Randy Brown's Blog, page 4

‘10 Haiku about Operation Desert Storm’

Feb. 24, 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of the start of the 1991 coalition ground campaign to liberate Kuwait called Operation Desert Storm.

Hostilities ended in a cease-fire approximately 100 hours later, on Feb. 28, 1991.

The poem series “10 haiku about Operation Desert Storm,” by Randy Brown, first appeared in the anthology Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Vol. 6, published by Southeast Missouri State University Press 2017.

In recognition and reflection on this anniversary, this blog is daily posting one of these haiku poems. This is the first time these haiku have been presented in a visual format.

Haiku No. 2:
Origami plane /
a stealthy crease in the dark /
radar doesn't see.

‘10 Haiku about Operation Desert Storm’

Feb. 24, 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the 1991 coalition ground campaign to liberate Kuwait called Operation Desert Storm.

Hostilities ended in a cease-fire approximately 100 hours later, on Feb. 28, 1991.

The poem series “10 haiku about Operation Desert Storm,” by Randy Brown, first appeared in the anthology Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Vol. 6, published by Southeast Missouri State University Press 2017.

In recognition and reflection on this anniversary, this blog will daily post one of these haiku poems for the next 10 days. This is the first time these haiku have been presented in a visual format.

Haiku No. 1:
Boonie hat. Suede boots.
“Chocolate-chip” camouflage.
Gas mask on my hip.

Poet & Journalist to Speak at FREE Writing Seminar

The writer of the "Welcome to FOB Haiku" and the FOBhaiku.com blog will be one of six speakers featured at this year's Norwich Military Writers' Symposium, Oct. 7-8, 2020.

Hosted by the Norwich University centers for Peace & War Studies and Global Resilience & Security, and underwritten by the Pritzker Military Museum & Library Partnership, this year's event is being conducted entirely on-line due to concerns related to COVID-19.
Attendance is FREE and open to the public, with registration. (NOTE: Use browsers Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge for registration page; Internet Explorer is not supported.) (NOTE: All times are Eastern DAYLIGHT Time.)
Poet, journalist, book editor, and Military Writers Guild board member Randy Brown, who often blogs under the pseudonym "Charlie Sherpa," will speak on the topic of "Aiming to Publish: Military-themed Writing Tips, Techniques, and Markets." The talk is targeted to writing practitioners of all genres and media formats.
"I'm thrilled to be in conversation with present and future leaders, about how they can engage in professional discourse, not only through written argumentation and analysis, but also through literary and speculative fiction, creative non-fiction, and even poetry and comic books," says Brown.
Established in 1996, the Norwich Military Writers' Symposium annually gathers writers, historians, journalists and biographers to the campus of Norwich University, located in Northfield, Vermont.
One of six senior military colleges, the U.S. Department of Defense recognizes Norwich University as "the birthplace of Reserve Officers' Training Corps." The private institution serves more than 2,100 undergraduates and 1,300 graduate students via on-campus and on-line classes.
Past Norwich Military Writers' Symposia have covered topics ranging from "Future Battlefields," "Endless War," and "Cyberwarfare and Privacy." The theme of this year's event is "Weaponizing Water: Ancient Tactic, New Implications." For a teaser video, click here.
"Water and warfare share a long history, and today’s implications are equally strategic and tactical," organizers write. "From the power struggle in the Arctic, to the war over water in the Middle East, to conflicts in Africa from depleted water resources, the intersection of the environment and security is an issue that will shape the twenty-first century."
The annual symposium also highlights the William E. Colby Military Writers' Award, which recognizes "a first work of fiction or non-fiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of intelligence operations, military history, or international affairs."
This year's awardee is Adam Higginbotham, author of the non-fiction work "Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster." 
The 2020 event will feature six speakers using the GoToMeeting web application. 2 ​ 3 All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC-4):

