Lethal Minds Volume XXXIIII
Volume XXXIIII, 01 MAY, 2025
Letter from the Editor
Whatever your perspective may be, I don’t think it’s controversial to assert that normative American values around speech and comportment are being cast aside by some members of the military, whether active, reserve, or retired. But whether you wear a red hat or have blue hair, an apolitical military is fundamental to your continued ability to speak. Now I see that centuries-old precept, so unique to our nation, faltering as it applies to political speech. Good citizenship is damned hard. For the one percent of us who offer ourselves in armed service, it’s even harder. They may or may not be codified, but there are lifetime obligations incurred when one accepts the honor of wearing the cloth of the nation in her defense. For serving military members, it means voluntary abrogation of the rights guaranteed by the document we swear to support and defend with our lives. It’s a shining example of selfless service to the nation. For retirees like me, the Uniformed Code of Military Justice still governs, albeit more lightly, predicated on the notions that we are subject to recall and that our political speech, if too vociferous, may indirectly undermine good order and discipline within the serving ranks. For veteran members, restrictions are largely non-existent. But good citizenship demands critical thinking, offering grace to differing ideas from fellow Americans, and holding your fire while waiting for situations to be fully realized before supporting appropriate constitutional remedies. Citizenship requires restraint, a legitimate challenge for veterans seeking elected service in a nation in which politics is sports, the means to make our every thought immediately known to countless people exists in our pocket, and in which our obsession with celebrity encourages us to do so. Just as one cannot govern a nation of 321 million with “likes” and “shares” as motivation, one cannot protect a nation while actively tearing it apart. To say I have nuanced feelings about decisions and actions that drove the nature of my service is an understatement. But conversely, I am unimpressed by the inch-deep, mile-wide cynicism I see amongst veterans who read the back cover of Smedley Butler’s “War is a Racket” one time, decided they knew secrets the rest of us haven’t watched enough YouTube videos to know, and found in that justification for anything as regards “enemies foreign and domestic.” I quoted Kendrick Lamar last month, saying of politicians, “They not like us.” Perhaps it is even more important that we not become like some of them, that we not allow self-interest, crass emotional manipulation, and the pursuit of power sway us from the righteous path of service to the United States Constitution. Truth and justice, as defined by the Constitution, should matter more than scoring rhetorical points, but I fear we are reaching a critical mass in which truth is mutable and served in individual portions. It is the obligation of every service member to follow the rules and regulations, and perhaps even more importantly, the guiding normative values of an apolitical military. I assert that those of us who carry the title “veteran”, whether of four or forty years, carry some similar, enduring obligation. We should take pride in our adherence to those values as a mark of discipline, sacrifice, and patriotism. We should set the example, whether in uniform or out. I am of the mind that the nation needs that from us now more than ever. Stand above the fray. Seek truth. Question your own assumptions rather than shouting platitudes about them. You can do it here. lethalmindsjournal.submissions@gmail.com. Fire for Effect, Russell Worth Parker Editor in Chief - Lethal Minds Journal
Dedicated to those who serve, those who have served, and those who paid the final price for their country.
Lethal Minds is a military veteran and service member magazine, dedicated to publishing work from the military and veteran communities.
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In This Issue
The World Today
The Future of European Defense: New Directions and Challenges for Europe
Opinion
Daniel Penny is No Hero
The Written Word
Retracing Heroism: Journey to Cabanatuan and the Legacy of the 6th Ranger Battalion
Scout Swimmer
The Green Monster
Deployment Disorder Part II
Poetry and Art
“Baptized by fire in Baghdad”
Six thousand one hundred ninety-eight miles away
May 6, 2007
Local Farmer’s Market
Health and Fitness
Tactical Strength Series, Part 2: Advanced Techniques for Strength and Stability
The World Today
In depth analysis and journalism to educate the warfighter on the most important issues around the world today.
The Future of European Defense: New Directions and Challenges for Europe
Jonas Frey
The new White Paper on European Defense for 2030 marks a pivotal turning point in European security strategy. It calls for a substantial increase in defense investments and a structural shift towards a more coordinated, autonomous defense policy within the EU. With a clear timeline until 2030 and a total financial framework of 800 billion euros through the "ReArm Europe" plan, the proposal sets a significant financial incentive. This mechanism allows member states to pool their defense resources with EU support, without the EU itself incurring new debt. This article examines the key changes compared to the previous defense strategy, the investment promotion mechanism, the financial framework, and the implied consequences for Europe, especially Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The Geopolitical Context: Urgency and Necessary Adjustments
Europe faces an epochal shift in its security architecture. Geopolitical tensions, particularly due to the war in Ukraine, have profoundly altered the security situation on the continent. In the past, the EU has heavily relied on its relationships with NATO and the U.S. However, recent developments, especially the growing threat from Russia and China, have made it clear that Europe must design its security strategy in a more independent and coordinated manner. The new White Paper emphasizes that the EU must assume more responsibility for its own security in order to remain an effective actor in the global geopolitical landscape.
One of the most significant innovations is the strategic shift towards greater European sovereignty in defense matters. The White Paper calls for EU member states to intensify and coordinate their efforts in defense policy. This is identified as a central requirement for building credible deterrence capabilities and strengthening military capabilities across the continent.
Changes Compared to the Previous Defense Strategy
Compared to previous strategies, the White Paper stands out by advocating for a massive increase in defense investments. While Europe has often operated with insufficient defense budgets in recent decades, the White Paper proposes a clear course focused on the coordinated mobilization of substantial financial resources. A central element of this plan is the "ReArm Europe" program, which allocates 800 billion euros to enhance the EU’s defense capabilities and address deficiencies in critical areas such as air defense, drone technology, and military logistics.
The new White Paper calls for increased collaboration and joint investment projects between member states to improve efficiency and leverage synergies. In the past, defense projects were often undertaken in isolation, lacking central coordination, which led to inefficient spending and underutilization of the European defense industry’s potential. The White Paper suggests that Europe develop a common industrial strategy to enable long-term, coordinated procurement of defense goods, thereby strengthening and stabilizing the European market.
