​If you found this site for the first time, welcome to Post Traumatic Stress In Order (PTSIO). If this is not your first visit, welcome back. My name is Asha Hawkins, and I am an Army Brat, born in 2002 to Staff Sergeant Ron (Hawk) Hawkins and Sarah (Rajiv-Tamarov) Hawkins. First, let me tell you that I am a fictional creation of author, Major (Ret.) Scott A. Meehan. However, I represent many military kids (including his own) and will share my blogs a sixteen year-old Army Brat. Feel free to "pitch in" whenever you feel like it. I think you will find me quite an intriguing character.

By the way (BTW), you can add your own "take" to my character as well. Just submit your voice (in writing) to Major Scott A. Meehan on the contact form on his site.

Now, about my story: My father was sent to Afghanistan with his Special Forces team from Fort Campbell, Kentucky not long after terrorists flew commercial aircraft into the New York Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. He was part of a team that was sent to extract the Al Qaeda terrorist network and Taliban government who harbored them.

It was there during this period he met my mother, Sarah. Dr. Mohammed Rajiv took her under his loving care after her mother was shot and killed in crossfire between the Soviets and Mujahedeen during their occupation in the 1980s. Then, he raised her for nineteen years, teaching her many skills under his tutelage, which included multiple languages and medical nursing.

This is how my parents met: When wounded Northern Alliance forces came into the clinic in Dehi, my dad brought medical supplies from his team to assist with treating the casualties. Well, my mother was there also doing the same thing. Because they had been seen speaking to each other, my mom was scheduled for a public execution by the Taliban. I know–Craazzy! Right?

Word of this execution got to my dad who was back with his team. Pleading with his commander, he and another soldier, Staff Sergeant Chris Short, along with her uncle, Abdul Mohaqeq and some of his men went to rescue my mom. During the rescue, there was a “firefight” causing a lot of confusion and separation of the rescue team. As fate would have it, my mom and dad escaped together to a secret hideout in the harsh Hindu Kush Mountains.

After spending a few nights in a cave hideout that my mom knew about, my Christian father and my Muslim mother fell in love. I am very happy they did…for obvious reasons - hee hee, haaa, haa.

I mentioned that my grandmother was killed in one of those “firefights” but what I did not tell you was my paternal grandfather was also killed in battle. He was in the U.S. Army Delta Force and was shot during a 1993 battle in eastern Africa. My dad does not like to talk about it even to this day but he does bring all of us to my grandfather’s graveside to honor him every year on Memorial Day. I wish I would have known him.

Oh, who is all of us? I have two brothers, Caleb who is fourteen and Seth who is twelve, and an adopted sister, Mariam, who is my age, sixteen. My dad rescued her from ISIS in Iraq in 2014, when I was twelve.

Anyway, back to the story. Although mom and dad fell in love, they both had to escape the Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces hunting them down and unite with his team. Here is where I will stop for now because if you want to know the details, you should read their story yourself. Trust me, it is good! Oh, the book is called, 'Love in the House of War.' It is a novel. I am mentioned at the end of part one but am in part two quite a bit. It is also under the title: 'Two Tickets To Paradise.' The story about me at age twelve and the rescue of my sister is in part 2 of 'Love in the House of War,' and 'The Hawkins: Army of One.'

Please check them out for yourself, right here: 'Love in the House of War':
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07953GCBV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

'2 Tickets to Paradise': https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KYVG647

'The Hawkins: Army of One': https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R5DDNCT

Tomorrow, I will tell you more about Major Scott's Post Traumatic Stress In Order (PTSIO) campaign. 

Signing off for now!
Bah!
Asha Hawkins (One each)

The following story by Asha Hawkins is based on actual events that transpired on 19 April 2019 -

​Hiya’ll,

Asha here. I am blessed beyond measure because this is Easter weekend and over 2,000 years ago, God became one of us to die for all of us…if you believe of course. I do. Let me tell you about today, 19 April 2019, though.

