[June 25, 2023] Two days ago, we began hearing that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group had withdrawn from their positions in Ukraine and turned eastward toward Moscow in an alleged attempt to overthrow Vladimir Putin. There is no reliable unclassified confirmation on this, which might be for show or propaganda purposes. Either way, this represents an unexpected and… Read More »
[June 22, 2023] A couple of weeks ago, a friend was reminiscing about his childhood. We were back and forth trading some of the things we heard as youngins. Mom always came up with the right question or advice at the right moment. Here are a few of those I remembered. I found them entertaining. There are not… Read More »
[June 21, 2023] I’ll be giving a speech honoring our fallen military personnel from WWI to present this weekend. The South Jersey Volunteers for Veterans Boot Memorial will have a three-day display with the names of local citizens who gave their lives for our country. I’m one of the closing ceremony speakers. Please take a look at my… Read More »
[June 16, 2023] For good-thinking folk, we can quickly figure out that inviting an anti-Catholic, anti-Christian group to their game will not sit well with fans. And worse, the LA Dodgers will “honor” a hate group for their ‘contributions to society.’ If you thought the Marketing VP of Bud Light was stupid by causing her brand to crash,… Read More »
[June 13, 2023] I was one of those army officers who somehow managed to get plenty of medals during my 40 years. These medals were for various military campaigns, for bravery in combat, or for doing a good job. I might be unusual, but I never wanted to get a “medal” for doing something good. What I really… Read More »
[June 11, 2023] In a recent article by Gary Saul Morson titled Do Russians Miss War?, he asks appropriate questions about the Russian culture of war (link here). This is not that dissimilar to two articles I wrote a while back that asked Do you miss war? , and Why Soldiers Miss War. Morson’s main point is that… Read More »
[June 8, 2023] As a new Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army Infantry, my Soldiers were always comparing me to their previous leader. And oh, that Lieutenant did not do so well. Those comparisons were usually unflattering and frankly I was not too happy about it (for professional reasons). My commander told me to just get use to… Read More »
[June 7, 2023] When I was a young Infantry captain and company commander, I published my command philosophy (i.e., my leadership philosophy) – good thing because it forced me to think about how I would act and how I thought soldiers would perceive me. I had spent time reading books on famous leaders from history, especially World War… Read More »
[June 5, 2023] Until recently, a person could relocate to another geographic area, gain helpful employment, and start a family, thereby leaving past transgressions in the past. The permanency of our past is, however, here to stay. Many well-known people have experienced a bit of embarrassment when their past behavior and associations were made public. Things that occurred… Read More »
[June 4, 2023] It is often said that a leader’s performance in a peacetime environment cannot predict how that leader will act in combat. This well-known knowledge of human performance has been recorded since the Roman Empire. Under peaceful, less dangerous circumstances, the military leader has priorities that differ from combat, where death is expected. “Inquiries are… Read More »