9 a.m.—10 a.m., Wed., Oct. 7, 2020:Nadhir Al-Ansari, Globally Recognized Engineer and Author Topic: "Analyzing the Complexities of Hydro-politics and Conflict of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers"
11 a.m.—12 Noon, Wed., Oct. 7, 2020:David Kilcullen, Leading Global Security Expert, Thought LeaderTopic: "COVID, Conflict and Water: Lessons from the Arab Spring"
12 Noon—1 p.m., Wed., Oct. 7, 2020:Adam Higginbotham, 4 2020 Colby Award WinnerAuthor of: "Midnight in Chernobyl"
2 p.m.—3 p.m. Wed., Oct. 7, 2020:Sherri Goodman, Leading Environmental Security ExpertTopic: "Water and Climate Security in an Age of Global Disruption"
4 p.m.—5 p.m., Wed., Oct. 7, 2020:Randy Brown, Author and JournalistTopic: "Aiming to Publish: Military-themed Writing Tips, Techniques, and Markets"
6 p.m.—7 p.m., Wed., Oct. 7, 2020 (Via Facebook Live here.)Nicole Navarro, Norwich University Class of 2021, 2020 Schultz FellowTopic: "How the People’s Republic of China is Weaponizing Water Ports to Control Business, Politics, Perspective and Trade in Tanzania."

12 noon—1 p.m., Thurs., Oct. 8, 2020 (View on Norwich Writers' Symposium website here.)Panel discussion moderated by William Lyons

New Poetry at 'The Wrath-Bearing Tree'

The author of "Welcome to FOB Haiku" has new work appearing in The Wrath-Bearing Tree, an on-line journal of culture and politics often written from the perspectives of military family, veterans, and service members. Poems there are also often inspired by recent news events and headlines.

Randy Brown's new work includes three extremely short poems. Some are only a few lines in length.

"A literary journal editor once gave me the gift of calling one of my 'micro-poem' experiments a 'koan,'" says Brown. "A 'koan' is a "paradoxical anecdote or riddle a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, intended to provoke enlightenment. Her insight helped me unlock a mystery of my own making—just what was at work in these 'fragments of bird song?'"

"I wrote the poem 'America' after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but before the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis," he says. "It is a poem that keeps changing on me; every time I think I know what it's about, it shifts on me. I resisted the title, at first—it seemed potentially too on the nose, and maybe a little hackneyed. Now, I think it wouldn't work under any other name."

The three new poems are:
"daily exercise (haiku)"America""I tell my children"A former magazine editor and 20-year retired veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard, Brown embedded as civilian media with his former unit in Afghanistan, May-June 2011. Brown is a past winner of the "Untold Stories" competition sponsored by Flyway: The Journal of Writing & Environment, and a finalist in the Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards, administered by the on-line literary journal Line of Advance.

A former newspaper journalist, Brown encourages other poets and veterans to engage in artistic reactions to current events. News-driven poetry markets include, but are not limited to:
Rattle magazine's weekly "Poets Respond" feature.The Wrath-Bearing TreeThe New Verse NewsPoets Reading the News

'Unmasking' Poem Now on NewVerseNews!

The author of "Welcome to FOB Haiku" has a new poem appearing in The New Verse News, a website that regularly presents "politically progressive poetry on current events and topical issues." Poems there are often inspired by recent news events and headlines.

Randy Brown's new work, titled "Unmasking Procedures," contains language borrowed and adapted from a procedure familiar to all U.S. Army soldiers. The task involves the deliberate removal of protective gear when a test kit for battlefield chemical agents is not available. (There is no such test kit for biological agents.)

The procedure is described in the U.S. Army “Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks” (Skill Level 2) and related training. Most soldiers are annually tested on their abilities to correctly perform these and other tasks.

For troops, the unmasking process notably involves the selection of one or more soldiers—likely the lowest-ranking or least "mission-critical"—to serve as test subjects on behalf of a larger group. For more discussion of the ethics involved in such decisions, visit this link.

"This poem is in response to an on-going news story," the poet wrote as part of his submission. "The governor of my Midwestern state has repeatedly said that moves toward 're-opening the economy' would be deliberate and based on COVID-19 testing data. Despite continuing concerns regarding test accuracy and availability, however—as well as increasing infection numbers—the governor determined earlier this month to reopen most businesses statewide."

He adds, "I hope my poem's potential metaphorical connections are evident, regardless of readers' party affiliations or policy-positions. Further—given our shared experience—the poem might be a catalyst for respectful and constructive conversations, among veterans and non-veterans alike, and across the 'civil-military divide.'"

