Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[June 19, 2019] My son played on the local High School football team and found that the team played with a style that earned them a nickname; the scrappers. American High School football is a favorite of mine, and it was great to see so many games. I loved the fact that the small-town team played with their… Read More »
[June 18, 2019] It seems like yesterday that I joined the U.S. Army. That was 45 years ago, and my thinking hasn’t changed much since then. My values remain largely unchanged, and my commitment remains rock-solid. What has changed, however, was my devotion to the discipline necessary to succeed and my understanding that only through discipline can we… Read More »
[June 17, 2019] “Find a buddy. You’ve got 10 seconds,” the Drill Sergeant screamed at us as we arrived at Fort Polk, Louisiana for boot camp. Private Thibaut Lemieux, a Cajun from southern Louisiana, stood next to me and we instantly became part of the Army’s mandated buddy system. Thibaut (pronounced t-bow) and I were inseparable throughout the… Read More »
[June 16, 2019] If you’re Pilipino, you probably know about the Battle of Bud Bagsak (part of the Moro Rebellion, June 1913). Almost no one else has heard of the battle; certainly not in U.S. military circles. This final battle was the end of the resistance in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). It was weird that I had not… Read More »
[June 14, 2019] Today is Flag Day in the United States. As a military veteran, the date is important to me because it symbolizes what is good about our country, our history, and its free people. That may seem like an old-fashioned sentiment but it is exactly what it takes to maintain support for a strong military and… Read More »
[June 13, 2019] A common failure among leaders is an inability to “see” into the future and thus to take steps to prepare for is arrival. Our daily existence depends upon it also. If we forget to pay our utility bills or fill your car up with gasoline, the effect is inconvenient but not catastrophic. “You were given… Read More »
[June 12, 2019] As a Buck Sergeant in the U.S. Army, I heard many military idioms and often wondered if military officers existed just to confuse sergeants. Since retiring from the army, referring to something like the long pole in the tent has become one of my favorite expressions. The problem is that it has more than one… Read More »
[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 »