The Investment Promotion Mechanism: SAFE Instrument and Beyond
The SAFE Instrument (Security and Action for Europe) is a cornerstone of the new White Paper. It allows member states to access up to 150 billion euros in funding to improve defense readiness, with the EU providing loans backed by state guarantees, but not directly incurring new debt. Instead, financing occurs through a system in which the EU supports member states in realizing joint defense projects. These funds can be used for short-term procurements such as ammunition and military mobility, as well as for long-term investments in advanced technologies like air defense and artificial intelligence.
The SAFE Instrument enables member states to quickly execute joint procurement projects by securing long-term orders and advance payments. The proposal includes multi-year planning for defense projects to stabilize the European arms sector not only for the coming years but also to prepare for future geopolitical challenges.
Timeline and Concrete Measures
The White Paper sets a clear timeline through 2030, by which full defense readiness must be achieved. In the coming years, EU member states are expected to focus investments in critical defense capabilities to enable rapid and effective responses to potential threats. By 2025, significant steps are to be taken to replenish ammunition stocks and enhance military mobility to facilitate the rapid deployment of troops within the EU.
The financial framework includes increased defense funding mobilized through the SAFE Instrument and additional EU investment mechanisms such as the European Defense Fund (EDF) and EU cohesion policy. The provision of these funds aims to strengthen the European defense industry and promote competitiveness. By 2025, at least 40% of member states' defense investments should be realized through joint EU initiatives and cooperative projects.
Implications for Europe, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Europe, as a whole, must decide to take on a more active and self-assured role in international security policy in light of the growing geopolitical threats. Increased defense investments will not only improve security but also stimulate economic growth, as the defense industry in Europe plays a key role in innovation and job creation.
For Germany, this means that the country must further expand its role as Europe’s leading economic power and a key player in defense coordination. As the EU's largest contributor, Germany will play a central role in implementing the White Paper and is expected to be a driving force in coordinating defense investments and promoting research initiatives. Furthermore, Germany is expected to engage more in bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation with other EU states.
For Austria, the shift in European defense policy could potentially present a challenge. The country will need to reassess its stance as a neutral state and decide how to contribute more actively to the EU’s collective defense coordination without entirely abandoning its neutral position. Participation in PESCO projects could be one way to contribute to European stability while maintaining neutrality.
Switzerland could benefit from enhanced security cooperation with the EU. Here, it will be important to strengthen strategic partnerships in the defense industry, particularly in the fields of technological innovation and research. Switzerland could also gain from integrating its defense industry into the EU market, thus securing its own defense capabilities and sovereignty in the long term.
The Role of NATO: What Does the White Paper Mean for the Alliance?
The White Paper stresses the necessity for NATO to continue as the cornerstone of collective defense in Europe, but in a EU that is increasingly autonomous and strategically capable. The European defense strategy is designed not to replace NATO, but to complement its strengths and maximize cooperation potential. Europe should not only act as part of the NATO strategy but also as an independent actor with the ability to credibly deter and respond militarily, even without full support from overseas. Enhanced cooperation with NATO remains important, but Europe must ensure that it can rely on its own military capacities when needed.
Conclusion
The White Paper on European Defense sets clear priorities and lays the groundwork for an autonomous, coordinated, and technologically advanced defense policy in Europe. The substantial increase in defense investments, supported by the SAFE Instrument, will make Europe a more effective security power. This development is crucial not only for European security but also for the continent’s economic competitiveness. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland must adapt their respective defense strategies to remain relevant as both economic and security-related actors in this new geopolitical order. The future of European security will largely depend on the EU's ability to operate as a unified and capable security system in the coming years.
Opinion
Op-Eds and general thought pieces meant to spark conversation and introspection.
Daniel Penny is No Hero
Ryan Miller
“Good initiative, bad judgment” is a frequent refrain in the Marines, and it’s also a double-sided reflection. Initiative is the first “I” of the Marine Corps leadership principles we’re all trained to remember with the acronym JJDIDTIEBUCKLE. Judgment is also in that acronym, and it’s often a more difficult quality to embody, especially when reasonable youthful aggression is paired with sophisticated lethality training. On that New York City subway, Daniel Penny exercised courageous initiative to intervene, and horrific judgment to apply lethal force.
I was also a Marine, and I depended on the West Coast version of the NYC subway, the BART train. Public transportation is one of the best ways to connect with and learn about a community. I’ve witnessed families heading to a ball game, to working-class folks beating traffic, to students, like Penny, commuting to and from classes. Because of the criminalization of poverty, inaccessibility of mental healthcare, and the rise of hostile architecture (benches with dividers, spikes on the ground, locked bathrooms), public transportation is also often used by the most vulnerable people in a community: unhoused citizens and those in mental distress.
I’ve put myself between aggressive men and scared women. I’ve stomped out a small fire that another rider started. I’ve strategically spoken to distract and de-escalate. Across all those moments, nobody ever died. I’ve never even had to put hands on anyone. And by no means would I describe myself as a hero.
Jordan Neely seemed desperate, maybe even hangry. Despite his challenges and his history, he was a human being, worthy of compassion, of mercy, of help. Worthy of living.
Jordan Neely was killed in public, with a crowd watching, some even filming. The images recall another era: one where public violence against Black bodies was met with passive spectatorship or outright enthusiastic approval. The rope has been replaced by a forearm, the grainy black-and-white photo by high-definition cellphone video, but the spectacle remains as American as apple pie.
A good Marine would have introduced himself and asked Jordan his name. A good Marine would’ve pulled a few dollars out of his pocket or passed the hat among subway riders to collectively contribute. In the wealthiest nation in history, a good Marine would help a hungry citizen find relief from his hunger.
Daniel Penny is no hero.
