Tag Archives: My Deployment

Hero’s Journey Home Step 4: Mentors, Challenges, Trials and Descent

Posted on July 15, 2019 by psessum

By Peter Sessum Week four of the Veterans Administration therapy program. So far in our Hero’s Journey we have answered the call to adventure, crossed the threshold and now found mentors. Using the Matrix example, as the book often does, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Kicking Some Knowledge, Military Leadership | Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, Blogging, Combat deployment, Deployment, Experiences, Hero's Journey, Khost, Matrix, Military, Mission, My Deployment, PSYOP, So There I Was, Soldiers, The hero's journey, the hero's journey home, Veterans Affairs | Leave a comment

Sometimes the Military Does Some Good: Healing Over Hurting

Posted on June 9, 2018 by psessum

Sometimes the Military Does Some Good: Healing Over Hurting By Peter Sessum Hollywood loves a good war movie. They focus on invasions or combat, but the reconstruction doesn’t make the box office, or headlines. Like many other vets, I can … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Kicking Some Knowledge, So There I Was | Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, dogtag chronicles, GWOT, Kids, Medics, Military, My Deployment, Psychological Operations, PSYOP, So There I Was, Soldiers, Stuffed Animal, Village | Leave a comment

Sometimes the military does some good

Posted on February 4, 2017 by psessum

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 →

Posted in Commentary, Kicking Some Knowledge, So There I Was | Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, Civilian, Combat Zone, dogtag chronicles, Enlisted, Grunt, Hearts and Minds, Infantry, Kandahar, Life Skills, Military, Mission, My Deployment, OEF, Operation Enduring Freedom, PSYOP, reconstruction, So There I Was, Taliban, Veterans, Village | Leave a comment

I am Going to Cut Brian Williams Some Slack

Posted on September 28, 2015 by psessum

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

Random Memory: Sledding in Bosnia

Posted on July 16, 2015 by psessum

By: Peter Sessum I started the Dogtag Chronicles because of experiences I had on campus at the University of Washington. Too many people seemed to think people in the military are a bunch of clone troopers waiting to be sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Memories, So There I Was | Tagged 1-26 INF, Army, Big Red One, Blue Spaders, Bosnia, Camp Dobol, Deployment, dogtag chronicles, Enlisted, Experiences, FOB, Grunt, IFOR, Infantry, Life Skills, Military, Mortars, Mount Vis, My Deployment, NATO, Operation Joint Endeavor, POG, SFOR, So There I Was, University of Washington | Leave a comment

When Hearts and Minds Fail: The Infamous Matchbooks

Posted on July 14, 2015 by psessum

By: Peter Sessum The hunt for Osama bin Laden took far longer than it should have. For years everyone was wondering how the most famous man in the world stayed hidden in Afghanistan with the might and resources of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, So There I Was | Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, AK-47, al-Qaeda, Army, Combat Zone, Cultural Awareness, dogtag chronicles, Experiences, Kandahar, Leadership, Life Skills, matchbooks, Military, Military leadership, Mission, My Deployment, Osama bin Laden, Pashtun, Psychological Operations, PSYOP, PSYOP product, So There I Was, Soldier, Taliban, Urdu, Village | Leave a comment

Iraq and Back – One year later

Posted on August 4, 2014 by psessum

This post was written by an outside author and posted for him by a DTC editor. The post has been deleted due to evidence that the original author does not live up to the standards that we have here at … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged Army, Combat deployment, Combat Zone, current-events, Deployment, dogtag chronicles, Experiences, hypervigilance, Iraq, Leadership, Life Skills, Military, Military leadership, My Deployment, National Guard, Officers, PDHA, Post Deployment Health Assessment, PTSD, Redeployment, transition home, Veterans, Vets | Leave a comment

Military leadership: Lessons in Military Leadership for Civilians

Posted on May 14, 2014 by psessum

By: Peter Sessum Many techniques of military leadership that translate into the civilian world. It is why many corporations like to hire vets. Even though the day-to-day activities are different, anyone that can lead a team into combat can lead … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Military Leadership | Tagged Army, BG Swan, Combat Zone, dogtag chronicles, Experiences, Germany, Infantry, Leadership, Life Skills, Management, Military, Military leadership, mortar, Mortar platoon, Mortars, My Deployment, Officers, Robin Swan, Veterans, Vets | 2 Comments

Girl Among the Grunts

Posted on August 17, 2013 by psessum

By: Peter Sessum In the late ’90s I was part of 1-26 Infantry in Germany and we almost never saw women. In Schweinfurt, the military garrison was split into two and our part didn’t have any women soldiers. So when … Continue reading →

Posted in Kicking Some Knowledge, So There I Was | Tagged 1-26 INF, Army, Blue Spaders, Bosnia, Camp Dobol, Experiences, Grunt, Infantry, infantry battalion, M106, M577, mechanics, mechanized infantry, Military, Motorpool, My Deployment, sexual harassment training, So There I Was, Soldier | 1 Comment

Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance a Jig

Posted on August 10, 2013 by psessum

By: Peter Sessum So there I was, smoking a cigar and dancing on a bunker in Afghanistan, no shit. Why am I dancing on a bunker in Afghanistan? From an existential perspective, why is anyone anywhere doing anything? In truth, … Continue reading →

Posted in So There I Was | Tagged Afghanistan, Army, BAF, Bagram, Blue Falcon, Brothers in Arms, Bunker, Cigar, Combat Zone, dogtag chronicles, Experiences, funny, General Order #1, good times, Military, Military friends, My Deployment, PSYOP, PSYOP reclass, So There I Was, Veterans, Vodka | Leave a comment