Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[July 13, 2014] While attending an advanced officer course in the mid 1980s, I had the pleasure of meeting a friendly Ukrainian doctor. He was “as old as Methuselah” but was taking his time ensuring all the Army captains were in sound physical health. When my turn came to speak with him, I asked about his origins. He… Read More »
[July 13, 2014] “War solves nothing.” Well … at least that is what we’ve been told in America over and again many times. By that logic, both World Wars and the Korean War should not have been fought. America was a big participant and, of course, neither war was started by us. Yet, today’s de facto policy of… Read More »
[July 12, 2014] The first snowman I built for my 4-year old son was to be a monument to our father-son relationship. An 8-inch snow and just the right kind of snow had fallen the night before. Living in the Northeast but being from the South, I was unprepared for the results of the snowman we attempted to… Read More »
[July 11, 2014] The field of scientific inquiry has made enormous advancements in our quality of life for hundreds of years. “Scientists” are highly regarded as meticulous, smart, hard working, and honest. Today, their work is peer reviewed by other scientists to ensure the work is accurate. Yet, we have just learned that a scientific journal discovered a… Read More »
[July 11, 2014] The reading and study of military history is one of the pillars in a well-rounded education for military professionals. This includes both officers and enlisted personnel. This concept applies to any leader in any organization. While magazines from professional associations are helpful to see the most recent topics at hand, they also allow us a… Read More »
[July 10, 2014] The New York Post headlines read, “Nuke Attack” [in all capital letters].1 They are referring to the terrorist group Hamas firing rockets into the city of Dimona and home of an Israeli nuclear power plant. The implication here is that the terrorists were targeting the “nuke plant.” Senior U.S. leadership did not have much to… Read More »
[July 10, 2014] The most successful senior executive leaders are professionally unemotional, yet caring and respectful. Now, that may seem like an oxymoron, and some people will even disagree with me, but leaders must have a degree of detachment else they will be consumed by the daily affairs of those they lead. Likewise, they must show that they… Read More »
[July 09, 2014] My father told me on many occasions to “stand up for yourself” when in a threatening situation. He also said to “stick up for your friends.” Not standing up for yourself and friends meant that you were a coward and were more likely to be attacked. News reports from yesterday, shows that the escalating violence… Read More »
[July 09, 2014] As a teenager, my friends and I were lukewarm to high school learning … it was something we simply had to do. Yet, I do fondly remember our track coach teaching us about “leadership and propaganda”. His message was prophetic – you will be consumed by propaganda unless you are taught the leadership and knowledge… Read More »
[July 08, 2014] Growing up in the Deep South provided me with opportunities for my friends and I to get into trouble and plenty of fistfights with each other. Preceding any fight however, there was the obligatory taunting: sticking our tongue out, name-calling, daring them in some way. My first grade teacher, upon observing one of these fights,… Read More »