Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Faint explains the importance of the new set of stories, straight from the front lines and the home front.
The Epoch Times is no stranger to telling hard-hitting stories that millions of people read regularly. But we have just opened a new section of our website, devoted to a special class of people with their own stories to tell.
In partnership with The Havok Journal, The Epoch Times continues to provide thoughtful and hard-hitting stories from military veterans and first responders through the Battlefields Project. Battlefields focuses on both the front lines and the home front, and enables the members of America’s Service Community to write about complex, emotional, and essential subjects that they are highly knowledgeable about, even tackling topics that most press chooses to ignore these days.
For example, here are a few articles by LTC (R) Faint that typify the wide range of subjects covered on Battlefields:
Yale University and the Loneliness of the Military Professional: (alternate link) LTC Faint attended graduate school at Yale University as a 40-year-old, seven-tour veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This article describes his experiences, and what he learned from his time there.
I’m a Veteran, Ask Me Anything (Again): (alternate link): The civil-military divide in America is real, and it’s growing. In this article, LTC (R) Faint presents an imaginary scenario between a combat veteran and a civilian, where no questions are off limits.
How the 75th Ranger Regiment Taught Me to Dance: (alternate link): “Life is too short… the Rangers taught me that.” In this article, LTC (R) Faint reflects on memories of a Daddy-Daughter Dance at West Point, and what he learned from a unit in which he never personally served.
A Deck of Many Things: Reflections on Colin Powell and Iraq, 20 Years Later: (alternate link): In this co-written commentary Iraq War veterans and best friends Charles Faint and Mike Warnock, reflection on the Iraq War and its aftermath, 20 years following how events unfolded. It’s a deep dive for those wanting to understand the veteran experience and learn from the mistakes of the past.
Based on these samples alone, you can see just what Battlefields is going for with its compelling storytelling. And that doesn’t even cover the Battlefields Project’s popular and growing list of podcasts.
With us now to discuss this selection of stories (and more) is Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Faint, who served for 27 years as an officer in the U.S. Army (including seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, all with Special Operations units). He owns The Havok Journal and operates the Battlefields Project for The Epoch Times, and regularly contributes to both.
Q&A:
- How did the creation of Battlefields come about? Did you approach The Epoch Times, or was it the other way around?
- What is the general reason for Battlefields? Were you looking to tell stories from the front lines that other media sites just didn’t have interest in? Or something else?
- Your most recent article on Battlefields talks about your experiences at Yale University as a conservative, 40-year-old combat veteran. What were some of your biggest takeaways from that experience?
- You’re not afraid to tackle the tough subjects as well, such as how there are some bad military leaders, as well as how most Americans feel that veterans may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Are these fairly difficult to put to digital paper?
- How has feedback been thus far from Battlefields? Where do you see the project in the future?
- Are you looking for others to contribute their stories as well, or would you say that the current team you have at the moment has everything covered?
- For those interested, where can we learn more about the Battlefields page, as well as your contributions?
The official Battlefields page is here; and you can find related content on The Havok Journal.
About Charles Faint…
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Charles Faint served 27 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. During his time in uniform he completed seven combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq while assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and the Joint Special Operations Command. He also earned seven college degrees, including a Doctorate of Business Administration from Temple University, and an MA in International Affairs from Yale University. In retirement serves as the Chair for the Study of Special Operations in the Modern War Institute at West Point. This article represents his personal reflections on the war in Afghanistan and is not an official position of the United States Military Academy or the United States Army.
CONTACT:
Jerry McGlothlin at: geraldmcg@outlook.com or 919-437-0001.
