THE BLOG

There is a side of leadership they don't teach in the manuals—the moment when doing the right thing means breaking a soldier you genuinely admire.

At 17, I was thrown into Fort Sill's Criminal Confinement Facility for failing inspection. What happened next taught me everything about surviving toxic military leadership—and became the defining moment of my military career.

What happens when troops are idle? The "good idea fairy" shows up. Lt. Col. Jason Pike shares hard-earned lessons on military mission creep from Afghanistan and Vietnam—and why Venezuela might be headed down the same dangerous path.

We all have regrets. Looking back after writing my memoir, I was surprised to find I only carried two. One was professional—walking away from Ranger School out of fear. The other was personal—wishing I'd had more than one child. Two regrets. One in uniform, one in family.

Afghanistan has been called 'a place where empires die.' This Afghanistan war veteran perspective comes from serving there from 2011-2012, witnessing firsthand the primitive conditions and understanding why our withdrawal, though criticized, was always going to be messy. Here's what really happened.

After earning his master's degree in Agriculture, Jason Pike faced complete career failure—100% rejection from hundreds of job applications. No interviews, no offers, just endless rejection letters. But sometimes our greatest failures become the doorway to our true calling. This is the story of how rejection redirected one man toward an extraordinary 31-year military career and the lessons that changed everything.

From a small South Carolina town to Clemson University, Lt. Col. Jason Pike shares how Dr. Loyd Blanton's innovative teaching methods helped him overcome learning disabilities and develop critical thinking skills that shaped his 31-year military career. This powerful story reveals why applied learning trumps rote memorization and how to focus on knowledge that truly matters in life.

My father called himself a 'bastard child,' but despite his harsh beginnings as a drifting orphan who stole food to survive, he became the best father I could ask for. His story of rising from extreme poverty to creating the loving family he never had shows how pain can fuel purpose. Through books and determination, he transformed his tragic circumstances into a father's legacy that shaped my entire life.

I Am a Soldier Against All Odds, and what follows is a genuine and frank account—the good, the very bad, and the very ugly—of my thirty-one years in uniform. Diagnosed at age seven with an acute learning disability and failing first grade, I was told that none of it would be possible. My story is one of perseverance, and a refusal to quit, no matter what—a characteristic gifted to me by my father.

My father, who climbed from poverty to provide for his family, taught my brother and me unconventional lessons through watermelon theft, midnight snacks, and mischievous adventures—always with the instruction 'Don't tell your mama!' These secret moments shaped our understanding of masculinity, survival, and family while creating a hidden world between fathers and sons that contrasted sharply with the structured environment my mother maintained.

Lt. Col. Jason Pike: Combat veteran, bestselling author of military memoirs sharing resilience through adversity and veteran resources.

A 31-year Army veteran reflects on how military life has evolved, from barracks conditions and mess halls to gear quality and compensation.

If you’re struggling to get a response from your Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare provider, consider these tips.

Finding mental clarity and better sleep by disconnecting from the news cycle. Discover the unexpected benefits of unplugging.

Have you collected all the VA benefits you deserve? If you served, you deserve it.

A Lifelong Battle with Learning Problems and Triumphs in Military Service.

A mentor could have provided invaluable guidance through the ups and downs.

Spending holidays away from family as a soldier brings a unique mix of feelings, blending duty with a lingering ache for home.

Understanding human anxiety.

Setting priorities is one of the most valuable skills in any profession.