember his statements and liken them to stolen valor, civilians will soon forget. As a vet, I do not take … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
Tagged Afghanistan, Brian Williams, Experiences, helicopter, Infantry, Iraq, Military, MSNBC, My Deployment, PSYOP, Service, So There I Was, Special Forces, Stolen Valor, Taliban, Veterans, Vets
Leave a comment
What it Feels Like to be a Veteran: Harry Potter
By: Peter Sessum The military experience can be difficult to put into words that civilians understand. Not that they lack the mental capacity, but it is hard to put it in terms that they can relate to. Military life is … Continue reading
The Dogtag Chronicles 
Sometimes the military does some good
BY: Peter Sessum Every veteran I know has stories about discussions with young, idealistic civilians that didn’t go well. At some point we have all been lectured about all the babies that we are killing, all the countries we are invading … Continue reading →