I was with my friend, Kimi, at a walk-in clinic to have some blood work done. There were about a dozen of us scattered about the waiting room and I was engaged with Kimi, just chit-chatting away. Then, an elderly gentleman was trying to get his wife, who was in a wheelchair, through the front door. Her head was bent down the whole time as if she could not lift it.

Then, something very cool happened. About four different people jumped up to help the couple through the door. That was when I first noticed them coming in, since I was busy being a chatterbox (hee hee, haa, haa). But then I started to pay attention. The elderly man walked to the desk and inquired about signing himself and his wife in for some tests. The lady at the desk asked him if he had an appointment and when he said no, she told him that he needed one. Meanwhile, his wife sat still in her chair waiting patiently for him.

As he walked back to his wife, she asked him what was going on. He told her that they could not be seen without an appointment. She asked several other questions and seemed distraught that they would have to return home.

Here’s where it gets good. Before he could get behind his wife to lead her out the door, a woman in her thirties stopped in front of him and told him that she would make the appointment for him right now to where he was going to go. He thanked her and proceeded to give her the information she required to schedule his appointment. His wife kept interrupting with concerned questions, and he answered every one of them very kindly and patiently.

As this was transpiring, I could see that the woman who was helping him was having a difficult time making connections. That prompted me into action. I began the process of setting up an appointment for right here at the walk-in clinic. The staff wanted an appointment? I was going to give them one. I set everything up and when the woman’s name was called to go to her next station in the back, I was able to get through and jumped in the mix. “I have everything here” I volunteered.

The woman thanked me and went to her next station while the gentlemen sat next to me and finished giving me his information to complete the appointment. I learned that he was born in 1931 and that his name was Richard. I was able to get him the appointment right where we stood in 30 minutes (Still not sure why the staff couldn’t do this).

As I walked to the front kiosk to sign him in, another gentleman, probably in his late thirties or early forties came up to me, thanked me, and left me some money. “Oh, no sir,” I said. “I don’t need this…” but he insisted, left it, and walked away towards the exit. I thanked him as he left.

I went to sit back down with Kimi and Richard sat next to his wife who was full of questions—her head still hanging low. When she asked for a drink of water, Richard fished around behind her wheelchair when another man, probably in his fifties, with a GI haircut, had fixed a cup of water from the water fountain that was set up in the waiting room and brought it to him.

Within fifteen minutes, that man, Richard and his wife, and I were called to the back. Even here, the kindness of Good Friday continued. The man who brought water gave up his end seat for Richard while he maneuvered his wife next to him and the two began an introductory exchange. I overheard the man tell Richard about hope for the younger generation after all and he spoke of the hope during this Easter. Richard was well aware and said that the Lord and Savior died on good Friday for all of us.

As the woman in her thirties left, she thanked me and said her farewells to Richard. The man who had given them water and introduced himself as Scott, stopped to shake hands good-bye after he was finished, wish him a blessed Easter, and went on his way as well. Finally, I was finished so before Kimi and I left, I made sure to say my farewell also.

Kimi and I looked at each other as we left and smiled. It was truly indeed a Good Friday.

Verses for the day:
​
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 3:16-17; 12:46).

Hey everyone, Asha here. I hope ya’ll are doing good. I am, thanks!

Well, in my earlier blogs I mentioned my historical background (ya’ll can read them again if you want) in connection with Major Scott’s writing history. He, the major, asked me to update you readers and writers with an overview synopsis of his current author status and for the road ahead with his published books. So, here goes. I’ll give ‘er a try.

Past History:
The major’s first published book was, Stone In A Sling: A Soldier’s Journey. It was self-published in 2011 and later by iUniverse, Tate, and most recently, Creativia. This was his personal memoirs about his twenty-five year Army career from 1980-2005, when he retired.
​
The following year, he wrote his first fiction book, a Time Travel novella in 2012. Initially published as Eternal Eye with iUniverse, it is currently titled, Duty Recall and published with Creativia.