What kind of hero only has a rear-naked choke in their intervention toolbox? What kind of hero keeps choking a man long after his body has gone limp? Even in jiu jitsu and MMA, it’s “tap or nap,” not “tap, nap, or throttle a man to death.”
Hero-worship is a curious phenomenon in American culture. Who are the heroes of America? It depends who you ask. Some might say the “founding fathers.” For many, it’s Harriet Tubman or Rosa Parks. Others might name Cesar Chavez or Dolores Huerta. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse would be top picks for many, and Larry Itliong or Yuri Kochiyama would be on others’ lists. But far too many in this country pedestalize violent vigilantes, especially when those vigilantes coincidentally happen to be white. From Kyle Rittenhouse to George Zimmerman to Daniel Penny, these killers of fellow Americans are lifted up as patriots, often by people who also self-identify as God-fearing Christians.
Tell me, how would Jesus have treated Jordan Neely? Which tables would Jesus have flipped to disrupt the social and economic forces that directly contributed to Neely’s distress, and ultimately his death?
With such a wide spectrum of what’s considered heroic, what are the forces shaping our definitions? Could it be the origin stories of Manifest Destiny, the myth of brave European settlers “taming” the wild frontier, wresting it from red and brown people? According to West Point English professor Elizabeth Samet, in her book Looking for the Good War: American Amnesia in the Violent Pursuit of Happiness, WWII “Greatest Generation” mythology has deeply misinformed our national narrative of heroism. Is it any wonder that a nation rooted in Indigenous genocide, African enslavement, and addicted to forever-war constructs narratives of heroism centered on lethality?
Césaire’s concept of the Imperial Boomerang describes how the tools, tactics, and technologies of empire, once deployed to dominate foreign populations, inevitably come home for use on the empire’s own citizens. Sometimes it’s innocuous, like battlefield medicine improving civilian trauma care. Other times, it’s drones, robot dogs, and predictive surveillance software originally used to hunt “insurgents,” now deployed on U.S. borders and urban neighborhoods. The human boomerang is even more unsettling: the military-to-police pipeline is powerfully incentivized, and the military-to-militia tendency is well-documented. Daniel Penny was trained to use lethal techniques in foreign lands, and upon returning home, he used that training to kill an unarmed American citizen on a subway.
Have you seen the meme of the Spirit Halloween costume featuring the conservative guy who’s afraid of cities? As a Marine Corps veteran recruited from and discharged back to a major urban center, here are a few tips for suburban visitors like Penny that might help prevent reckless loss of life while ensuring the safety of others:
Rule #1: Minding your own business is a virtue.
This doesn’t mean burying your head in the sand. It’s possible, and necessary, to practice situational awareness of your surroundings while allowing discomfort to exist without escalating it. Discomfort isn’t danger. That’s where discernment comes in. Most importantly, discomfort is not a license for lethality.
Rule #2: Use your words.
Say hello. Introduce yourself. Express empathy. It doesn’t make you less of a tough guy to say, “I’m sorry you’re having a hard time.” Use a softer-than-normal voice to foster connection. Move slowly, gesture with open hands or prayer hands, and if possible, position yourself physically below the other person’s eye level to reduce their defensiveness.
Rule #3: Offer to help.
Carry a protein bar with the intention of sharing it. Yes, it’s a digital economy, but a couple of single dollar bills in your pocket can go a long way. Stand between the person in distress and those you feel compelled to protect. And most importantly, get involved in changing the social, political, and economic conditions that pave the way for these tragic encounters.
Rule #4: Refer to Rule #1.
Dehumanizing language is baked into the American lexicon, especially in military and veteran culture. Listen for it when people craft convenient justification narratives for violence, whether abroad or at home. “Hadji, terrorist, insurgent, military-aged male, Commie, sand-N-word”—these are foreign human beings flattened into dehumanized caricatures. Domestically, it’s “junkie, homeless, tweaker, crazy, criminal, illegal alien” that terms strip people of their humanity and grease the wheels of inhumane lethal force.
Perhaps America’s time is overdue to reconsider our definitions of heroism—because if Daniel Penny is an American hero, then may God help us all.
The Written Word
Fiction and Nonfiction written by servicemen and veterans.
Retracing Heroism: Journey to Cabanatuan and the Legacy of the 6th Ranger Battalion
Mike Burke, Executive Director – Legends of the 75th
In military history, certain operations rise above the rest—not just for their daring execution but for what they reveal about courage, brotherhood, and sacrifice. One such mission was the Raid at Cabanatuan in January 1945, carried out by the U.S. Army’s 6th Ranger Battalion in the Philippines.
Nearly eight decades later, four generations of Rangers undertook a different mission—a journey of remembrance, not battle. This effort, known as Journey to Cabanatuan, brought together 22 Rangers, veterans, filmmakers, and partners to walk the same ground their predecessors once did. The result: a powerful reconnection with history that’s now being transformed into a documentary film for future generations.
A Rescue Against All Odds
During World War II, tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were captured after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor Island. Many were forced to endure the Bataan Death March—a 60+ mile ordeal marked by cruelty, starvation, and death. Over 500 survivors ended up imprisoned at the Cabanatuan POW camp.
On January 30, 1945, the 6th Ranger Battalion, aided by Filipino guerrillas and Alamo Scouts, launched a high-risk rescue that brought those prisoners home. The success of the mission remains one of the greatest military rescues in American history.
Bridging Generations Through Shared Purpose
In January 2025, a team of Rangers from the last 50 years, support staff, and a dedicated media crew traveled to the Philippines to honor the 80th anniversary of that legendary raid.
Their route mirrored that of the original operation—visiting Clark Cemetery, the route of the Bataan Death March, Corregidor Island, and ultimately, the site of the Cabanatuan POW camp. Along the way, they held memorials, engaged with the local community. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with modern-day Alamo Scout Rangers, honoring the legacy of partnership that made the original rescue possible.
