Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
One of my mentors dropped this quote on me a few years back: "The United States military is obsessed with tactical solutions to strategic problems." After I picked my jaw off the floor because it was such an apt description of the last 20 years, I began to chew on the meaning of what they'd …
Continue reading "What Barbie Teaches Us About Tactics versus Strategy"
While attending a Working Group during my deployment to Romania, my fellow Field Grade Officers and I were discussing the Initial Operating Capabilities (IOC) and Full Operating Capabilities (FOC) for our Tactical Command Posts (TAC) within the context of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). As we discussed these capabilities, we briefly touched on the criteria to begin breaking down our TAC …
(Warner Brothers) Aside from the Battle of Hogwarts, there is a lack of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) that occur in the wizarding world of Harry Potter; considering the prevalence of shield charms and their potential for fratricide, this is probably a good thing. The seven-book series focuses more on insurgency operations, first by Lord Voldemort …
Continue reading "Harry Potter and the Magic of Raiding"
Since the origin of armed conflicts, commanders have demonstrated a need to know more about an opposing force and their capabilities. During the American Revolution, George Washington kickstarted what would become the American intelligence community with his own spy ring tasked to gather accurate battlefield intelligence on British military movements throughout the colonies. In WWI …
Continue reading "Military Intelligence in a Galaxy Far, Far Away"
So there I was the other day, just minding my own business and falling down some social media algorithm-caused rabbit holes of a Saturday night, like ya do, when I came across this image: The Lion of Atlanta, image sourced here. Now, for those of you who are war monument nerds like myself, you may …
Continue reading "Copycats: The American Civil War Lions of Lucerne"
Ever wondered about the history of your Christmas carols? Well, sit tight because this is a wild ride! Famous Christmas carol "Jingle Bells" has a complex backstory involving Bostonian James Pierpont who, despite hailing from an abolitionist family, joined a Georgia militia unit during the Civil War. Similarly, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, moved by his son's near-death experiences in the Civil War. These carols echo stories of strife, despair, and unflagging hope amidst war.
West Point's Modern War Institute, in conjunction with Training and Doctrine Command, initiated a contest in July 2023 to elicit essays describing a novel approach to "solve the recruiting crisis". Entries were accepted until September 3, 2023. To date, the winning entries have not been announced. The below reproduced short essay was originally written as …
Continue reading "Water is Wet: “solving” the military recruiting crisis."
Leader development was a hard thing to come by in the Imperial Navy during the 24-year reign of the Galactic Empire. Throughout the movies, books, and television shows set in the Star Wars universe, there are countless examples of counterproductive leadership in the Imperial hierarchy that highlight the lack of positive role models in the …
Continue reading "Grand Admiral Thrawn: Strategist, Coach, and Mentor"
In 1954, General Anthony McAuliffe wrote a letter to General Henry Hodes describing “an urgent and vexing problem” within the Army: “It is my understanding that assignment to command of a company or a battery is not a popular one, a pronounced contrast to the attitude existing prior to World War II…We must give …
Continue reading "Guest Post: Dear Senior Leaders, It’s Not Us, It’s You"
A few months ago, this blog published the post "On Command: A Confession," wherein I talked about my personal struggles with the idea of taking a battalion command. Not unlike the USS Maine in 1898, that post blew up. Too soon? I got messages from other Army officers, Navy officers, even officers in foreign militaries. …
Continue reading "Are We Hearing What We Want to Hear?"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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