A former newspaper journalist, Brown encourages other military-adjacent poets engage in artistic reactions to current events. In addition to The New Verse News, Brown notes, news-driven poetry markets include:
Rattle magazine's weekly "Poets Respond" featureThe Wrath-Bearing TreePoets Reading the News*****
Photo caption: (From left to right) U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jesse D. Backman, an armor officer, and Cpl. Bryan D. Russell, Sgt. Patrick J. Sisler and Staff Sgt. Daniel E. Brun, cavalry scouts with B Troop, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, exit a CS gas chamber, Jan. 9, 2012 during quarterly Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear training on Fort Stewart, Ga. The “Bushmaster” soldiers received refresher training on the proper wear of the field protective mask and the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology protective garment, and gained confidence in their equipment by unmasking in the gas chamber. Photo by U.S. Army  Sgt. Mary Katzenberger.

Three New 'Micro Poems' about War

The author of "Welcome to FOB Haiku" has new work appearing in Collateral Journal Issue No. 4.2. The on-line journal—which twice annually publishes a mix of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art—"draws attention to the impact of violent conflict and military service by exploring the perspectives of those whose lives are indirectly touched by them."

Representing the author's continued experiments with minimalism, while exploring themes of war and its effects, three "micro poems" by Randy Brown appear in the issue. They are:
"Clausewitzian Nature Poem""a poem""just-another-day haiku"Other poets featured in Collateral Journal include: Former U.S. Navy corpsman Carlo André, U.S. Army veteran Kristine Iredale, and U.S. military family members Michaela Coplen, Jessica Evans, Mary Ellen Talley, and Anne Ward-Masterson.

Still more poems come from Alex Ewing, David Groulx, Sara Hailstone, and Imran Boe Khan.

Essayists Chelsey Mae Johnson and C. Christine Fair contribute to the issue's non-fiction section. Amanda Cerreto and Anita Lakshmi Powell contribute short fiction.

Graphics featured in Issue 4.1 are by Pakistan-born sculptor and painter Humaira Abid, now based in Seattle, Wash., who also participates in a Q&A interview feature.

'Consequence' Features Essay on War Poetry

Randy Brown, the author of the "Welcome to FOB Haiku," recently published an essay tracing his journey from "recovering journalist" and citizen-soldier to writer of snarky war poetry. The essay humorously commemorated April as National Poetry Month.

Earlier this month, "War, Poetry and the Places They Meet" was featured on the website of Consequence Magazine. Launched in 2009, the Massachusetts-based publication bills itself as "an international literary magazine focused on the culture and consequences of war."

In the esay, Brown writes:

My part-time military career was full of disappointments and joys, but it was hardly the stuff of movies and recruiting posters. I’d been an average soldier—a middle-manager in uniform. I was never the smartest, strongest, or highest-ranking person in the room. My Army job involved pushing buttons, connecting wires, and delivering messages. I never fired my weapon in anger. I did sling a few sandbags at home in Iowa. I got a combat patch for overseas peacekeeping duty. Still, as a National Guard member, I was proud to serve my community and my country. Through my service, I had experiences and made friends I’d never have otherwise encountered.

For me, poetry has been one way to assemble those fragments of memory, to add personal and historical contexts to them, and to extract potential meaning from them.

Read the whole essay for FREE here.

Listen Up, Maggots! It's National Poetry Month!

PHOTO BY: U.S. Army Sgt. Ken ScarThis post, written by the author of FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire, originally appeared on the Red Bull Rising blog April 6, 2016. It also was featured in the recent Military Writers Guild anthology Why We Write: Craft Essays on Writing War .

When packing for one of my first training experiences with the U.S. Army, back in the late 1980s, I knew that free time and footlocker space would be at a premium. I could live without luxuries like my Walkman cassette player for a few months. I also wanted to avoid avoid too much gruff from drill sergeants. So I stuffed a paperback copy of Shakespeare's "Henry V" into my left cargo pocket, wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag, as my sole entertainment.

If nothing else, I thought, I'd work on my memorization skills. ("Oh, for a muse of fire-guard duty …") Little did I realize that so much of my brain would already be filled, starting those summer months at Fort Knox, Ky., with the nursery rhymes of Uncle Sam. Training was full of poetry. Sometimes, it was profane. "This is my rifle, this is my gun!" Sometimes, it was pedagogical. "I will turn the tourniquet / to stop the flow / of the bright red blood." There were even times that it was nearly pathological. "What is the spirit of the bayonet?! / Kill! Kill! Kill!"

