[June 19, 2025] For some reason, I seemed to have a bunch of time on my hands as a little kid. That meant my friends and I were also given opportunities to get into trouble, often by starting fistfights with each other. Preceding any fight, however, there was the obligatory taunting: sticking your tongue out, name-calling, “you hit… Read More »
[June 1, 2025] On Sunday afternoon, July 9, 2006, a small group of Soldiers in civilian dress waited at the airport in El Paso, Texas, for pickup. Arriving at Ft. Bliss, we were dropped off at our barracks, found a bunk, dropped our travel gear, and reported to Building 500A for ACU uniform fitting. After a formation in… Read More »
[May 27, 2025] As a young Army Captain, I worked with some great people in my Infantry Company. But one of my Sergeants was a holdover from when our standards were not as high as they should have been. So, it wasn’t easy to slot him in the right job. Unfortunately, my Battalion Commander – a tough disciplinarian… Read More »
[May 26, 2025] Thank you General Satterfield for once again allowing me to write about the importance of Memorial Day. General, let me start off by saying without Memorial day we have no country. Our great pastures of God, we call Veterans cemeteries are full of heroes that died in war or coming home from war from mental… Read More »
[May 25, 2026] The days before Memorial Day are full of getting the BBQ grills ready, buying hotdogs and hamburger meat, finding where we put the potato chips, and scurrying about to invite neighbors to a fun day out. We probably considered attending a local Memorial Day parade or ceremony. Many folks traditionally do that, and I’m happy… Read More »
[March 12, 2025] People tell me all the time, “Relax, it’s just a dog.” They tell me to “take it easy” and not to worry myself because my dog is just an dog without a soul or, without us, of little value. But, she’s my dog, Bella Rosa, named by my Italian wife and with me liking the… Read More »
[January 5, 2025] Some folks will find a bit of humor in the fact that I did learn some things growing up. All this knowledge Was gained despite my less-than-stellar school performance. I also had a serious lack of focus on those things that bored me (but were nevertheless important) and I was involved in a few escapades.… Read More »
[December 5, 2024] A crucial skill for any leader to possess is the ability to judge the character of others. Leaders are looking for specific traits that predict successful mission completion or are obstacles to teamwork. Sadly, we often see inexperienced leaders who misjudge character, leading to unforeseen problems. I wrote these words in January 2021 after looking… Read More »
[November 19, 2024] Old dogs leave footprints on our souls. There is nothing better in our lives than your pet dogs, and our time with them are measured not by years on a calendar but by those times we are together. I grew up with pets and continue to have them as companions. Dogs are especially adept at… Read More »
[November 9, 2024] “We’re moving to Little Rock!” our Dad announced off-handedly as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. But in just a few short weeks, the family was pulling up stakes, packing our suitcases, saying our goodbyes, and leaving behind the lives we’d come to love. The Missouri Pacific Railroad kept giving our Dad new… Read More »