One of the most moving moments came when Paul O’Connell, son of 1LT William O’Connell—who led the initial breach team during the 1945 raid—joined the group. After his passing, Paul only discovered his father's role, and standing on that ground offered a deeply personal connection to the story.
These Stories Deserve to Be Told
Too often, the stories of America’s elite warriors go untold, buried beneath humility and the ethos of the Quiet Professional. But as Paul said during the opening ceremony, “You might not want to tell your story—but others want to hear it.”
That sentiment is at the heart of Journey to Cabanatuan. This isn’t just a documentary. It’s a mission to preserve the spirit of service, sacrifice, and leadership that defined the 6th Ranger Battalion and continues to define the 75th Ranger Regiment today.
Help Us Complete the Mission
The Journey to Cabanatuan documentary is currently in production and scheduled to be released in 2026, marking 81 years since the raid. It will serve as a historical tribute and a call to future generations to carry the torch of remembrance.
We are proud to partner with the Witness to War Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to ensure that all donations to this project are fully tax-deductible.
If you believe in honoring our past, preserving our heritage, and telling the stories that matter, we invite you to join us.
➡️Learn more or donate: mike@legendsofthe75th.com
Scout Swimmer
James Kretchman
“A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.” – Louis Zamperini
It’s 2337. You’re treading water just outside the surf zone seventy-five meters from shore. Salt-water stings your eyes and the gashes behind your knees where the wetsuit has rubbed your skin raw. The a-chief and team corpsman bob beside you, noses just above the surface as they scan the shoreline. You turn back towards the surf and struggle to catch a glimpse of any of your security teams between each plunging wave. By now they’re probably close to the shoreline, struggling to remove fins while ducking underneath each wave as it spills towards the beach. You hope they maintain a low profile in the water. The moon is eerily bright tonight, reflecting its light across the ocean in a sparkling splendor that would’ve been beautiful if it hadn’t been for the fact that it causes anything disturbing the surface to stand out like a chocolate chip in vanilla ice cream. You turn your attention back to your main concern: the two enemy sentries walking their routes approximately forty meters away from the shoreline. They appear disinterested, wandering nonchalantly through knee- and waist-high vegetated mounds that butt up to the sand of the beach. You see movement on the left edge of the shoreline. Two dark figures emerge from the water, speed-walk to the edge of the trash line and throw themselves down into the vegetation left by receding waves. Left flank security team has splashed, you think to yourself. They took advantage of the sentry’s back being turned; that’s good. Hope the other teams do the same. Twenty-four seconds later you see the center team wash up, and in another two minutes you see the right flank team sprint from the trash line to the edge of the beach and the veg line. They must’ve splashed without you spotting them. No change in the sentry patterns, all good so far. The minutes drag by as you watch the enemy sentries walking to and fro. Suddenly the sand explodes five feet away from the left sentinel as a dark silhouette collides with him, dragging them both back to the ground. Left sentry down, no outcry. Six minutes later the a-chief whispers, “Right sentry down.” You adjust your buoyant pack over your outstretched arm and underneath your head. The a-chief and corpsman each grab hold of the sides of your pack, creating the formation to swim into the surf. Here we go, you think to yourself as you begin to fin towards the surf. Time to get to work.
You’re a student at Scout Swimmer Course, one of the specialized schools in the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group (EWTG) pipeline for Marine Corps infantry boat companies. Your mission is to conduct reconnaissance of the beach landing site, determine eligibility of the location, mark obstacles, eliminate local sentries, set up communication signals, and call in the raid force for landing.
The first week was brutal. First few days were pool PTs, weeding out the weak. Fin sprints, ring of fire, distance fins, and bottom sample after bottom sample. Once the starting class size of twenty-four was whittled down to eighteen, the learning, conditioning, and mission training began. PT was fraught with fin-run-fins, equipment fins (finning with rifles, combat gear, and packs weighing up to 55 pounds), and a boat race with a ruck-fin-ruck or two. Classroom portions consisted of PowerPoints teaching how to conduct surf observations (surobs), how to brief the company commander concerning the scout swimmer portion of the mission, and various ocean life to avoid.
Now we are deeper into the course, practicing the principles learned earlier. How to fin in formation, how to deploy security teams at intervals to counteract oceanic currents, how to swim ashore without being spotted by enemy lookouts, and how to camouflage on the beach using sand and local vegetation. We practice conducting sentry take-downs, establishing security on the beach landing site (BLS), conducting surobs, setting up ranges (directional glowing lights aimed towards the awaiting raid force positioned far offshore), and signaling each wave to approach once conditions are set.
“End-Ex!” The call originates from the chief instructor, walking towards you from the huddle of black sweatshirts and faded ball caps, each sporting the yellow skull and stars of the EWTG logo. You and the rest of the team wash off the sand that covers every inch of your bodies in the surf and return for debrief.
“Fifty-three minutes,” the instructor checks his watch as the group gathers for a de-briefing. “Within standards, finally. Good time gaps between sentry take-downs. You were slow signaling the second wave ashore. Your security collapsed too close when preparing to re-enter the boats for extract. All-in all: trash. Getting better, but still trash.” The group chuckles as they break off to carry boats to their trailers, wash off the salt water and residual sand, and hit the showers to peel off wetsuits and talk over the events of the evening.
Despite the gruff words of the cadre, we knew we were making progress. We still had a lot to improve, but watching the team develop from what looked like newborn babies struggling to learn finning technique into being able to accomplish the mission within the time standards set by the schoolhouse was satisfying. Initially, the learning curves were steep, and there were many mistakes: incorrectly constructed signals, packs losing buoyancy and sinking below the waterline, last-minute problems arising leaving students scrambling to find last-second solutions. All that is behind us now; not much longer now until we graduate and receive the coveted black hoodie with the bold yellow words “AMPHIBIOUS RAIDS SCOUT SWIMMER” emblazoned on the back. Fewer than thirty-six Marines each year earn the right to wear that hoodie.
