Author: Jason T. Strickland Special to The Gazette

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save My team sat in the fourth row of the Strategic Operations Center on the U.S. Embassy compound located inside the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. We were the intelligence element of Multi-National Force–Iraq (MNF-I) and…

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save There’s a 13-mile stretch of U.S. 287 north of Denver designated as the “Spc. Gabriel David Conde Memorial Highway.” The simple brown, rectangular sign with white letters doesn’t do justice to the heroic life of this soldier. I never met Gabe, but I can tell…

I’m matter of fact when it comes to decisions. I prefer no more than two choices. I’m confident I’ll make the correct selection. Once I decide, there are never regrets. It’s like visiting the optometrist and he starts flipping the lenses and asks, “Which one looks better: three or four?” Now, it might take me…

During my military career, I spent several Christmases away from family. In 1994, I was deployed with the 10th Mountain Division in Haiti. In 1998, I spent the holiday in Panama with the 7th Transportation Group. In 2003, I was a member of Multi-National Force–Iraq in Baghdad. Some of you spent more time away during…

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save As service members, we know how to unite around a shared mission. Whether you are an active-duty service member or a veteran navigating the civilian world, we know the immense power that lies in the strength of numbers. If you’re looking to connect with fellow…

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save I knew where every single armored brigade and division and mechanized infantry brigade and division of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Republican Guard was located as we commenced operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.…

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Veterans, dependents, survivors, and caregivers might be eligible for a broad range of benefits and services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These benefits are codified in Title 38 of the U.S. Code.…

“Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” Walt Disney famously said those words many decades ago. As I found myself in the Magic Kingdom last month, waiting in line in the rain to ride Tron Lightcycle Run (my teenagers said it was definitely worth the…

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save In May, Air Force Airman 1st Class Lauren Arduser was in a severe car accident that left all four limbs paralyzed and her neck broken On Tuesday, she’s going to fly down the slopes of Snowmass in a bi-ski for the first time. While her…