These basic phrases connected us new recruits to the yellow footprints of those who had stood here before, marched in our boots, squared the same corners, weathered the same abuses. Every time we moved, we were serenaded by sergeants. Counting cadence, calling cadence, bemoaning that Jody was back home, dating our women, drinking our beer. We learned our lines, our ranks, our patches, our places as much by tribal story-telling than by reading the effing field manual. Even our soldier humor was hand-me-down wisdom, tossed off like singsong hand grenades. Phrases like, "Don't call me 'sir' / I work for a living!" and "You were bet-ter off when you left! / You're right!"

Nobody's quite sure why April got the nod as National Poetry Month. I like to think that it's because of that line from T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland": "April is the cruelest month." Because that sounds like the Army. Besides, in springtime, the thoughts of every warrior-poet lightly turns to baseball; showers that bring flowers ("If it ain't raining / it ain't training!"); and the start of fighting season in Afghanistan.

Poetry, I recognize, isn't every soldier's three cups of tea. Ever since I entertained my platoon mates with Prince Harry's inspiring St. Crispin's Day speech, however, I've enjoyed sneaking poetry into the conversation. Perhaps more soldiers would appreciate poetry, were they to realize the inherent poetics of military life:

Every time you go to war, you are engaged in a battle for narrative. Every deployment—individually as a soldier, or collectively as an Army or nation—is a story. Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Every story is subject to vision, and revision. History isn't always written by the victors, but it is re-written by poets. Treat them well. Otherwise, they will cut you.

Every time you eat soup with a knife, you are wielding a metaphor. Every "boots on the ground," every "line in the sand," every Hollywood-style named operation ("Desert Shield"! "Desert Storm"! "Enduring Freedom"!) is a metaphor that shapes our understanding of a war and its objectives. If you don't understand the dangerous end of a metaphor, you shouldn't be issued one.

(There's also a corollary, and a warning: As missions change, so do metaphors. In other words, when a politician trots out a new metaphor for war, better check your six.)

Every poem is a fragment of intelligence, a piece in the puzzle. A poem can slow down time, describe a moment in lush and flushed detail. It can transport the reader to a different time, a different battlefield. Most importantly, a poem can describe the experience of military life and death through someone else's eyes—a spouse, a villager, a soldier, a journalist. Poetry, in short, is a training opportunity for empathy.

Soldiers like to say that the enemy gets a vote, so it's worth noting that the enemy writes poetry, too. Like reading doctrine and monitoring propaganda, reading an enemy's verse reveals motivations and values. Sun Tzu writes:

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Every time you quote a master, from Sun Tzu to Schwarzkopf, you are delivering aphorism. I liken the aphorism—a quotable-quote or maxim—to be akin to concise forms of poetry, such as haiku. In fact, in my expansive view, I think aphorisms should count as poetry. In the world of word craft, it can take as much effort to hone an effective aphorism than it does to write a 1,000-word essay. Aphorisms are laser-guided missiles, rather than carpet bombs. We should all spend our words more wisely.

Reading a few lines connects us to the thin red line of soldiers past, present, and future. Poetry puts us in the boots of those who have served before, hooks our chutes to a larger history and experience of war. The likes of Shakespeare's "band of brothers" speech, John McRae's "In Flanders Fields," and Rudyard Kipling's poem "Tommy" continue to speak to the experiences and sentiments of modern soldiers.

I am happy to report that more-contemporary war poets have continued the march.

Here's a quick list to probe the front lines of modern war poetry: From World War II, seek out Henry Reed's "The Naming of Parts." For a jolt of Vietnam Era parody, read Alan Farrell's "The Blaming of Parts." From the Iraq War, Brian Turner's "Here, Bullet." In this tight shot group, modern soldiers will no doubt recognize themselves, their tools, and their times. Here is industrial-grade boredom, an assembly line of war, punctuated with humor and grit, gunpowder and lead.

Want more? Check out print and on-line literary offerings from Veterans Writing Project's "O-Dark-Thirty" quarterly literary journal; Military Experience & the Arts' twice-annual "As You Were"; the "Line of Advance" journal; and Southeast Missouri State University's "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" annual anthology series.

Finally, you can buy an pocket anthology of poetry, such as the Everyman's Library Pocket Poets edition of "War Poems" from Knopf, or Ebury's "Heroes: 100 Poems from the New Generation of War Poets." Stuff it in your left cargo pocket. Read a page a day as a secular devotional, a meditation on war. Or, pick a favorite poem, print it out, and post it on the wall of your fighting position or office cube. Read the same poem, over and over again, during the course of a few weeks. See how it changes. See how it changes in you.

