Great News: Thriller Novel of the Summer Now Available !

Readers; I've worked long and diligently to produce my First Novel. After 2 Years of committed research, editing and writing, this  Summer's Thriller is now complete and available. 

11/11 - Retribution is now available at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983209848/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529548656&sr=1-2&keywords=11%2F11+-+Retribution++Jos.+R.+Walsh 
in both Paperback and kindle editions. 

This contemporary thriller has on its surface, the intense drama of a multi-target, multi-prong Jihadist suicide attack on the New York City subway system during the packed morning rush-hour. Delving into the plot of this story, we peer into the psyche of seemingly normal Western citizens enmeshed in the grip of Middle Eastern suicidal Jihad. 

The story opens with a dramatic and deadly encounter between NYPD Counter-Terror Transit Police and a Jihadi Suicide Attacker in a busy and crowded subway station. From there, we move into a tale of contemporary, Western Jihad. A principal theme of the story is the lure of alienated Western young men to Suicidal Terrorism. Another key component of this story is the intense, unyielding Maternal bond. An intense confrontation at New York's Grand Central Station with a suicide attacker, his mother, and NYPD Counter-Terror Officers presents us with thrilling suspense.

This work explores and explains the mysterious lure, along with the history and current strategy and tactics of modern-day Jihad. 11/11, the day of infamy for many Middle Eastern citizens as the victorious Western Allies commemorated their successful conclusion of ‘The Great War’, and proceed to divide Arabian territories as they see fit. The complete exclusion of those living in these areas, their total disenfranchisement, and subsequent reaction is a central theme of this novel.

We view the chilling details of a Jihadist Attack through the eyes of the plotters, attackers, victims, and Emergency Responders summoned to manage a multi-site disaster.

Excellent Reading ! jrw

 A New York State Police Trooper was shot and killed… 

Many Reporters, myself included, have been rightly concerned with and attentive to, the wide-ranging dangerous and possibly Felonious behavior of the Trump Administration. We should not however, get so caught up in the unfolding disaster that is the Trump Presidency, that we ignore other alarming and dramatic News.  https://www.nyspnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=57950

Like so many other brave and dedicated Emergency Service First Responders and Law Enforcement Officers across this great nation, New York State Police Trooper Joel Davis, left his wife and 3 teen-age children in their safe and comfortable home to go to work, in harm’s way on our behalf. And, like NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia and so many other Emergency Service Providers – his workday ended in Death.

http://www.schuylerhill.com/book-of-memories/2976446/Familia-Miosotis/service-details.php

All across New York State and America, every day, dedicated men and women leave their homes and families to serve in the face of danger, under frequently hazardous conditions to ensure that the rest of us remain safe and comfortable. It’s the work they choose; Public Service, in harm’s way providing Public Safety so that we may come and go, doing the things we need to do without dangerous interference or interruption.

One of the most dangerous situations Police Officers often face is the Domestic Dispute. The Domestic Dispute ranges from excited, often alcohol- fueled fights, to outright Homicidal adventures. Such was the case for NY State Trooper Joel Davis this night. On what is commonly called ‘Routine Patrol’, (although there is often nothing ‘Routine’ about it), Trooper Davis responded to yet another Radio-run for a ‘Domestic’.

Another fairly frequent potential nightmare scenarios American Law Enforcement and Public Service Officials face is that of our Combat Veterans suffering PTSD symptoms, and under the sway of Booze, and/or Drugs. Even without the Booze and Drugs, and absent any current Mental Health Issues, the Domestic Dispute is one of, if not the most dangerous assignments Police Officers face. Jealousy, Rage and Resentment are dangerous drugs in their own right. Rage-fueled Anger has been found in certain instances, to be form of Temporary Insanity.

So, Trooper Davis veteran of a hundred Radio-runs, including scores of Domestic Disputes, took-in another Job. Except this time, he did not arrive alive. As he approached the location of the incident, he was shot to death by a 32-year old maniac named Justin D. Walters. Justin Walters, an Active Duty Army Infantry Solider posted to Fort Drum, NY.  Davis had apparently just killed his wife, 27-year old Nichole V. Walters. Also shot by Walters was a girlfriend of Nichole.

Walters, it turns out, has been in the Army for 10 years, including 2 Tours of Combat Duty in Afghanistan. The NY State Police Public information was unable to immediately provide information as to whether Trooper Davis had any Military Experience. Many NY State Troopers do, including Combat Experience. Some Combat Vets are able to return and lead a fairly normal, even if painful, life. Others are not. God Bless Those Who Serve, and Those Who Mourn.

Nice, France. Dreadful. Avoidable ? 

Vehicle Borne Attack

Could the dreadful events of Nice possibly been foreseen ? Tragically;The Answer for Emergency/Security Planners  is Yes. This is the 3rd ‘Major Attack ,’ at Least 12th Incident in France in 18 Months. France itself has become a Soft Target.

