Brian Dickinson

18/09/2026

Here's a recent article I wrote for VAI on remaining Calm in the Chaos! Calm in the Chaos Podcast

When the plan disappears, what will you fall back on?

🚁 In Calm in the Chaos, Brian Dickinson explores how training prepares us to stay focused, communicate and keep functioning when everything changes.

Are you training for the moment everything goes sideways?

Read the full article → https://tinyurl.com/VAIWeekly

16/09/2026

There is nothing quite like life on a flight deck.

Mid-90s. USS Constellation. An LSE out front about to signal our helo to lift, with an F-14 in the background.

Everyone on and below that deck mattered. Every person had a role, and we relied on each other to get the mission done.

Some of the most formative years of my life.

So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸

Creds: Neil Sheinbaum

11/09/2026

Where were you?

JoAnna and I stood in the observation deck of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2000. Exactly one year later, on that same date, the towers fell.

For those old enough to remember that day, there was life before 9/11—and life after. We remember where we were. We remember what changed. We remember those who were lost and the courage and sacrifice that followed.

Never forget. 🇺🇸

08/09/2026

Labor Day Weekend - getaway with Emily to the North Cascades and then out east with JoAnna to see Dave Matthew’s at the Gorge.

02/09/2026

Quick getaway to Leavenworth. Hiked Colchuck Lake and spent some quality time with JoAnna. Hard to beat time in the mountains with your best friend. 🏔️

01/09/2026

Twenty

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

My little guy is all grown up. Doing amazing things, living his best life, and most importantly being a decent human and loving Jesus. I couldn’t be prouder of you, Jordan. 💕

18/08/2026

On my first Denali expedition, I struck up a conversation with a couple of DEVGRU operators who were also climbing the highest peak in North America. Somehow, in one of the most remote places in the world, we figured out we had a mutual friend: Kevin Houston.

We swapped funny stories about Kevin and shared some laughs.

The year before, DEVGRU operators Robert Reeves and John Faas had climbed Denali with a small team. Both were friends and teammates of Kevin, and all three would later be killed aboard Extortion 17 on August 6, 2011.

I think about that encounter differently now, especially as I write Kevin’s story. It’s a small world, and Kevin had a way of leaving his mark no matter where you found yourself in it.

*First pic is the DEVGRU climbing team heading out of basecamp on Denali. Additional photos are Robert Reeves and John Faas.

06/08/2026

8.6.2011

Fifteen years ago today, America lost thirty-one of its finest aboard Extortion 17.

One of them was my friend, Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston.

Kevin and I served together before he became a Navy SEAL. Today, I have the honor of writing his story. The deeper I’ve gone into his life, the more I’ve come to appreciate the families, friends, and teammates who still carry the weight of that loss.

“None of the men climbing aboard believed they were stepping onto an aircraft bound for history. They were doing what they had spent years preparing to do.”

Less than three months before that mission, Kevin gave his life to Christ. He was still the same loyal teammate, husband, father, and friend, but he no longer believed he had to carry everything alone.

Today, we honor every American who gave their life aboard Extortion 17.

Army National Guard: CW2 David R. Carter, CW2 Bryan J. Nichols, SSG Patrick D. Hamburger, SGT Alexander J. Bennett, SPC Spencer C. Duncan.

Air Force 24th STS: TSgt John W. Brown, SSgt Andrew W. Harvell, TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe.

Naval Special Warfare Support: SCPO (EOD) Kraig M. Vickers, CPO (EOD) Nicholas H. Null, PO1 Jared W. Day, PO1 John T. Douangdara, PO1 Michael J. Strange, and Bart, Military Working Dog.

SEAL Team FIVE: PO1 Jesse D. Pittman, PO2 Nicholas P. Spehar.

DEVGRU Gold Squadron: LCDR Jonas B. Kelsall, MCPO Louis J. Langlais, SCPO Thomas A. Ratzlaff, CPO Brian R. Bill, CPO Christopher G. Campbell, CPO John W. Faas, CPO Kevin A. Houston, CPO Matthew D. Mason, CPO Stephen M. Mills, CPO Robert J. Reeves, CPO Heath M. Robinson, PO1 Darrik C. Benson, PO1 Jon T. Tumilson, PO1 Aaron C. Vaughn, and PO1 Jason R. Workman.

Fifteen years later, we remember them. May we never forget.

03/08/2026

Great article! 🫡🇺🇸

Worth the read!

The Jack Carr profile story in AMERICA’S UNSUNG MAGAZINE

https://www.flipsnack.com/5BF6E76F8D6/au_april2026issue2

02/08/2026

The mountains lost a legend this week.

Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja lived a life that redefined what was possible. From serving with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas before becoming the first Gurkha selected for the UK’s elite Special Boat Service (SBS), to rewriting the history books in the world’s highest mountains, his life was marked by service, courage, and an unwavering belief that limits exist to be challenged.

The records will always stand on their own. But what I’ll remember most is how he elevated those around him. He championed Nepali climbers and Sherpas, led rescues when others couldn’t, inspired countless people to dream bigger, and changed the way the world viewed high-altitude mountaineering. He left the mountains, and humanity better than he found them.

Having made the journey from military service to the world’s highest peaks myself, I have a deep respect for the mindset it takes. Mine pales in comparison to what Nims accomplished, but I understand enough to know that every summit is earned, never guaranteed. The mountains don’t care about résumés, records, or reputation. Every climber accepts that reality long before stepping onto the route.

As we honor Nims, let’s also remember the others who never came home from Broad Peak: Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Bahadur Gurung, Nathira Ahmed, Mallory Geis, Sohail Sakhi, Gyalu, and Nwang Thendu. Each of them was someone’s son or daughter, husband or wife, teammate, friend, and fellow adventurer.

My prayers are with Nims’ wife, Suchi, their daughter, and every family carrying unimaginable grief today. They didn’t just lose extraordinary climbers; they lost the people they loved most.

Rest easy. 🙏🏻