Mark Stoller moved to Falcon in 2007.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, enjoy life with their daughters, extended family and adopted rescue dogs in Latigo. Mark savors the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.ìThere I was Öî is the most common start to the retelling of every good military story.Back in the day, I provided target intelligence to aircrew; worked air operations centers; coordinated time-sensitive targeting; tasked surveillance and reconnaissance assets; analyzed trends in adversary tactics for the task force; and briefed daily analysis to the command staff.I had an incredible time as a USAF Intelligence Officer and was content to have passed the torch to the new generation of warriors.Today, we see the constant daily stories of humanitarian tragedy in Ukraine as Russia attacks, invades and indiscriminately kills civilians.If I were still in uniform, Iíd be back in the fight. Instead, I am a civilian ó left out and sidelined.Technology, however, has afforded the ability to keep me tied into developments in Ukraine from my desk.One capability, common to all operations centers, is the big wall where all the significant event reporting, drone feeds, ground and air unit trackers and intelligence reporting comes together to create the Common Operational Picture.Check out https://liveuamap.com. It is an interactive map of eastern Europe, centered on Ukraine, that displays symbols of significant events and activities with an accompanying media feed on the right side of the screen. When you select any symbol on the map, the media feed will display that particular post/photo/video from social media and/or corresponding news events.I also have Flightradar24 and Plane Finder in separate tabs to identify NATO air operations over Poland and Romania. Selecting aircraft symbols, you can see the flight paths of call signs: NACHO and LAGER ó aerial refuelers; NOBLE ó American B-52 projecting power along Ukraineís border; JAKE ó RC-135s collecting signal and communication intelligence; FORTE ó RQ-4 Global Hawk long endurance intelligence collection; NATO 1 ó the airborne warning and control; and all types of other aircraft from NATO countries.For daily, in-country reporting, I read both the BBC News Ukraine Live Update and Radio Free Europeís Live Briefing. I am sure there are other sources, but I trust their reporting.From just watching to possibly doing something, weíll switch gears a little.I believe there exists in the American psyche the desire to ensure good triumphs over evil. With that comes the innate need, as an American, to righteously stomp all over those who perpetrate wrongdoing and evil in the world.Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has earnestly requested anyone who wishes to fight against Russiaís invasion to come join the ìInternational Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine.îIf you have considered going to Ukraine to join up, there is a specific path that will help you avoid arrest, fines and imprisonment.U.S. federal code states: ìWhoever, within the United States, enlists or enters himself Ö or to go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States with intent to be enlisted or entered in the service of any foreign prince, state, colony, district, or people as a soldier or as a marine or seaman Ö shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.îThe legal precedent of the issue comes down to your location when volunteering to militarily serve in a foreign country. The ìwithin the U.S.î provision is where we get some wiggle room.Letís say, hypothetically, you happen to take your next vacation to Poland. While there (not in the U.S.), you could drop into the Ukrainian embassy and volunteer your services. You get to go fight the good fight and wonít face prosecution or fines! You should also be very clear of one more tiny detail ó donít expect any help from the U.S. government to get you out if things go south.For me, seeing as how I am not vacationing in eastern Europe anytime soon, Iíll continue my moral outrage from my desk ó aka the sidelines.
