[December 27, 2025] May 22 came and went without much fanfare. It was indeed my 55th birthday, but little more than a blip on my mind’s radar. I scribbled “birthday” at the top of my notes. That was it. In a way, it was a day to reflect on what Engineers lacked to complete our jobs on time… Read More »
[December 26, 2025] I had been frustrated to no end by the progress of our preparation for the Surge. The pre-Surge construction planning, design, funding, contracting process, and eventual construction weren’t meeting what I thought was sufficient to accommodate the incoming personnel or equipment. Plus, we were late on the timelines. One of the areas I detested was… Read More »
[December 24, 2025] By September of 1776, the cause of independence looked bleak. Though General Washington had miraculously escaped the British after the Battle of Long Island, the defeat of the American army had been a humiliating rout. Washington had made a number of mistakes, and some began to speak of replacing him, whether with General Charles Lee… Read More »
[December 23, 2025] In the U.S. military, I’ve always noticed differences among unit commanders, especially when I was a field-grade officer. There are two kinds of commanders you could work for if you were in their unit. There was the commander who kept his thoughts close to his chest, tightly reined in information, and surrounded himself with tight-lipped… Read More »
[December 20, 2025] Shortly after assuming command of a Mechanized Infantry Company in the late 1980s, I was assigned a brand-new second lieutenant. Because of his actions while in my unit, the men began calling him ‘Lieutenant Mud Flap.’ That year, we would all learn lessons that helped us master the art of leadership. A leader does the… Read More »
[December 19, 2025] My friends and I had long conversations about Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein and his role in the Iran-Iraq War. The debate over whether he was an evil dictator or a grandfatherly figure protecting his country raged on and off, even after he used chemical weapons to attack Kurdish civilians in 1988. Known as the Halabja… Read More »
[December 17, 2025] The primary purpose of a democratic government is to protect life, liberty, and property of their citizens. In another case on the brink of self-destruction, Australia’s government leaders have abdicated that core purpose, and have consciously allowed antisemitic, anti-Western forces to grow unchecked inside their country. On the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, a mass killing… Read More »
[December 14, 2025] There is an intriguing idea that has been discussed philosophically since mankind first walked on Earth, but it hasn’t gained much traction in recent times. That is the idea that our identity lies at the intersection of responsibility and faith. For those who listen to Dr. Jordan Peterson, you might be familiar with the fringes… Read More »
[December 13, 2025] Michael Goodwin is a columnist for the New York Post. Earlier this week, he wrote an opinion article that I could call a primer on bad leadership. He lists what makes for key elements in leadership failure. He is stunningly correct about the core elements of leadership. His target? New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Goodwin… Read More »
[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 »