Tag Archives: Afghanistan

Check Your Priorities

By: Peter Sessum So there I was, in Afghanistan, no shit. I was standing in the terminal at Bagram Airfield waiting to fly to Khowst Province. I had a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) slung across my front, a rifle … Continue reading

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America’s Got Liars

By: Peter Sessum On Monday, a person got on stage of America’s got talent and told a sob story about how he survived an RPG attack in Afghanistan and was worried that he would not live to see his kids … Continue reading

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The Inherent Racism of Star Trek

By: Peter Sessum When you say that Star Trek is racist, geeks around the world freak out. They want to point out the diversity in the Federation and lament on how a black woman was fifth in command of the … Continue reading

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Is the Infantry Ready for Females?

By: Peter Sessum Don’t ever put the words “women” and “can’t” in the same sentence around my mother unless you want to start a fight. So I do not make this argument lightly. I have no doubt that someday women … Continue reading

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Why Grunts Hate POGs

By: Peter Sessum So there I was, in Afghanistan, no shit. I was in Khost Province on FOB Salerno and about to go on a mission. There was a part missing from my machine gun mount so I went into … Continue reading

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Hazing in the Military

By Peter Sessum In April 1994, I was standing on a drop zone after the final jump in Airborne School. Now, I was a paratrooper. It was a proud moment for me. I was still a new Private, fresh out … Continue reading

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U.S. Soldiers Murdering Civilians is an Anomaly in War

By Peter Sessum In 2010 in my mass media law class at the University of Washington a student stated matter of factly that soldiers are specifically trained to target children. I don’t really blame him, he is only going off … Continue reading

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In Afghanistan, What You Learn as a Parent Can Save Lives

So there I was, on a chopper in Afghanistan, no shit. Since I was wearing the headset to communicate with the pilot, I couldn’t sleep on the way out. A mistake I would not make again. “One minute,” the disembodied … Continue reading

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Do Not Make SSG Bales a Victim

By: Peter Sessum There is one thing America loves, and that is a hero. We love winners. The winner gets to go to Disneyland, do you know where the loser goes? Nobody cares, they lost. If we can’t have a … Continue reading

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