In the next two years, Major Scott published Love In The House Of War and Flames in Paradise, a two-part series that was published with Tate Publishing. He used the Pen Name, Al M. Scott with Tate. However, Tate went out of business and the two books were combined as one novel, Love In The House Of War, when it was published with Creativia.

During the year 2015, the major initially self-published and then published through Creativia, the sequel to Love in the House of War. This book is titled, Millennial Girl. The three-book, turned to two-book series follows the Hawkins family, an Army family beginning in Afghanistan and carrying on into the future.

So, there are four books published with Creativia: Stone In A Sling, Duty Recall, Love In The House Of War, and Millennial Girl.
 
Current:
Major Scott has revised the first, Love In The House Of War novella and released it independently as 2 Tickets To Paradise. The second novella, Flames in Paradise, that became part two in the full novel with Creativia, will soon have the revision released independently as, The Long Way Home. The third book in the series, Millennial Girl, has just been completed and the self-published revision is now titled, Cyber Souls.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NY9TYPK
 
Future:
The plans for 2019 and beyond—God willing—include three new releases within a year. They are: Stardusk, Escondida, and One-By-One. Additionally, Major Scott plans a Short Story Anthology release consisting of four of his written works: the people choice award winning non-fiction short story – Crossroads, Cold War In Berlin, Girl Alone, and Thunderbird.
​​
 
About Me—Asha:
So, where do I fit in with all of this? I’ll be happy to tell ‘ya. I was introduced in (spoiler alert) Love in the House of War when my mama announced her pregnancy to my daddy at the end of the book.

I played a much bigger role in Flame In Paradise, soon-to-be The Long Way Home. I was turning twelve and helped my mama with my two younger brothers while my dad was deployed on a Top Secret mission.

Finally, the books, Millennial Girl--now Cyber Souls, is all about ‘lil ole me—future me, that is, because I’m only sixteen now, ya know…hee, hee, haa, haa. Anyway, I follow the footsteps of my dad and become the first gir—female Green Beret…but not without cost. I shutter to think of that first part.
 
Road for 2019:
Major Scott has a website, PTSIO.org that is all about his way of keeping PTSD in order…with his writing. He also intends to support various organizations, such as “Fallen Patriots” https://www.fallenpatriots.org/scholarships-and-grants, “Covenant House” https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-issues/human-trafficking, and “Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking”  https://faastinternational.org/ with a portion of his book proceeds.

Additionally, the Major has a Group site on Facebook called, “The Desert Rock Reader’s & Writer’s Café”. Tune in here for live chats, contests, Q & A’s and many more. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/554929008307268/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Well, I’m exhausted. Afterall, I still have homework to do. You owe me Major Scott!
Verse of the day: “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed” (Exodus 15:13).
​
Bah’
Asha (One Each).

In the past week, I have visited the Optometrist to have my eyes checked and the Audiologist to have my ears checked. The results? I will need a new pair of classes…for the fourth time within the past year since my left eye continues to blur due to cataracts and later this month I will return to the VA to pick up my first ever hearing aids due to hearing loss in both ears. Ah, the joys of turning 60 in 2018.

Coincidentally, this past week while reading my devotions, I read where Abram (the name he had before Abraham) took God’s promise, to him and his wife Sarai, into his own hands and married Hagar, Sarai’s slave. As a result, she conceived causing dissension in the home to the point where Sarai mistreated Hagar, causing her to run away.

Later, “The angel of the Lord” found her near a spring in the desert. The angel told her to go back and submit to Sarai and that she, Hagar, would have descendants that would be too numerous to count. He also told her that she would give birth to a son and she was to name him Ishmael, which means, God hears. The name was given because God heard of her misery.

Because of this encounter, Hagar gave the name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). She also named the well, “Beer Lahai Roi”, which means, Well of the Living One who sees me (Genesis 16:14).

