Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[June 10, 2019] Last year while visiting Arlington National Cemetery, I came upon a group of U.S. Marines who had taken a knee next to the grave of their Company Commander who had been killed in battle. They were showing their respect for the man who had saved them in 2004 at the Second Battle of Fallujah. To… Read More »
[June 8, 2019] There’s an old but common piece of advice for leaders; praise in public, punish in private. For me (I was always a bit slower at picking up good habits) it meant that when we give someone a reward, it should be done where others can see it. But if we want to punish someone for… Read More »
[June 6, 2019] Most of the people alive today in the world were born after the year 1995. To them, the Longest Day, D-Day, must seem like ancient history. Arguably the most important date of the 20th Century for all living people, most folks don’t even understand its direct impact on their lives and the freedoms they enjoy.… Read More »
[June 5, 2019] The thumbnail to this article shows General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, speaking with paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division before their jump into France on this date, June 5, 1944. The day before D-Day, originally planned for this date but delayed due to poor weather, the great juggernaut of more than 1.5 million… Read More »
[June 4, 2019] Leadership does not follow a predetermined path. Good leaders do not base their decisions on a matrix, checklist, or a process but on what is right and moral; anything else is wrong and will fail. That is why leaders are given little or no fixed path to success. Often, the best guidance I got was… Read More »
[June 3, 2019] Like many before me who served in the military, I’m repeatedly asked what I miss about being in the service. “Do you miss the action?” is a common question but misses the point about why our military folks miss being around other service members. Military veterans will tell you that they miss the people because… Read More »
[June 1, 2019] There’s some old advice given to new military leaders (typically, just-commissioned officers) that goes something like this; you can’t become a good leader by being comfortable. Like the fictional character, Robinson Crusoe, who spends 28 years on a remote island, we’ve all encountered great challenges, obstacles, and people who want us to fail. “It is… Read More »
[May 30, 2019] I grew up in the Deep South part of the United States. As a kid, my biggest fear was getting bit by a Water Moccasin snake1 and eaten by an alligator. One of the first scary films (I cannot remember the name) I saw as a kid showed a man falling into a pit of… Read More »
[May 27, 2019] Now that I’m approaching the 7th-decade mark of my life, I no longer remember how many memorials to fallen comrades I’ve attended. Memorial Day 2019 will be special for me as I attend, once again, ceremonies and parades with our local Boy Scout Troop to remember those who died in battle or from wounds sustained… Read More »
[May 23, 2019] My first U.S. Army company commander told a gaggle of new Second Lieutenant that his first priority was safety. “I don’t want anyone killed during training.” His comments were simple and unambiguous; just like any good leader should be when speaking with subordinates. But he was also way off the mark. Leaders in the U.S.… Read More »