The Dogtag Chronicles

DTC is a place where military members and civilians can share stories, vent and connect with like minded people. It is about our perspectives in our own words. Unedited. Reblog pics and articles to spread the word. Common sense rules should be enough.

[thedogtagchronicles]

Boba Fett isn’t Special Forces he is Still Just a POG

I was going to let this go, but they kept pushing and someone has to say it. Boba Fett is a POG. He sucks by any objective measure.

One of them is a hard charging, life taking operator and it isn’t the guy on the left. By: Peter Sessum No, Boba Fett isn’t the “quintessential Special Forces soldier of the ‘Star Wars’ universe” or even “much more than just a badass galactic warrior” as Task & Purpose (T&P) states in their clickbait article Why Star Wars’ Boba Fett is the ultimate Special Forces soldier. He isn’t SF, in fact,…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

The US Military is Set Up for Failure in Ukraine

I hope I'm wrong, I hope history proves me to be very wrong or that there is a ton of information I don't know that will change the outcome. But from where I'm sitting, it seems like the US is set up for failure in Ukraine.

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Boba Fett is Still a POG

I said it before and I'll say it again, Boba Fett is a POG. I stand by that.

BY: Peter Sessum Maybe Boba Fett would be better if he relied on skill and not his armor to protect him. With the new Disney Plus series Book of Boba Fett coming out, it is time to revisit my earlier post, Boba Fett is a POG. Using Star Wars canon, on screen activities and off-screen conclusions, not only will I support earlier arguments, but have new points to prove his POG status. For the…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Why the Endless War Failed

Why the Endless War Failed. One vet's perspective on the two reasons western efforts failed in Afghanistan.

By: Peter Sessum The war in Afghanistan was a colossal failure that historians will speak about for generations to come. From the perspective of this veteran, who spent multiple years in Afghanistan in a number of different roles, the coalition efforts in Afghanistan had been failing for years. According to a study at Brown University, the 20-year war in Afghanistan cost the United States $300…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Where Were You on 9/11? From the School House to the Sandbox

Where Were You on 9/11? From the School House to the Sandbox

By: Peter Sessum It was, admittedly, an inauspicious start to the day the world changed. So, there I was, at the Defense Language School (DLI), no shit. I was on the unit volleyball team, practice had ended and I had just changed into my duty uniform. I saw a group silently gathered around the lobby television on my way out. I stopped to look at what had everyone’s attention and saw a plane…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

The Afghanistan was a Charlie Foxtrot; Because of course it was

The Afghanistan was a Charlie Foxtrot; Because of course it was

By: Peter Sessum Like many other veterans I have been asked what I thought about the recent events in Afghanistan a lot in the past week. My response is always the same, “America’s pull-out game is weak.” This was always going to be a cluster fuck and, honestly, it should have been done a long time ago. Military officers, politicians and the goldfish attention span of the American people doomed…

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[soldierporn]

SOLDIER STORIES: Take time to learn about the invisible wounds of war.

[soldierporn]

Medal of Honor Recipient Ty Carter’s Advocacy in Historical Context

The Obama administration and the media have appropriately brought attention to this unquestionable hero’s frank public battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and his advocacy for fellow veterans. Carter is known for his opposition of the classification of the condition as a disorder, rather than a normative stress response to extreme danger.[2] Carter’s position mirrors the conclusions of physiological centered doctors from Jonathan Shay to Hans Selye, sometimes referred to as “the father of stress,” and speaks to the value of intuitive understanding as well as the scientific method.[3] It is important to note that while Carter’s public advocacy is important by its own right, it is more appropriately interpreted within a longer tradition of American military heroes using their Medal of Honor to advocate for other veterans or to condemn the horrors of warfare.

…

Ty Carter’s recent advocacy is commendable, but, from a historical perspective, it is not new. Had Audie Murphy’s similar advocacy not fallen on deaf ears, perhaps Carter’s would be unnecessary. Tragically, Carter’s advocacy will probably carry the same result of his predecessors. War should not be meaningless or a racket, but when the voices of America’s greatest military heroes are silenced about the horrors of conflict it is understandable they would have conflicted feelings about their heroism under fire.

