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Stress gets blamed for a lot. People treat it like the enemy—the thing breaking them down, clouding their judgement, and costing them performance. That's not the ground truth. Stress isn't the problem. Unmanaged stress is. The same pressure that crushes one person builds another. The difference isn't the stress, it's how it's handled (Southwick & Charney, 2012). Left unchecked, stress will stack, cloud judgment, and take control. But when it's understood, trained, and directe

This One Doesn't Give Second Chances A Field Brief on Fentanyl Risk for Veterans and the Leaders Who Serve Them Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid engineered for medical use but now dominates the illicit drug market due to its potency and low production cost. This isn’t speculation—it’s already playing out across the force and our communities. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, are now driving over 70,000 deaths annually in the United States, with veteran populations seeing a

Gunny's Ground Truth on Transition, Resilience, and Prevention When I hung up the uniform after nearly two decades in the Marine Corps, I realized something that doesn't get talked about enough—transition is its own mission. For years, Marines have operated in an environment built on structure, accountability, and brotherhood. You know your role. You know your team. Every day has a purpose tied to the mission. Then one day, that structure disappears. For many veterans, the ha

M. Diggs | The Ground Truth Let's get one thing straight right up front. Substance use disorder isn't just a health issue . It's a leadership issue. It's a readiness issue. And in too many cases, it becomes a life-or-death issue. I spent years working inside the Marine Corps Drug Demand Reduction program. I watched Marines lose careers, families, and futures over substances that started as "no big deal." A few beers after work. A prescription after surgery. A way to take the