Throughout my life–even during my four tours of war to the Middle Eastern desert—when times were good or, like with Hagar, there were times of distress, I knew I could always count on the God who sees me and the God who hears me. He is one and the same…the Living God. In fact,  I thank him often for being the God who has seen and heard me wherever I have been…who sees and hears me wherever I am…and who will always see and hear me wherever I go.

Scott A. Meehan

Driving home from Johnny’s Diner after an early morning breakfast, I mentioned to my wife Trena how the past several years have been a blur because we have lived in one place for more than twenty years. In the past, I was able to remember dates and events by associating them with the places I lived, which until 1998, changed every three years or less. For example, I could remember who won the Super Bowl and the World series in every year from 1966 to 2000 by linking the memory to where I was at the time. However, I now have difficulty recalling who won the Super Bowl and World Series from 2005 to the present.

This morning, I read a verse out of Genesis concerning God’s directive to Abram (later changed to Abraham). An abstract of the first two verses reads as: “Go…to the land I will show you…and I will bless you.” These words have been applicable to me and my household over the past twenty plus years.

In early 1998, the Spirit spoke to me during my devotional time with God, in similar fashion. On one  particular cool afternoon at MacGregor Range, near White Sands, I was sitting in the bleachers on OP5 (where we launched Patriot missiles during training). That day, I read the following: “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”

Later that year, my wife, two high-school kids, and I (along with some pets) moved to Orlando, Florida, where we have been blessed since. In this span of time, I was deployed to the Middle East three times, I retired from the Army, both my son and daughter graduated high school and college, they married wonderful people, we have five grandchildren, my son survived a terrible auto accident (2016), I survived a heart attack (2017), and we (Trena and I) celebrated our 37th Anniversary.
I can honestly say that as for me and my household, we have served the Lord and we are truly blessed!
 
Scott Allan Meehan
 SaM

​Cover Reveal!

Hello everyone, let's have some fun!

In 2018 the high-quality book cover artist, Ravven (https://ravven.com/) held a contest for a free book cover. She began this contest in 2016 and has awarded two free book covers per year. The criteria for winning a free high-quality book cover from 2016 through 2018 was for an author to provide information about their upcoming book. This information included a Title, Author Name, a Tagline, Genre, Short synopsis, and the Theme.

For last years contest (2018), Ravven sought a story which featured a diverse main character and wanted this diversity represented visually on the cover. Then, she asked for authors to send their ideas.

I am honored to announce that I was one of the chosen winners!
Based on the information I submitted to Ravven, she artistically designed the attached book cover for my upcoming 2019 release, "STARDUSK."

As you can see, her work is impeccable!

How can you participate and have fun? Based on the cover design and title, I am asking you to submit a tagline, short synopsis, and theme on what you think my upcoming book is all about. The one closest to matching the information that I provided to Ravven will win a free STARDUSK, signed book upon release, along with an Amazon Gift Card for $20.00.

So, make your submissions and the best of luck.

Hey y’all ~ Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but my goal for the new year is to be victorious. Victorious in what, you might ask? How about everything I set out to do. It is a “Focus Forward” approach to anything I’ll face ahead. I think it is a good approach anyway, even if—well, no matter. A new year means a fresh start in my book. Oh, the Word has a few things to say about being victorious as well. Here are a few of them:

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4).

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

“To the one who is victorious and does God’s will to the end, He will give authority over the nations. He will also give that one the morning star” (Revelation 2: 26, 28).

Ya know what’s cool? Besides being victorious I mean. Have you ever gone outside in the morning before the sun comes up and notice the morning star, which is Venus, by the way? I do on occasions, when I feel like dragging my bod out of bed. Hee hee, haa haa. Sometimes I’ll go jogging with my dad or share a cup of tea or hot chocolate with my mom...if I’m not too sleepy. Anyway, it is the brightest sparkle in the eastern sky. Look at it through a telescope…really cool!

So, to the new year…be victorious! Or at least try your best and don’t let anything get in your way…especially the bad.
​
‘Till the next time
Asha (One each)

Hey y'all ~ Asha here. Some weather we're having these days, huh? A lot of us anyway. Kinda messy...but hoping for a "White Christmas."