-Joseph R. Miller, Ph.D. Student (via PTSD: A Soldier’s Perspective)

[I highly recommend clicking through to read Miller’s full blogpost; the two quotes here summarize the controversial authenticity of his conclusions and it feels as though someone else is finally saying out loud what I’ve been thinking for quite some time now. -R] 

[just-shower-thoughts]

*What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger* is an insult to PTSD sufferers

[thedogtagchronicles]

Girl Among the Grunts

An observation of a woman in a deployed Infantry unit.

Camp Dobol Bosnia 1996. Not pretty, but it was home for a while. 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 a female was assigned to our battalion for the Bosnia deployment it surprised everyone, even the commander that selected…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Boba Fett was a POG

Boba Fett was a POG don't @ me. There is more action in the Mandalorian trailer than in all of Fett's scenes.

File this under “things troops talk about on guard duty” but with the launch of The Mandalorian on Disney+ this is a timely topic to write about. I understand that some might have strong feelings about Boba Fett being a POG, but if you objectively consider my reasoning, you will agree with me.

Why we think he is cool

There is an overwhelming belief that Boba Fett is awesome, and the reason is…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Hero’s Journey Home Step 5: The Turning Point

Hero’s Journey Home Step 5: The Turning Point. A deeper look into one veteran's journey.

The progression of the hero’s journey in movies and myths. Hopefully, for the vet it ends at home.

By: Peter Sessum

This is from five weeks into the Hero’s Journey Home project, a therapy program at the Seattle VA. I’m starting to see some benefits of this long term look at my military service. When I think about my entire military service, certain big issues pop out, but when examining a narrow…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Hero’s Journey Home Step 5: The Turning Point

Hero’s Journey Home Step 5: The Turning Point. A deeper look into one veteran's journey.

The progression of the hero’s journey in movies and myths. Hopefully, for the vet it ends at home.

By: Peter Sessum

This is from five weeks into the Hero’s Journey Home project, a therapy program at the Seattle VA. I’m starting to see some benefits of this long term look at my military service. When I think about my entire military service, certain big issues pop out, but when examining a narrow…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

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

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

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, Neo has answered the call to adventure, taken the red pill, crossed the threshold from the known world (the Matrix) into the unknown (the real world) and…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Why Dog and Pony Shows Suck: The Veteran Perspective

Why Dog and Pony Shows Suck: The Veteran Perspective

As I lay awake in the wee hours of the Fourth of July, I can’t help but think of some poor private pulling guard on a Bradley Fighting vehicle in the middle of D.C. While politicians and the media are focusing on the cost of a military parade on our nation’s birthday, I can’t help but think about the enormity of BS that the troops are going through to pull off this Charlie Foxtrot. Here is why…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Hero’s Journey Home Step 3: The Call to Adventure

Hero’s Journey Home Step 3: The Call to Adventure. One veteran's perspective on joining the military.

By Peter Sessum

Week three of the Hero’s Journey Home project. The process remains more of dipping a toe into the process rather than jumping into the deep end. Last week, we talked about what was our call to adventure. For me, it was subtle, but for many that joined after me, the attacks on 9/11 were their call.

This week, we reflect on crossing the threshold from civilian to military life. Of…

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[thedogtagchronicles]

Hero’s Journey Step 2: The Beginning

Hero’s Journey Step 2: The Beginning. A veterans view on a VA treatment for transitioning vets.

The progression of the hero’s journey in movies and myths. Hopefully, for the vet it ends at home.

By: Peter Sessum

There is a feeling of déjà vu as I write this because I initially started the Hero’s Journey program two years ago. Unfortunately, at the time, life got in the way. I was able to complete all 12 weeks, but I didn’t keep up on the chronicling the journey. Unfortunately, now, I am not…

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