You turn back to catch another glimpse of the moonlight shimmering across the ocean.
Best job I ever had.
Author Bio:
James Kretchman is a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps with 10 years in the infantry. Multiple duty stations include Security Forces Battalion Bangor WA, 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, Alpha Company Infantry Training Battalion at School of Infantry-West, and 2nd Battalion 4th Marines. He currently serves at Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Kings Bay GA. Schools include Combat Marksmanship Instructor, Advanced Infantry Marine Course, Combat Instructor School, Infantry Unit Leader Course, and Scout Swimmer Course.
The Green Monster
Benjamin Van Horrick
“Now the Money Shot,” said Major Finley, the battalion Operations Officer (Opso).
A picture flashed on the screen: an Afghan kneeling amid AK-47s, tangled wires, propane tanks, marbles, and bolts.
The audience oohed and aahed.
The Afghan's hands were bound behind his back, and he sported a mop of dirty hair, hollow eyes, and a sinewy frame. The bomb maker did not appear as a fanatic or a radical – just defeated. The frenzy of the raid had given way to a stillness just before the shutter clicked — and in that stillness, the Afghan realized his life had ended.
Over the murmurs and laughter, a voice said, “That motherfucker is gettin’ disappeared.”
Biometric data linked the Afghan’s fingerprints to the IED that took four Marines from the battalion and bisected three others at the waist. Four lives and six legs taken; countless other lives upended.
The battalion had finally caught Objective Lithium Brewers.
“Hell of a job,” said the battalion commander. The praise raised eyebrows because the man rarely gave praise, even before the battalion began taking casualties.
All eyes remained fixed on Objective Lithium Brewers, except for those of Father James, who took note of the term that was new to him: Money Shot. He underlined the words in his notebook.
As he stared at the underlined words, the image of the hospital room at Camp Bastion flooded back, unbidden, bringing back the memories of offering the Last Rites in the hospital there.
Father James knelt beside the Marines struck by the IED as they clung to life. He didn't know if these men were Catholics, Protestants, Christians of any kind, or the followers of some other faith, or none, but he felt compelled to do or say something. His whispered prayers asked God to relieve their pain.
The Sergeant Major watched as the priest tried to muster soothing words. Within hours, each Marine expired.
“Was that the first time you did that?” asked the Sergeant Major.
“A few times before. But never for a Marine. Never for ones so young,” said the priest.
Now, Father James knew the whole story, and while the rest of the battalion howled and cheered at the capture of Lithium Brewers, James felt isolated from a unit he thought he knew.
His gaze drifted to the Sergeant Major, who had joined him for the vigil at Bastion; their shared silence was a fleeting bond.
Fresh from the seminary, Father James joined the battalion during its pre‑deployment workup on Camp Lejeune. He learned Marine slang one scrawled note at a time. Fr. James had filled the back pages of his Green Monster — the government-issued green notebook, snug in a cargo pocket — with acronyms, slang, and unfamiliar phrases.
Father James’ regular visits to 4 Alpha – as he had carefully noted in his Green Monster, 4 Alpha was the inpatient behavioral ward at Lejeune– earned him first-name familiarity with the staff there. After another of the young priest's visits, the Sergeant Major pulled aside Father James.
“We need lions, not lambs, chaps,” the Sergeant Major implored. “You don’t need your notebook for those terms, right?”
“Sergeant Major, they are all Marines to me, not lions or lambs.”
But since arriving in Now Zad, the flock had been suffering losses at an alarming rate.
With his black ballpoint pen and in his precise cursive, Father James added “Money Shot” to his growing lexicon. In the priest’s notebook he defined words and phrases such as the PRT (noun, 1. Provincial Reconstruction Team, well-meaning reservists and State Department personnel trying to bring Helmand to the 21st Century), STP (noun, Shock Trauma Platoon), Stealing Souls (verb, killing), Smoke Checks (verb, killing someone at a close distance), Money as a Weapon System (verb, paying off Afghans), Hearts and Minds (noun, the prize of counterinsurgency). Father James wrote each word and its definition longhand. After the Commanders Update Brief (CUB), James slipped away to his makeshift chapel, his candy stash in hand, before heading to the Combat Operations Center (COC).
While line companies patrolled, James slipped care packages to the watchstanders in the Combat Operations Center (COC). These Marines were not patrolling, but they served as a lifeline to those who were - sometimes literally so. When Lithium Brewers’ IED had gone off, thanks to the COC’s swift coordination, what initially seemed like seven Killed in Action (KIA) became four KIA and three Wounded in Action (WIA) from the IED – The COC’s version of loaves and fishes.
Each Marine appreciated Fr. James’ visits and candy, hoping their time in the COC would end soon, wishing their prayers would not fall on deaf ears. The watchstanders in the COC gave a nod, a handshake, and a brief acknowledgment to the young priest.
The priest moved toward Maj Finley’s desk in the COC. Finley, who had built the COC to resemble the layout of a Wall Street trading floor, lorded over his stand-up desk and whiteboard, two strides away from the watch floor. Finley wanted a free flow of information to help him and the battalion commander make decisions.
The sound of radio transmissions and the smell of Maxwell House coffee filled the COC, punctuated by the scrape of Finley’s whiteboard marker.
Father James arrived at Major Finley’s desk, flanked by whiteboards.
Maj Finley focused on his fervent whiteboard drawing, with three dry erase markings in hand, each color denoting a separate line of thought. Only he knew the logic of his drawings. His brainstorms produced whiteboards filled with ideas, half-thoughts, and their loose connections.
James trusted Finley to help decipher acronyms. Finley admired James for his earnestness and running ability. Back at Lejeune, James bested Finley on the three-mile run. Only later did Finley learn James was a Boston Marathon qualifier.
Finley dubbed the priest “The Flash” because of his running. And Fr. James simply called the man Opso.
“Flash.”
“Opso.”