Remember: It's National Poetry Month. And every time you read a war poem, an angel gets its Airborne wings.

*****

Randy Brown embedded with his former Iowa Army National Guard unit as a civilian journalist in Afghanistan, May-June 2011. He authored the poetry collection Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire. Recently, he co-edited the Military Writers Guild anthology Why We Write: Craft Essays on Writing War. He is the current poetry editor of Military Experience and the Arts' "As You Were" literary journal, and a member of the Military Writers Guild. As "Charlie Sherpa," he blogs about citzien-soldier culture at www.redbullrising.com and military writing at www.aimingcircle.com.

New 'Why We Write' Features War Poets!

Featuring more than 60 leading and emerging writers of military- and war-themed fiction, non-fiction, journalism, poetry, and more, the anthology "Why We Write: Craft Essays on Writing War" launches TODAY, Dec. 10, 2019 in both print and Kindle e-book formats!

The Middle West Press LLC project is in partnership with the Military Writers Guild. Contributors include service members past and present, as well as scholars, historians, journalists, and civilians with experiences in international relations and national security.

The book coincidentally features the musings of a number of published war poets, including but not limited to:
Bill McCloud , author of "The Smell of the Light: Vietnam, 1968-1969" Hugh Martin , author of "The Stick Soldiers" and "In Country" Colin D. Halloran , author of "Shortly Thereafter" and "Icarian Flux" Randy Brown , author of "Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire")The anthology's title echoes Frank Capra's patriotic "Why We Fight" films of World War II, the cover by illustrator Paul Hewitt of Battlefield Design reinterprets propaganda poster images from the same era.

Response to the anthology from other war writers has been overwhelming and positive:

"Page by page, line by line, these men and women—veterans and civilians of various eras and nations—speak the truth about what it is like not just to fight, but to write," notes U.S. Army veteran Doug Bradley, author of "Who'll Stop the Rain: Respect, Remembrance, and Reconciliation in Post-Vietnam America" as well as other non-fiction and fiction about that war. "'The power of a good story is as important as the sharpest policy paper,' writes one Vietnam-veteran senator's son. As a U.S. Navy chopper pilot who himself flew in Afghanistan, he couldn't be more accurate. Read this book and discover what he means!"

U.S. Marine veteran and literary agent Tracy Crow says:

"A notable first, 'Why We Write' delivers immeasurable, experiential wisdom from an impressive range of military voices regarding the power and impact of writing—on the self, on the truth, and ultimately on the world. […] The courageous contributors within 'Why We Write' are filling a disturbing void for humanity by expressing a sense of urgency and historical reflection about the complexities of war—whether writing and reflecting on the insanely humorous, or the insanely atrocious."

Crow also serves as president of the national non-profit MilSpeak Foundation, Inc., and is the author of six military-themed fiction and non-fiction titles, including "On Point: A Guide to Writing the Military Story."

The "Why We Write" anthology comprises four sections, each loosely organized around a theme:
Calls to Action, Calls to Arms: Stories of how-to and inspiration toward engaging the public and/or the military profession through writing!War Stories: Stories of writing success and lessons-learned!Building Bridges & Platforms: Stories of how-to and inspiration toward building connections, communities, organizations, author platforms, etc.!The Arts of War & Writing: Essays about writing literary fiction, genre fiction, poetry, history, and more!Women make up approximately one-third of the anthology's contributors. Approximately two-thirds of the contributors are past or present members of their respective countries' armed forces, with the remaining one-third being "civilians"—journalists, scholars, historians, and more. Military Writers Guild members comprise approximately one-fifth of contributors.

To order the $19.99 (U.S.) print version via Amazon.com, click here!

To order the $9.99 (U.S.) Kindle e-book version, click here!

To order via an independent bookstore, contact Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Iowa at: 515.279.5400. Phone orders only. Shipping & Handling approximately $4 (U.S.).

