[December 12, 2025] By May of 2007, the preparation for the Surge was fully underway. Everyday, we brought more resources into play as we readied the Coalition to expand both in personnel and combat capability. This was a critical phase as we prepared the battlefield for GEN Petraeus’ new military strategy. Our job as Engineers was to ensure… Read More »
[December 11, 2025] One of the advantages of working in the U.S. Army is getting the chance to work for and speak to many highly successful leaders. Good Leadership is one of the bedrock foundations that America insists we have. And the reason is simple, life and death decisions are made and there is no room for amateurs. … Read More »
[December 9, 2025] There never was a time when Soldiers said the weather in Iraq was beautiful. Typically it was clear, windy, dusty, and warm (or hot as Hell). We paid close attention to the weather because it was a major factor in the speed of construction; the hotter it was, the less efficient we could get… Read More »
[December 2, 2025] It only seems like yesterday when I flew into Baghdad aboard a C130 Air Force cargo plane. I had a small team that was to act as the Advanced Party to the 353rd Engineer Group (Construction). In my first book “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” I laid out my thoughts on the Iraq War. Our… Read More »
[December 1, 2025] Earlier this year, a local South Jersey non-profit Veteran organization asked for permission to use a park on Veterans’ Day. This was meant to be a symbolic gesture to honor our Veterans, families, and friends. After many weeks of back-and-forth discussions with this state-funded Park, permission was ultimately denied. I was the representative of a… Read More »
[November 30, 2025] Earlier this month, I was the guest speaker at the Marine Corps League celebration of the 250th birthday of the U.S. Marines’ founding. I found it funny that the Marines would invite an Army Soldier to speak at their birthday, but hey, what do I know about humor? And humor is my theme for today. … Read More »
[November 29, 2025] There should be no doubt that America is split along political lines or that Leftists of the Democrat Party have begun undermining a number of American institutions. The latest in what is an ongoing American cold civil war, is a billboard outside Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC. From The Fayetteville Observer (behind paywall): “Billboard in… Read More »
[November 28, 2025] My wife asked me yesterday, shortly after enjoying our Thanksgiving Dinner, why I was writing about the Iraq War, and pointedly asked, “Why are you focusing on this Pre-Surge?” She noted that nearly everyone was focused on the “fight,” or just the “surge.” And that is a good question, and one I’ve asked myself for… Read More »
[November 27, 2025] The Coalition Engineers would become more involved in the Iraqi reconstruction effort than perhaps originally planned. Reconstruction was meant to be an international effort, but that too failed to materialize. There was plenty of talk among diplomats and large businesses that wanted to participate in rebuilding Iraq, yet most of their efforts never got off… Read More »
[November 26, 2025] In his most recent article titled “Insurrection Chic,” Dr. Victor Davis Hanson highlights what he sees as the Democrat Party embracing a neo-Confederate defiance of federal authority. Democrats have become the new Confederacy, much like the old Confederacy of the U.S. Civil War. “Those are fighting words, young man.” It’s no secret that I’m a… Read More »