From the Author

On Father's Day, most of us think about the men who taught us to ride a bike, throw a baseball, drive a car, or grill a hamburger. To their children, they were simply Dad.

The older I get, however, the more I realize that every father had an entire life before he became the man sitting in the recliner.

Many of the men I wrote about in The Fightin' Tenth: Cold War to Desert Storm are now grandfathers. Some are great-grandfathers. Their children know them as the men who coached Little League, attended dance recitals, fixed leaky faucets, and fell asleep watching television. But there was another chapter.

Before they became Dad, they were young fighter pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, crew chiefs, weapons troops, and spouses stationed on the front lines of the Cold War. They lived thousands of miles from home. They prepared daily for a war they hoped would never come. They carried responsibilities that would intimidate most adults today. And when called upon, many deployed into combat.

The remarkable thing is that they rarely talk about it. Not because they are hiding anything, but because to them, it was simply their job.

One of the unexpected joys of writing this book has been hearing from the sons and daughters of the men and women of the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Many have told me that they learned things about their parents they never knew. They discovered stories of courage, sacrifice, leadership, humor, friendship, and service that their mothers and fathers never thought important enough to mention.

That's a shame. Because those stories matter.

This Father's Day, I would encourage everyone to ask a few questions. What was your father's first job? What was he afraid of when he was twenty-five? What challenge changed his life? Who were his closest friends? What was he most proud of? What happened before he became Dad?

You may discover that the ordinary man you've known your entire life once lived an extraordinary story. And one day, you'll be grateful you asked.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, veterans, and quiet heroes whose stories deserve to be remembered.

A great place to read about military heroes is at Pass the Torch. Pass the Torch is an digital magazine honoring veterans of the past and igniting heroes of the future. Their initiative was born from a deep and unwavering commitment to honor the veterans and heroes who inspire us to live with purpose, integrity, and bravery in every aspect of life.

At Pass the Torch, the voices of veterans, military service members, and first responders are carried forward like a flame passed from one generation to the next. Each story is a spark that reminds us heroism is not confined to the battlefield. It lives in everyday acts of courage, compassion, and duty. These sparks have the power to ignite change, strengthen communities, and shape the legacy we leave behind.

By capturing these stories, they ensure their light continues to guide future generations. Pass the Torch is our way of honoring the past, inspiring the present, and awakening the hero within each of us. Check them out!

As we enter the holiday season, it's easy to picture Christmas trees, warm family dinners, and the sound of familiar carols. But for those who serve — and their families — Christmas sometimes looks very different. I'd like to share one such story from December 1990, outlined in Chapter 20 of THE FIGHTIN' TENTH. when the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron prepared to leave Hahn Air Base, Germany, for war in the Persian Gulf…on Christmas morning.

10th would be deploying around Christmas to join two F-16 squadrons from Shaw AFB already in-theater. The 10th would become part of the newly formed 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional).

Lt Colonel Ed "Julio" Houle and Lt Col Steve "Woody" Wood faced enormous logistical and personnel challenges. Air Force personnel policies restricted any pilot whose tour ended before July 1991 — meaning that nearly one-third of the deploying 10th TFS pilots were unfamiliar faces, pulled from other Hahn squadrons in mid-November.

Meanwhile, squadron families tried to hold together a sense of normalcy. Spouses decorated their homes with lights and wreaths — even as mobility orders and desert camouflage replaced ornaments and carols. Wives and children navigated language barriers, doctor appointments, and empty dinner chairs, unsure when — or if — they'd reunite.

And then, on Christmas morning 1990, Captain Steve LaVoye, Officer-in-Charge of the Blue Aircraft Maintenance Unit, boarded the first aircraft with 13 of his best maintainers. Their destination: an "undisclosed desert location". There, he greeted every aircraft carrying Blue AMU troops — no matter the time of day or night — becoming a stabilizing presence in a war zone full of uncertainty.

Chief Master Sergeant Don Easter, a veteran of Vietnam, rushed back from leave and swiftly coordinated with the 50th Aircraft Generation Squadron to identify and assemble the most experienced and mission-ready maintainers across Hahn's units. Drawing on their diverse expertise and proven track records, he ensured they were seamlessly integrated into the Blue AMU's deployment package. The stakes were high and timelines tight — there would be no room for error. Together, they forged a cohesive and combat-ready maintenance team, united by shared purpose and professionalism. With no off-the-shelf plan to guide them, they built a combat deployment package so efficient it required 27 C-141 sorties to transport over 400 personnel, dozens of pallets of equipment, and a mobile support operation — all assembled in weeks.​

Under Julio's, Woody's, Steve's, and Chief Easter's leadership, the Fightin' Tenth became combat-ready under impossible constraints. And while much of the world sat down to open presents or attend midnight Mass, they and their families gave something far more profound: presence without recognition, readiness without fanfare, and sacrifice without applause.

So this Christmas, as we enjoy the peace and prosperity their generation helped secure, may we also pause to remember that such peace was not — and is not — free.

With deepest gratitude

In November 2025, six lawmakers released a video that stated, "Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders" without including any specificity as to what illegal orders have been issued, or may be issued in the near future. The lawmakers defended their actions, stating they were upholding their oath to the Constitution and were simply restating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which requires service members to obey only lawful orders.

These statements are not helpful, and clearly political.

As an Officer who served for seven years, I can tell you that our responsibilities under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) are very familiar to all military members. There's no need for anyone to remind us.

What these statements do create is fear, uncertainty, and doubt in many military members. And that is not good. In fact, that can be deadly. The military operates daily in a high-stakes environment. Orders must be followed in the timeframe given or the consequences can be dire. Orders cannot be litigated on the front lines, nor can we imbue a sense of hesitancy into the reactions of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Which leaves one wondering…what are the motives of these six lawmakers in launching an unsolicited, coordinated video message?