THE BLOG

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.