ISIS has urged  for Lone Operators to - ‘Use a rock, a gun, a vehicle…’, whatever you can get your hands on, to Attack Infidels. So, we do indeed have the information we need to make our next set of decisions. How then, do we go about, making our 'Next Set of Decisions' ? Most unfortunately, Nice highlights some very fundamental answers.

In an interview on MSNBC  last night Counter-Terror Expert Malcolm Nance mentioned some CT Basics: Suicide Vehicle-Borne Attack, and Point of Failure.

Project Planners, of whatever variety, need to ask some very basic questions - What is our Goal ? What do we need to do to achieve our Goal ? In Emergency/Security/CT Management the task becomes to parse these questions to specific Need:  

Who/What are we Defending? What does it look like ? How does it work ? Has this been done before ? What does it look like ? How does it Work ?

This then, gives us the Information to proceed. What are we Defending Against ? - Identify the Threat. We repeat the process - What does That look like ? How does It work ? Has this been done before? This leads to Identification and Assignment of Specific Tasks.

All good Planing asks This Question - What  If that fails? What is Plan'B'? Plan 'C' ? For Emergency Planners, Plan 'C' can be a very tragic place. If the Attack has defeated Plan 'A', Plan 'B', ('Point of Failure'), we are usually at the point of Mass Causality Incident Management. Back to Basics - What is our Goal ? What do need to achieve our Goal ? What does it Look like? How does it Work ? And of course- What if That fails...?

As Mr. Nance noted, the most urgent Failure in Nice occurred when the Attack Vehicle quickly and easily defeated a flimsy Traffic Control Barrier. When that occurred, Mass Causality Plan Implementation was inevitable. Is it too much to ask, that given the nature of the event, the threat-level, and recent previous attacks, that more secure Vehicle-Defense Barriers should have been present?

Those unfamiliar with Defense/Emergency Planning could easily view this as '2nd Guessing', or 'Armchair Quarterbacking'. Those of us involved in the work know; This is What We Do: Post- Incident Analysis. What Worked ? What Failed? How can we apply this Information to our own Needs ?

Any Plan is only as good as its Implementation. Assurance of Implementation is achieved through the previously mentioned Identification of  and Assignment of specific Tasks. The formula to achieve the hoped-for success at this point includes Outcome Measures: Identification and Evaluation of progress/failure toward successful achievement of previously Identified Outcomes. During the time of Operation, Supervision means continuous Monitoring of Plan Compliance, and Identification of, and Solution of Failures in Plan Compliance.

Lest anyone think I'm giving away too much here, I wholeheartedly assure you that this is how our Enemies Operate their Plans. 

HELLO !

Welcome ! Relax, Enjoy !
Upcoming Topics to include, but by No Means Restricted to : Current Events (My Take & Of Course, Yours...), Emergency Services (Fire / EMS, Police...), Recovery ( whatever that may mean to you and Certainly - What it means to Me), Hope, and hopefuly some Humor, and perhaps, [Dare I Mention This Evil ?], Politics...[!].

 Today, i sent a piece to my friend Tom at firefighterfightscancer.blogspot
Tom's a 'Former' Firefighter, ( if there is such a thing... ), and Cancer Survivor. Having 'Survived' a few things myself, and being Tom's Friend, ( 2 Entirely Different Topics, Really, i Promise...), Tom asked me to submit something for his blog. So I did, i Hope' you enjoy :


Tommy is a friend of mine. I’ve only actually known him about a year or so, but we’ve been Brothers for a Long Time. Tommy’s work has been to break down doors & crawl around in ‘the muck’ to find people, I’ve been the guy Outside who gets the hand-off. (Although, I’ve done a little ‘ Inside Work’ as well.)
I don’t have, nor have I had Cancer. I have another potentially fatal illness that requires some, but not too much daily attention. I also have chronic pain and fatigue from Degenerative Disc Disease, but that’s another story. The Point is this - I have had, at various times, to re-examine, and restructure My Life, to adjust to Conditions as they present themselves. As Firefighters & EMT’s, we become so accustomed to doing this On-The-Job that it becomes our Second Nature.
But it seems that when we are called to make drastic changes to the way we Live, and the way we View our Own Lives, this change comes slowly and with great difficulty. At least it did in My Case. Personally, I’m quite stubborn in my ways, and only make drastic change as the result of great external pressure for that change.
But after I make the needed Changes, just as in Firefighting, the result is Progress!
I read about Hope here. I read about and Practice Hope elsewhere in my life as well.
My commitment to Hope is that I make the needed Changes in My Life and stick to them, best as I can One Day at a Time, in order to acquire the Hoped for result. If I do that, the Quality of My Life improves along the way. So far, So good. Now Tom is among The Many who can tell you I’m not nearly perfect at this stuff. ( I still smoke cigarettes for example, and Tommy gives me da’ bizness for that, & then let’s it go...But, I think he works too dam much, So There !).
My Experience has been, that My Life as I lived it No Longer ‘Worked’ for me. My Strength has been, that when I’ve been able to make the needed Change, My Life improves. My Hope is that I’ll be able to maintain the needed Change, and perhaps, like my Good Friend Tommy, Help Others along the way...jw