Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[October 6, 2021] A few years ago, I sat in a room full of Army Generals and was feeling exasperated by the fact they were unwilling to push back on the no-defects philosophy of our military. A 3-star was briefing us about the newest add-on requirements coming down from the Department of Defense. I asked, partly out of… Read More »
[October 5, 2021] Yesterday, I spoke with radio talk-show host Joe Griffies about this young girl, Miss Sawyer, 14 years old. When her U.S. Marine brother was in Afghanistan, she sent him and a few of his buddies each Christmas stockings. The response was so overwhelming; she turned the idea into something big. Maybe you would say she… Read More »
[October 4, 2021] A lot can be said about the many traits we find in the best of leaders; loyalty, morals, courage, accountability, etc. Conversely, there has been much written about destructive leader characteristics, those traits that damage those inside their organization and act as impediments to excellence. But among those destructive traits, which one is the most… Read More »
[October 3, 2021] To learn from our past is one of the many virtues of great leaders. To gain essential lessons, to ‘see’ what needs seeing, to hold onto something that pushes us in the right direction, is the value of history. But we can get history wrong, and that creates a dilemma. Our history of the Vietnam… Read More »
[October 2, 2021] A Gallup poll in October 1940 found American youth as “a flabby, pacifist, yellow, cynical, discouraged, and leftist lot.” On the precipice of war, the United States was wholly unprepared militarily or socially. We were, indeed, a cowardly, leftist lot. Today, we are no different. We honor and respect the Greatest Generation; those who served… Read More »
[October 1, 2021] Ethics has been in the news lately, mostly from politicians who have failed to live up to the most basic social principles. This failure has been most flagrant in election fraud, bribes, kickbacks, and other corruptions that politicians seem to fall for every time. That is why I’m highlighting an Indian association today and its… Read More »
[September 29, 2021] These past few weeks, like many, I’ve been listeing to our political leaders in Washington, D.C. and the vitriol is thrown about like sands on a beach. Unlike authentic leaders, they are doing the opposite and encouraging divisiveness. Yesterday I was listening to a radio program by Dan Bongino. He was replaying comments from a… Read More »
[September 28, 2021] In January 1999, U.S. Navy Captain L. David Marquet took command of the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN-763). At the time, the sub was known throughout the Navy as its worst-performing vessel and yet had been listed for deployment later that year. The story of Captain Marquet’s success was, at its core, turning followers… Read More »
[September 27, 2021] Joe Biden condemned border agents stopping Haitian migrants from illegally entering the United States near Del Rio, Texas. What were the agents doing that deserves such harsh criticism from the country’s most senior law enforcement person? The answer, they were enforcing the law and followed existing legal methods and procedures. And, for that, they were… Read More »
[September 26, 2021] Americans love their pets. Some pets are more than just creatures to be loved but also help us by providing necessary care. Veteran service and guide dogs are those trained to assist Veterans in their everyday life. They are companions and helpers, and many of us would not function without these dogs. Just this past… Read More »