[November 16, 2015] In the first installment of this 3-part series I proposed that the U.S. military has a leadership problem. Irrespective of how we measure leadership or determine its leader effectiveness, it has been accepted that the quality of military leadership today is in decline. For those of us currently in the military or recently retired, this… Read More »
[October 9, 2015] Suicide is a complex and difficult subject under the best of circumstances and thus how to respond can be challenging and frustrating. The U.S. military has done a good job helping reduce the incidence of suicide in its ranks but senior officials still fear the subject.1 Defying his fear, one man took on the task… Read More »
[August 24, 2015] In 1974 after joining the U.S. Army, I quickly discovered that I was completely unprepared. I’m sure the Drill Sergeants got a good laugh at my awkwardness and weak physical condition. For those interested in joining any of the military services, a few hard lessons learned from those who served honorably are listed here to… Read More »
[July 25, 2015] “Beware of leaders who’ve experience no hardships,” one of my dad’s old friends once advised me as I was entering military service. This Korean War veteran had learned about untested leaders the hard way during the United Nations’ retreat from the Chosin Reservoir in late 1950. Trial by fire is what we sometimes say when… Read More »
[June 03, 2015] Last year I was speaking with a U.S. military Flag officer about his experiences traveling through so many airports. He told me his biggest issue was his artificial metal hip. It always got him extra screening despite having proper documentation, frequent flyer status, and identifiable as a U.S. Army general. Would it be too difficult… Read More »
[April 18, 2015] I’ve personally known many military officers who have failed to make a smooth transition to civilian employment. Why is that? In Part 1 of this 2-part series I addressed those junior military officer mistakes made while serving in uniform. Part 2 is about junior officer mistakes when transitioning to and working in the civilian sector.… Read More »
[February 07, 2015] A good friend of mine and I were new Lieutenants together in our first unit. We’d been trained at the world-renowned U.S. Army Infantry School and had learned about leadership but, of course, had little practical experience. Our first unit assignment was to be a hard lesson on leader credibility and how leaders can easily… Read More »
By guest blogger Sadako Red [see disclaimer] [January 21, 2015] Who doesn’t like going to a good movie on a sunny Sunday afternoon? I went with a good friend of mine, who retired recently as the COO of a large manufacturing company. He’s also a U.S. Marine combat veteran from his time in Vietnam and suggested we see… Read More »
[January 14, 2015] We hear a lot about heroes in everyday life in the United States. “All our soldiers are heroes,” one lady told me yesterday when I asked her she thought about her son being in the U.S. Army. Our police officers and firemen are also called heroes. But common use of the term has us now… Read More »
[November 15, 2014] Attending the U.S. Army Infantry School as second lieutenants, we were introduced to the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. Despite its introduction into Vietnam 20 years earlier with tactical success, it was still plagued with a few problems – notably a weak engine, difficult maintenance, and limited weapon systems. Many of us complained about the weaknesses… Read More »