Anthology co-editor Randy Brown is an award-winning war poet (Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire) and U.S. Army veteran who embedded as civilian media in Afghanistan in 2011. A former newspaper and magazine journalist, he previously edited the book Reporting for Duty: U.S. Citizen-Soldier Journalism from the Afghan Surge, 2010-2011.
Widely published in literary journals and anthologies, Brown has also written the Red Bull Rising military blog since December 2019. He writes about military-themed writing techniques and markets at The Aiming Circle blog. He is a member of the Military Writers Guild. On Twitter, follow him at: @FOB_Haiku

Steve Leonard is a retired U.S. Army strategist, a program director in organizational leadership at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and the creative force behind the web comic Doctrine Man!! He is published widely, including in the anthologies Strategy Strikes Back: How Star Wars Explains Modern Military Conflict, and Winning Westeros: How Game of Thrones Explains Modern Military Conflict. He is a member of the Military Writers Guild. On Twitter, follow him at: @Doctrine_Man

Established in 2017 for the purpose of promoting professional collaboration in the practice of writing, the national non-profit Military Writers Guild has grown to comprise more than 150 past and present service members, as well as civilians with experiences in international relations, national security, journalism, and intelligence.

Middle West Press LLC is a Johnston, Iowa-based editor and publisher of non-fiction, fiction, journalism, and poetry. As an independent micro-press, it publishes one to four titles annually. “Why We Write” is the first of its projects conducted in partnership with an association, and the fifth of its titles involving war and military themes.

Poet is Finalist in Darron L. Wright Awards

Randy Brown, author of the 2015 collection "Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire," was recently named a poetry finalist in the Fourth Annual Col. Darron L. Wright awards, for a new work that involves the Buddhist concept of desire in a war-writing context.

"I'm not a Buddhist, but I like to think I've been exposed to some of the basics, via the lives and examples of some of my fellow military veterans," says Brown. "I use this poem to remind me to be mindful and humble, to practice my craft daily and to not want too much. Basically, to take joy in small things—including our shared, flawed humanity."

Administered by the Chicago-based on-line literary journal "Line of Advance," and underwritten by the Blake and Bailey Foundation, the awards commemorate a U.S. Army leader who was killed in a September 2013 parachute training accident.

Brown's poem, "Robert Olen Butler wants nachos" explores the Buddhist concept of desire, through a light-hearted anecdote from the War, Literature & the Arts conference conducted at the U.S. Air Force Academy in September 2018. The poem evokes the name of Vietnam War veteran Robert Olen Butler, who is author of 12 novels and 6 short-story collections, and was one of the event's keynote speakers.

You can read the poem in its entirety here.

In the announcement, editors at Line of Advance wrote: "[All of this year's submissions exhibited] care and effort and honesty. We received many prose submissions. Some were from regular contributors and some from new voices. The same goes for the poetry submissions."

In addition to Brown's third-place poem, other poetry recognized included:
First Place: "How Could You Do That" by Eric ChandlerSecond Place: "Good Soldier" by Sarah MaplesProse recognitions—a combined category comprising fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid forms—included:
First Place: "A Jeep to Quang Tri" by William UptonSecond Place: "American Spirit" by Bruce KergThird Place: "Talisman" by Travis KlempanNow in its fourth year, the writing contest is named after U.S. Army Col. Darron L. Wright. The contest is regarded by many as one of three proven, top-quality recurring competitions involving writing by military service members, veterans, families and others. In addition to other assignments, Wright served as battalion operations officer for 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., with whom he deployed to Iraq from 2003 to 2004.

Wright was next assigned as brigade executive officer with 4th Brigade, 4th Inf. Div., Fort Hood, Texas, with whom he deployed to Iraq from 2005 to 2006. He commanded the 1st Battalion, 509th Parachute Inf. Reg. at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. in 2007. From 2009 to 2013, Wright was assigned as deputy brigade commander for the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Inf. Div., with whom he deployed to Iraq from 2009 to 2010.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval War College, Wright authored "Iraq Full Circle: From Shock and Awe to the Last Combat Patrol in Baghdad and Beyond." in 2012.

Wright's full biography appears here.

"Darron L. Wright was a larger than life Soldier’s Soldier. He was a physically imposing, direct, and skilled warrior," the Line of Advance editors wrote when the award was first launched.

He was also witty, hilarious, generous, kind, and wholly consumed with love for his family. He will certainly be missed but he will never be forgotten. His intellectual curiosity, boundless optimism, and untiring work ethic, allowed him to reach heights he could only dream of as a young boy growing up in Mesquite, Texas. It is in this spirit that the Darron L. Wright Award was created, to inspire fellow military writers and poets to aspire to become better and more accomplished at their craft and at telling their story.