What This Substack Is (and Isn’t)

Welcome.

If you’re new here, you’ve probably noticed this place doesn’t fit neatly into one box. That’s on purpose.

I’m a retired Army tanker with combat experience, a background in security, and a lifelong habit of thinking about how things actually work — and when they don’t. I also enjoy good cigars, real BBQ, decent whiskey, and cooking for my family. Sometimes all of those things show up in the same week.

This Substack is basically a 2003-style blog that happens to live in 2026. I write about whatever is genuinely on my mind:

• Security and military topics

• The health of a republic — past, present, and future — often through the lens of history and the classics

• Cigars I’ve enjoyed (and why)

• BBQ experiments, recipes, and weekend smoking sessions

• Occasional thoughts on life, culture, and the general state of things

I don’t stay in one lane because I don’t live in one lane. Some posts will be light. Some will be heavier. That’s just how it is.

What this isn’t:

• A tightly focused “brand” newsletter

• Purely political or purely lifestyle content

• Sanitized so nobody gets offended

I try to be direct and honest. If something matters enough for me to write about it, I’m going to say what I actually think. You’re always free to disagree — or unsubscribe if it’s not your thing. No hard feelings.

If you enjoy authentic writing from a guy who’s spent decades in uniform, worked in security, and still likes smoking a good cigar while wrestling with big questions… then you’re probably in the right place.

Stick around if you want. I write when I have something worth saying, not on a strict schedule.

Thanks for being here.

— Eric