So what's new? Ummm, well, Major Scott is up here in our neck of the woods (Tennessee) for a few days to see his folks. He brought along his oldest grandson, Jaden (age 7) with him. They are unable to do too much outdoors because of the weather, however, they did grab some seafood last night and then went to the Bristol Motor Speedway for a Christmas Light display. This evening, they'll go to a Christmas party at the Sheriffs office and see Santa Claus. They hope to see snow too.

The major missed his youngest (Makenzie) granddaughter's 2nd birthday though, and...the birth of his newest grandson, Jaxon Bryant Meehan, who came to the world at 8 pounds, 8 ounces! The baby and his mother, Mary, are both doing fine! The proud father, Aaron, and one of the two grandmothers have already had their pictures taken with Jaxon.

Other than that, not much else happning...hee hee, ha ha. It's just a joyful time of year, especially when my dad is home and not deployed during the holidays. I'll close with a scripture verse, as usual, although it is not your typical Christmas verse.

"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5).

Merry Christmas everyone!
Asha (One each)

Hey wait! It's starting to snow! Yipeee!

Makenzie turned 2 on the 20th

Major (Ret.) Scott Meehan with grandson Jaden at airport.

Mrs. Trena Meehan with newborn (21 Dec.), Jaxon Bryant.

The following Blog is from Major (Retired) Scott A. Meehan, the author of published books, fictional characters, starring Asha Hawkins, an Army BRAT, and founder of PTSIO. (Asha gets a break this evening).

​ As a twenty-five year Army veteran who spent his last three years in the Middle East fighting the "War on Terror," I, like so many others, can look back and make a fair, "arm-chair quarterback" assessment. I came across an interesting article from a recent Defense News magazine. In it, General John Murray, the US Army Futures Command Chief, talks about how the new command will change the service. 

To summarize his key-points, in my view anyway, he stated two things that were solid hits: 1. - "Successful force modernization requires sound assessments of the future, clear strategy and close collaboration among all force modernization functions — e.g., concepts development, requirements determination, technology development and acquisition." 2. - "...by as early as 2030 our Army may be dramatically challenged by a convergence of factors, including advances in low-cost sensors, precision-strike technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, biology, quantum computing and information technologies that will fundamentally change how we fight. Meanwhile, geostrategic changes — including urbanization and demographic shifts — may change where and why we fight." I would, however, change the word, "may" to "will" be dramatically challenged.

Absent from this article, again from my perspective, is a sobering Lesson Learned from the past war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.  What am I referring to? The major hindrances that kept us and will keep us from rapidly moving forward. I am referring to the nuances involved in political differences at the highest levels...more specifically, the obstacles impeding progress via the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) guidelines and on Procurement Contracting.

Experiencing first hand one of the primary methods used to save thousands of lives during *OIF and *OEF was the effectiveness of Contingency Contracting. The procedures used, although legal, were often improvised, methods necessary to solicit, procure, test, and close on contractual deals that filled in the life-saving gaps caused by long drawn out FAR contractual bidding and negotiations. This of course prevented timely deliverance of appropriate life-saving equipment and supplies that were absent during the initial launch of battle.

Everyone remembers, or should remember, the lack of armor on transport vehicles ridden by so many of our men and women of the armed forces during the early stages. Another FAR hindrance worth mentioning, was the drawn-out process in procuring the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that was needed immediately for the warfighters but not delivered until it was too late for many. 

I believe that General Murray correctly identified  the future challenges facing our Defense. This can be attributed to good business forecasting on his part. However, I hope that collectively we can recognize the stagnating processes of becoming too "wrapped around the axle" or rather, too bogged down with what I would call, "Red-tape bureaucratic legalism". We could then take swift action forward via preventive Contingency Contracting measures (legal of course), prior to any emergency situation before it arises.

Scott A. Meehan
USA, MAJ (Ret.)

* Operation Iraqi Freedom
* Operation Enduring Freedom
​