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.
The new project is called Battlefields, and it is an eclectic collective of military veterans, first responders, and their supporters, who share their thoughts and experiences on the front lines and the home front through The Epoch Times. The Battlefields Project 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, there are several highlighted articles worth checking out:
A Deck of Many Things: Reflections on Colin Powell and Iraq, 20 Years Later: 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.
You Are Not a Mother, You Are a Soldier: Written by Mirna Velez De Mansilla, this commentary reflects on a comment made to a newly pinned staff sergeant, and highlights the complexities of juggling the responsibilities of parenting and managing a military career.
Afghanistan Knocked Me Down–Faith Picked Me Up: This article, written by former Army Ranger Mike Kelvington, highlights the importance of spiritual fitness in dealing with combat and loss.
Why You Want Cops to Have a Warrior’s Mindset: This article, written by Army veteran and current police officer Ayman Kafel, highlights the similarities—and important differences—between the military and law enforcement communities.
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) and now regularly contributes to Battlefields.
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?
- You’ve contributed a number of great articles thus far, most recently a piece that discusses reflections of Colin Powell and Iraq two decades later. Do you plan these out in advance, or just write as the mood hits you?
- 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?
- 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 can be found here; and you can find my work here.
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 served 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 holds an MA in International Affairs from Yale University and 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.
