Echoes of a Loss

“Two days after she learned that a roadside bomb had blown up her husband’s Humvee in Afghanistan, Dena Yllescas began typing her first blog post for family in Nebraska.  Her daughters — ages 7 years and 9 months — were asleep. Friends, who had rushed over with casseroles and cigarettes, had gone home. The 29-year-old…

A Christmas Homily

Christmas comes at a time of year where we, perforce, count our blessings, tally our losses and generally reflect on the year past.  We find this action common across national boundaries and racial divides and, all too commonly, it ends there.  The accountant’s take of the past year and if the blessings outweigh the losses,…

About that Global Warming Deal (II). . .

The wintry apocalypse has arrived in the nation’s capitol and its environs: (as of 1200L EDT) Locally: 12-13″ and we’re only half-way through the event (forecast 20-24″).  Having been in NoVA/DC for previous events (12-15″ at the time) I can predict with fair certainty that Monday will be an utter mess traffic-wise.  I know I’m…

CAPT John E. “Jack” Taylor, USN-Ret.

With the neck down in platforms, officer accession and student naval aviator (SNA) training pipelines, there is a certain homogenization characterizing Naval Aviation today.  Not that that is all bad mind you, especially when one considers the reduction in mishap rates and capabilities today’s anchor-winged warriors bring to the fight.  Still, for those of us…