“Good evening. How can I assist?”
“‘Money Shot’? What does it mean?”
The chap's questions silenced the chatter in the COC. Its patrons were skilled merchants of macabre and crude humor, but now, they had closed their stands.
A COC fell silent only when Troops in Contact or a TIC was called. That declaration meant an element could no longer move without fire support. All available assets rushed to the aid of the souls in despair.
“So when we roll up…”
“Detain?”
“Yeah, roll up, detain, whatever. We take a picture of the Afghan and his illicit supplies. The picture serves as proof of detaining the Afghan. That’s, uh, the…the…money shot.”
“So where did that come from…?”
“It's a… uh, an…industry term.”
“Industry?”
The Sergeant Major rolled his eyes.
“The yeah…Chaps..ah,..the porn industry.”
Sergeant Major moved closer, annoyed at Finley’s evasion.
The Sergeant Major’s eyes met the priest’s.
“Padre, the opso is a Boat Schooler. He doesn’t kick it to you straight.”
The Sergeant Major prided himself on kicking it straight to any within earshot, but Bastion had bound him to the priest.
“Padre - the guy in the porno finishes on some girl’s face. It’s called the Money Shot.”
James turned to Finley and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Finley avoided his gaze, fiddling with a dry-erase marker, “Shielding you. That is ugly stuff.”
A cold wave of memory washed over Father James. “I’ve seen enough to know what’s real, Opso,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I gave Marines the last rites and then wrote their eulogies. You didn’t shield me from that ugliness, did you? Just explain the terms. Don’t hide the truth.”
“Yes, Father.”
That night, after praying the Rosary, Father James opened his Green Monster. He wrote:
Money Shot, noun: 1. Pictorial evidence presented to Afghan authorities to prove a suspect’s guilt in narcotics or violence. 2. A photograph that holds more than proof—holds the shadow of a soul undone by war.
He lingered on the page, the Afghan IED maker’s hollow eyes flickering in his mind.
Closing the notebook, he placed it beside a flickering candle on his makeshift altar.
Deployment Disorder Part II
Frank Gonzales
A few weeks later, we left that godforsaken pit in the desert. Our new destination was a training base in a different godforsaken desert. I didn’t sleep for three or four days, I can’t remember, because it was one long blur. Between security shifts, I had to ensure that the entire platoon had their gear packed, we had all weapons and equipment associated with them, and that all the boys were on the Mine Resistant Armored Personnel Carriers (MRAPs) for the 15 hour, 70 vehicle convoy back to the largest base in western Iraq.
At this point, everyone in the company was smoking. I routinely got shit from the platoon for only smoking three cigarettes a day and taking a month to go through a can of dip. I had bumped it up to five cigarettes a day, but I could tell I was nowhere near the highest stressed. The company commander, Captain Washington, had it the worst. He had the battalion commander breathing down his neck, micromanaging every decision he made. I had not understood every decision the captain made, but I certainly did not envy him. The command staff hid it well, but by this point in the deployment, everyone in the battalion could tell that the BC was an ineffective leader. He was either an incompetent sack of wine who didn’t know how to lead, or he was a careerist who just cared about making it to colonel. The former could be forgiven, the latter made him more of a hazard than ISIS.
After the long movement was completed, rest still proved elusive. The company first sergeant, the most senior enlisted man in the company, made a beeline for me as we hopped off the trucks. First Sergeant Hogarth had taken a liking to me for some reason, but I seldom welcomed the news he brought.
“Sergeant Gonzales,” he said with a smirk and some flair. “Well done over the last few weeks. Your platoon did well. But there’s more to do. Get the guys over to the weapons cleaning tables.” Fuck. Between the lack of sleep and the flurry of tasks that had been hurled at me over the last 96 hours, I had completely forgotten that we would probably have to clean every spec of carbon, dirt, and oil off of our weapons before flying out of here. The Marine Corps would not stand for a grain of Iraqi sand making it to Kuwait on one of its machine guns. The gods of war would curse us for sure.
“Got it, First Sergeant.” He could probably see the annoyance behind my sunglasses or hear it in my voice. At this point, I was too tired to care.
“One more thing,” he said as I began to turn away. “First platoon is getting out of here on the next plane. That’s leaving at 0800 tomorrow morning.” I knew what was coming next. “That means your platoon needs to be on the flightline by 0500.” Yep. An outrageously early timeline. And of course, Staff Sergeant Gordon would make our staging time even earlier.
“Understood, First Sergeant.” I turned away and thought back to the fact that I had lost my favorite pair of sunglasses already during the last operation. The sunglasses were darker and hid the impatience in my eyes better from the company leadership.
Over the next several hours, we cleaned every weapon our company owned and turned in all our ammunition, just to get new ammunition in Kuwait. My hands were as black as a diesel mechanic's by the end of the ordeal. A mail call happened at some point during that washing of weapons. Everyone got the typical care packages from third graders containing candy and toothbrushes. I found it interesting that two items in opposition ended up sent in these packages, but our gear was no different. The most important things an infantryman carries are ammunition and tourniquets. One to empty the body of blood. The other to keep it in.
As the mail call went on, names got called out. I was surprised when First Sergeant Hogarth personally walked me two packages.
“I thought you were married to the Corps, Sergeant. Who’s sending you mail?”
“That’s a good question, First Sergeant. It’s probably a bomb, you should throw it away.” At that point, he must’ve been too tired for my sarcasm, because he didn’t even smirk. He handed me the boxes and I took a look at the from address. One was from my parents, containing a couple of books I had asked for to pass the time on what I thought would be an uneventful deployment. They had also sent jerky, protein bars, and other amenities. I tossed those down the table to the team leaders to give to the rest of the platoon.
