Can you imagine graduating from West Point right as the Korean War started and then talking your way into getting orders to Korea? Paul Gorman did not only that but became an instrumental strategist in the US Army.  Author Mike Guardia recounts the amazing career of Paul Gorman in the new book, Danger Forward.

A 1950 West Point graduate, Paul Gorman entered the officer ranks during the inaugural years of the Cold War. Like many of his classmates, Gorman served on the frontlines in Korea and Vietnam.  As a young Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded 1-26 Infantry at the Battle of Bong Trang in 1966, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross – the nation’s second highest award for valor.

Between his two combat tours in Vietnam, Gorman became the principal architect of The Pentagon Papers, and served on the US delegation to the Paris Peace Talks.  In his last assignment, Paul Gorman served as Commander-in-Chief of US Southern Command – during the time of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, and when the US was actively supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. He retired as a four-star General in 1985 and now owns his own vineyard, Cardinal Point Winery.

Mike Guardia is an “Amazon Top 100” bestselling author. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He was named “Author of the Year” in 2021 by the Military Writers Society of America and has been nominated twice for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Book Award. And he currently lives in Minnesota.    

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Mike Guardia, check out his website here or connect with him on social media via Facebook or Twitter.

Resource Recon with Amanda B. and Amie

This week’s featured blog comes from one of our Experience Bloggers and AWN Command Team Special Projects Coordinator, Brooklyn Morgan , as she writes about a very tough, but not-talked-enough-about topic in her post titled, “Postpartum as a Military Spouse.”

In her blog post about her current experience with postpartum life, she shares with us readers that: 

Scrolling through Facebook, I am flooded with pictures of families smiling, kids playing, and other new moms with captions reading, “heart full.” I must stop scrolling because I can feel the tears coming down my face again. I had a baby 5 weeks ago, and I should be more like the photos I see of smiling faces. But most days, it takes all the strength I have to get out of my room. The dark side of having a baby that I was not prepared for was Postpartum Depression as a military spouse; especially when your service member is away.

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda B.

Today we are showcasing Army Wife Network’s Everyday Empowerment recipient, Brooklyn Morgan. Brooklyn is one of our Command Team Members at Army Wife Network, but I personally chose to nominate her for this since she is absolutely empowering, and all around, super woman!

A little about Brooklyn is that she is a Reading Interventionist for Kindergarten through 2nd grade, mom of now-three, and wife of 13 years to her high-school sweetheart. She earned a BS in Early Childhood Education, MSE in Educational Leadership, an ESL and Dyslexia endorsement, and is currently working on her doctorate of education with an emphasis on educational leadership, technology, and autism.

Her husband joined the military later in life. When he was 31, he was sworn into the Army National Guard and shipped off to Basic Training in 2020, then left in the winter to complete the Accelerated Officer Candidate School in Alabama. He commissioned in April of 2021.

Brook loves Jesus, being a mom, cuddling her dog, and spending time with her husband. She also enjoys learning, either about new educational topics or different military topics. She loves to make connections with other military spouses.

I nominated Brooklyn for this recognition because she is fiercely strong and empowering! She just recently gave birth to her third child without her husband present, continued to finish up her school year as a teacher, and is still a mama to two other kiddos! Brooklyn, I’m so proud of you and inspired by your strength daily as both a milspouse and mom. You are empowering to others and I just want you to know that I see you. You’re amazing, you’ve got this…you are a rockstar, my friend! I’m glad to have gotten to know the brave, wonderful, and empowering woman you are. 

Thank you so much to Brooklyn Morgan for doing your part to empower military families around the world.

News 6 with Jolene

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of July 11, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

Ukraine is Holding Defensive Position Against Russia

U.S. Officials announced that “The Russians are making ‘slow and uneven advances’ through northern Ukraine.” “What we have found is that Ukrainians are possessing a will and spirit that a good portion of folks just did not take into account,” said a U.S. Senior Military official. The Department of Defense reported, “The Ukrainians have given up ground to a much larger foe, but they have moved into better defensive positions. In this type of warfare, the advantage is with the defense.”

Air Force Slowing NCO Promotions

The Air Force announced that it will be promoting fewer NCOs over the next two years to “help resolve its recent workforce challenges, such as rebuilding institutional knowledge in a young and understaffed maintenance corps,” reported Air Force Times. Job numbers are expected to remain flat. 

Army Drops High School Diploma and GED Requirement

The Army has temporarily dropped its high school diploma or GED requirements to address an “escalating recruiting crisis hitting the entire Defense Department,” reported Military.com. The recruits may enlist if they are at least 18 years old and scored at least a 50 on the ASVAB. But the timeline is quick: those interested must ship to basic training by the end of the fiscal year, October 1.

“Extinct” Oak Tree Found in Texas

A rare oak tree, that was thought to be extinct, was found in Big Bend National Park in Texas. The tree is about 30 feet tall and in poor condition, said Good News Network. “Murphy Westwood of The Morton Arboretum says Quercus tardifolia is considered one of the rarest—if not the rarest—oak in the world.”

You can check out more of this week’s top stories here.

Thank You

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