Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[October 5, 2020] This past sunny Saturday afternoon, I drove to a small radio station about 30 minutes from my home. Radio talk-show host Joe Griffies invited me to discuss veterans, current events, and to honor some of our heroes. Joe has a show called Welcome Home Veterans (see his Facebook page here).1 His life is dedicated to… Read More »
[October 4, 2020] Yesterday, I was a guest on the “Welcome Home Veterans” radio show on WIBG 1020 AM and WIBG 101.3 FM. Joe Griffies was host of the show and this guy, wow, he can talk. Tomorrow, I’ll give write about that experience and what he is doing to help veterans across our nation. For today, I’d planned on giving a list… Read More »
[October 3, 2020] If there is one thing I had pounded into us as Privates in the U.S. Army, it was that words matter, and they matter a great deal. But, growing up and living in the civilian world, I learned just the opposite; that words were not just words. The old saying that “sticks and stones…” is… Read More »
[October 2, 2020] Now that we are entering into the last few weeks before a major presidential election in the United States, it is a good idea to look at another contentious election. Harry Truman was a great leader but one that stirred controversy and divisiveness when the nation was trying to heal from World War II and… Read More »
[September 30, 2020] The concept of the fog of war was put forward by a Prussian fellow by the name of Carl von Clausewitz with his posthumously published book, Vom Kriege (1832).1 I have a copy of the English version, On War (1833), sitting on my bookshelf. It is one of the few books I’ve read twice, cover… Read More »
[September 28, 2020] One of the better things about the military is that it gives opportunities to learn from good and bad leadership. I’ve witnessed some deplorable decisions by leaders at all levels, one of which was by a two-star General. His command headquarters was rife with insubordinate civilians who regularly disobeyed orders and failed to show up… Read More »
[September 27, 2020] U.S. Army General Order #1 reads, “I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.” The military recognizes that a leader’s mission is most at risk of failure when that soldier or leader is not present. One of the most valuable lessons from World War I… Read More »
[September 25, 2020] Over the past several years, I’ve mentored many young leaders in the Boys Scouts, Police Departments, on college campuses, and in the business world. I always emphasize to them the importance of being likable. Here is a fact of life; if people like you, they will give you opportunities others will not get. That’s right. … Read More »
[September 24, 2020] I’m of the old school that says experience is the best teacher. And, while that is debatable in some philosophical corners, it nonetheless rings true. Sadly, experience is not transferable; we all must take a given path to see what it may bring. The very best leaders have something in common and that is they… Read More »
[September 23, 2020] General Douglas MacArthur once said that “Old soldiers never die – they just fade away.” He was talking symbolically, of course, because our soldiers and our veterans do pass away, and being who we are, we must confront that end of life with dignity and with honor. A good friend of mine who served with… Read More »