I turned to the other box, and immediately the fatigue washed from my body, purged by the bonds of brotherhood. This one was from Andrew Lance. Andrew was also an active duty Marine, and an infantryman. We first met as teenagers in Tucson, Arizona, both with sights set on enlisting and proving our mettle. Lance longed for the leadership positions I often shunned, but eventually found myself falling into. We had gone through boot camp and infantry training together. Then, I was selected for a program that took me to the East Coast, while he went to Twentynine Palms. To the very unit and platoon I now had charge of. He had departed before I arrived, but he was the reason I had chosen orders to that duty station, considered a punishment by most Marines.
I sliced open the box. Inside was a note and enough baby wipes for the entire platoon to clean the weapons spotlessly. The note explicitly stated that that was their intended purpose, and their timing could not have been better. I read the note aloud to the platoon as the wipes got passed around. Even from 7000 miles away, Lance had the boys rolling with laughter.
As they turned back to cleaning, I pulled out the other note and opened it. A patch with a skull on it fell into my hand. This message was for me alone. The note read simply:
“You’re one of us now. A pirate. Welcome to first platoon. Let it rip.”
Poetry and Art
Poetry and art from the warfighting community.
“Baptized By Fire in Baghdad” Stan Lake Lit up by red projectile fireflies, Dancing across dusty desert skies. I bowed into my turret, praying for relief. In Baghdad, I was baptized by fire. I lost my faith somewhere outside the wire. Mortars shrieked their deathly doldrums. IEDs ruptured with shattering blooms. At Al Asad, I faced my fear unflinchingly. I lost my sense of looming dread, Reminding myself to breathe in and out, To survive one more day, every day. At Camp Scania, I found hope in a toad’s trill. I lost my fear of death on a bomb-blasted highway. When the mission ended, I lost my purpose. At Camp Buehring, I felt the weight of finality. We went wheels up in Kuwait; it’s over, finally. I got home and learned the meaning Of hurry up and wait, and pray, and spiral. My brothers have all gone their separate ways, But I was baptized by fire in Baghdad. Singed by flame, alone, and forever changed. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was baptized by fire in Baghdad, And I, with no tribe, have tried to put the war away. Six thousand one hundred ninety-eight miles away Brandon Noel I thumb through my crooked-lined handmade calendar, counting the days ‘till I see you again. The rough feel of the cardboard-paper replace not the pillowed silkiness of that spot just below your ear. Crouching behind a carbon covered skeletal Toyota, the new day’s breeze blows across the sand and whispers the sweet sound of your voice, silencing the screaming echoes as they fill my ears. Gazing upon the desert drifts from my bullet-holed viewing point, I see the reflected gleam of your inbound eyes and instantly, I no longer feel scared. As I lie awake dazedly-dreaming, The blazing light blinding. The desert’s cold consumes me and I feel your thoughts in my darkness. May 6, 2007 For Michael Heather O'Brien May seems just too pretty a month to die. Back home, the dogwoods are in bloom, the trees are green again. The weather is alive with sun, rain, tornadoes, and excitement. New life is springing up everywhere. But not here. Here, the smell of filth lies as deep as the trash on the roadside. The only green is in tattered palm tree leaves blown apart by debris flung from roadside bombs. The flash and bang of another IED springs up, devouring a convoy. Instead of new life here in May, men and women die. Nineteen doesn’t seem grown enough to die. Back home, 19-year-olds gradually age from children to men. They have years to learn manhood, character, and develop families. They love May, with its graduations and the promise of new life. But not here. Here, teens become adults in a boom; explosions forge your character. You get seconds to prepare for life and death; you age by minutes, not years. Here, the month of May becomes synonymous with death, not life. And here, boys of 19 remain forever young, carried home in flag-draped caskets. The war is over now, and time marches on. We are home and living peaceful lives, most of the time - Except in May, where we once again transport decades back to relive moments when life was uncertain and friendships hadn’t yet tasted death. We grow older, but you remain forever nineteen.
Local Farmer’s Market
Isaiah Garrod
I was raised in Colorado and joined the Army out of high school in 2015. I enlisted as a 15N Avionics Mechanic and volunteered for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) while in Advanced Individual Training (AIT). I was assigned to 4th Battalion, 160th Aviation Regiment on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, and stayed with the unit until I finished my contract in 2021.
Drawing was a skill I had pursued since childhood, and I used it to make farewell gifts for dudes leaving. Eventually, I started to make art to donate to the Night Stalker Association for their charity auction every year. They convinced me to try out painting, so I taught myself oil painting and started making pictures of missions for guys that wanted it recreated.
Local Farmer’s Market isn’t of any real event in particular; it is just inspired by my experiences of deployment and by others I’ve served with.
Check out more of Isaiah’s art here.
Health and Fitness
Guidance for improving physical and mental performance, nutrition, and sleep.
Tactical Strength Series, Part 2: Advanced Techniques for Strength and Stability
Andrew Siepka, CSCS, Siepka Ludus Strength & Conditioning
In the first part of this series, we covered the importance of maintaining tension and stability under load for tactical athletes who operate in unpredictable environments. Now, we’re going to dive deeper into advanced training techniques like accommodating resistance and chaos training. These methods push strength and stability to new levels, ensuring tactical athletes can maintain control in the most unstable and high-stress conditions they might face.
Accommodating Resistance: Building Power Through Full Range of Motion
Accommodating resistance refers to using tools like resistance bands or chains to adjust the load dynamically throughout the range of motion of an exercise. This forces the muscles to work harder at positions where they have a mechanical advantage, promoting power and stability across the full movement. The goal is to maintain constant tension while increasing the load where you’re strongest.
Let’s look at barbell squats as an example. Chains can be attached to the barbell. As the athlete descends into the squat, the chains pile on the ground, reducing the load at the bottom, where they’re weakest. As they rise, the chains lift off the ground, gradually increasing the load where they’re strongest. This forces the athlete to maintain full tension throughout the movement, particularly at the top, where standard squats lose their effectiveness.
