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Tag Archives: Village
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
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
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When Hearts and Minds Fail: The Infamous Matchbooks
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
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The Infamous Dump Truck Mission
By Peter Sessum So there I was, in Afghanistan, no shit. We were on a mission in the middle of nowhere. Normally, it can be nice to watch the sun rise, but being up since 0200 made it difficult to … Continue reading
Posted in So There I Was
Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, Experiences, FOB, Military, Mission, My Deployment, Psychological Operations, PSYOP, So There I Was, Speaker Monkey, Special Forces, Vets, Village
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Be Polite and Respectful, but Have a Plan to Kill Everyone in the Room
By: Peter Sessum So there I was, in a small village in Kandahar Province, no shit. We had just rolled up and the area was deserted. It is like when the gunfighter walks into that old western town and tumbleweed … Continue reading
Posted in So There I Was
Tagged 2004, Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, Building Rapport, Combat Zone, Experiences, Have a Plan, Kandahar, My Deployment, POG, PSYOP, Village
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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
Posted in Commentary
Tagged Afghan, Afghanistan, Army, Beanie baby, charity, Chris Hedges, Combat Zone, Kids, PTSD, toys, Trauma, Village
1 Comment
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
Posted in So There I Was
Tagged 2004, Afghanistan, Army, Chopper, Combat Zone, Experiences, Life Skills, Mission, My Deployment, PSYOP, Village
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The Dogtag Chronicles 
Sometimes the Military Does Some Good: Healing Over Hurting
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 →