From The Editor

I am happy to present Volume VII, Issue III of The Tarnished Truth. This issue comes later than intended and I have to report that my hectic daytime job workload necessitates changing from a quarterly to a bi-annual schedule. This will allow me more time to prepare and collect articles, and others to write something about their collecting experiences.

Though it has been a year since the last publication, it seems as though only yesterday I was coming out of the field from the experiences I mentioned in the last newsletter. I have since let my Troop through the month-long training at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, CA. There, we had the opportunity to “fight” against the 11th ACR, the Army’s top training unit. At the risk of oversimplifying the event, we put laser weapons on our vehicles and went out into the desert, not-so-affectionately called “The Sandbox”, and fought an engagement over several days. We finish our battle dirty, exhausted, and much better prepared for whatever the Army calls us to do.

In February, I was honored with the opportunity to take command of the Headquarters Troop. This position places me in command of many officers who share my rank, and those who outrank me. My job now is to mentor the other commanders, ensure the staff is adequately trained and resourced for missions, and most importantly, establish the command post for our Squadron to fight from. It has proven to be a challenging and rewarding thus far and teaches me much about the importance of employing different leadership styles.

I am currently competing for acceptance into the Olmsted Scholar Program. I have made the first cut from just under 300 applicants to 15. Pending the interview process, I will find out at the end of March next year if I made the final cut of 5 people. If I am so fortunate, I will be granted the opportunity to get a Master’s Degree in the country and language of my choosing. I am hoping for France/Belgium/Switzerland as French is a great trade language and Europe is an amazing continent. Having said that, I would happily accept wherever they saw fit to send me as any language I learn will benefit me and the Army. I will be sure to keep everyone posted!

I would also like to thank Charles Calkins, Mike Nottelmann, and Greg Hill for providing articles for this issue. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to submit numismatic-related articles on any topic of their choosing. If it is worth writing down, it is worth reading.

Happy reading and happy collecting.
Brandon Frei
WINS#868, Editor