For tactical athletes, accommodating resistance simulates real-world demands where balance is constantly challenged, and maximal force production is needed. In combat or rescue operations, your environment constantly shifts, and your ability to maintain control under load is crucial. Training with bands or chains reinforces the need to produce power throughout the entire range of motion. This method also increases explosive power, essential when you need to move fast while carrying gear or maintain control in a chaotic situation (Murray, 2021).
Accommodating resistance is more than a tool to increase strength and power; it’s a way to prepare the body for the unpredictable. Power and control are developed in all stages of the lift, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance in scenarios where tactical athletes are required to move explosively or maintain balance on unstable ground.
Louie Simmons and Accommodating Resistance
The late Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell pioneered the use of accommodating resistance in strength training. His belief was that lifters needed to train with varying levels of resistance to address weak points and develop maximum force throughout their lifts. Simmons’ system has a direct application to tactical training. By utilizing bands and chains, tactical athletes can train their ability to accelerate through sticking points—the most difficult points in a lift—and develop greater power. Simmons’ system helped athletes move more efficiently through the entire range of motion, improving their ability to generate power under pressure (Simmons, 2015).
Tactical athletes, just like powerlifters, benefit immensely from this method because it addresses the specific needs for explosive strength in complex environments. Simmons often referred to the bands and chains as “force multipliers” in that they allow you to build strength not just in one portion of a movement, but through the entire lift. This full-range development is essential for the unpredictable demands tactical athletes face in real-world scenarios.
Application:
Incorporating accommodating resistance into your program should focus on lifts that translate directly into field performance. This includes squats, deadlifts, and presses, using bands or chains over a 4–6-week period. This method improves power and control, enhancing the ability to manage loads during chaotic situations or rapid movements.
Hanging Weights: Developing Stability in Dynamic Environments
Hanging weights, also known as “chaos training,” present an advanced method of challenging stability. In this technique, kettlebells or other weights are suspended from the bar using resistance bands, creating an unstable and constantly shifting load. This forces the athlete to stabilize the bar throughout the entire lift, building core strength and tension control.
Chaos training mimics the instability of real tactical environments, where athletes often deal with unpredictable variables. The oscillating weights require rapid adjustments and constant engagement of stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, hips, and core. It builds proprioception and neuromuscular control, improving the athlete’s ability to maintain stability in dynamic situations (Seitz, 2022).
When performing exercises like bench presses or overhead presses with hanging weights, the body is forced to stabilize against the erratic movements of the hanging load. This creates a training effect that translates into better balance and control, which are critical in tactical settings where shifting loads and unstable environments are part of the job. Whether in combat, rescue operations, or other high-stress situations, tactical athletes need the ability to remain stable under load, and chaos training delivers this in a controlled but highly challenging way.
Application:
Start by using lighter weights with hanging loads to focus on controlled, deliberate movement. Gradually increase the load as you become more accustomed to the instability. This method can be applied to bench presses, overhead presses, and squats, allowing tactical athletes to develop stability that transfers directly to the demands of the field.
Scientific Support for Chaos Training
Chaos training’s effectiveness lies in the way it challenges the body to adapt to instability. Research has shown that training with unstable loads increases the activation of stabilizing muscles and improves balance (Behm & Anderson, 2006). This is especially useful for tactical athletes, who often face unpredictable and dynamic environments. One study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that lifters who trained with unstable loads, such as hanging kettlebells, had significant improvements in neuromuscular coordination and core stability (McBride et al., 2010).
This method trains both the body and the mind to anticipate and react to external variables, enhancing not only physical strength but also mental resilience. For tactical athletes, who operate in environments that are anything but stable, this type of training is a game-changer.
Practical Implementation for Tactical Athletes
The key to benefiting from these advanced techniques is integrating them into a structured program. Below is an example of how to cycle accommodating resistance and chaos training into a tactical strength training program:
Example Training Plan (4-Week Cycle):
Week 1-2: Accommodating Resistance Focus
• Squat with chains: 3 sets of 5 reps
• Bench press with bands: 4 sets of 3 reps
• Deadlift with bands: 3 sets of 5 reps
• Core stabilization: Plank variations with resistance bands
Week 3-4: Chaos Training Focus
• Bench press with hanging kettlebells: 4 sets of 6 reps
• Overhead press with hanging kettlebells: 3 sets of 12 reps
• Squat with hanging weights: 3 sets of 5 reps
• Core stabilization: Anti-rotation holds with resistance bands
These techniques go beyond simple strength development; they are designed to build control, stability, and awareness—qualities essential for any tactical athlete. By using accommodating resistance and chaos training, you’ll develop the resilience needed to maintain tension and power under load in any environment.
Knowledge Transfer
Tactical athletes must be prepared to perform in unpredictable and unstable environments. Incorporating advanced techniques like accommodating resistance and chaos training is an effective way to build not only strength but also stability, control, and power. These methods force the body to adapt to changing loads and produce force throughout the entire range of motion. This prepares the athlete for the real-world demands of tactical operations.
By applying these training strategies, you will develop into a more capable and adaptable athlete—one who thrives under pressure and excels in any environment. Stay tuned for part 3, where we will learn to put it all together!
References
Behm, D.G., & Anderson, K. (2006). The role of instability with resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(3), 716-722.
Murray, A. (2021). Strength Training for Tactical Athletes: The Role of Accommodating Resistance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(4), 1012-1020.
McBride, J.M., Haines, T.L., & Kirby, T.J. (2010). Effect of resistance exercise volume and complexity on postactivation potentiation. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(2), 498-505.
Seitz, L. (2022). Dynamic Stability and Chaos Training: Enhancing Tactical Performance. Tactical Strength and Conditioning Report, 14(2), 45-50.
Simmons, L. (2015). The Westside Barbell Book of Methods. Westside Barbell.
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This ends Volume XXXIII, Edition 1, of the Lethal Minds Journal (01MAY2025)
The window is now open for Lethal Minds’ thirty-fifth volume, releasing June 01, 2025.
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