Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
Dunno if you're like me, but I was raised on stories of America, the survivor. America, the scrappy. America, the fighter. The country that came from behind, stood for truth and justice, took some punches, and then came out the other side - stronger than ever. The Sons of Liberty. The Underground Railroad. Rosie the …
Continue reading "America, Get your S**t Together"
As much as Ian hated to admit it, operating outside the system was a lot more fun than operating inside the system. Granted, there were new challenges - it was a lot more difficult to move around inside Allied zones without clearances. However, once Looper was able to reverse engineer some of the comms equipment …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Seventeen"
With all-due apologies to Dylan Thomas. As Christmas rolls around, my all-too willing mind is pulled back to Ohio, to the wide and rolling drab-colored fields dotted by stout wood copses, to the gray and leaden skies that sat like a lid on a silent universe. Snow, never early, always late, sometimes on time, would …
Continue reading "A Child’s Christmas in Ohio"
This article contains significant spoilers for Season 1 of The Legend of Korra Season 1 of The Legend of Korra is an insightful depiction of a counterinsurgency campaign which should be required watching for security studies students everywhere. It captures key elements of how insurgencies operate and highlights common pitfalls of counterinsurgents in a compact …
Continue reading "The Legend of Korra – An Insurgency Masterclass"
There's a lot of talk about recruiting and retention in the Army these days, as we try to build the right force for whatever lies in the future. Without a doubt, we need to have the right people in the right places. But too often we are hidebound by organizational issues or habits that keep …
Continue reading "Army Organizational Issues that Prevent Talent Management"
For years, I was blessed with a marvelous ability: to be able to just sit down and begin writing. And then to finish writing, with an actual product. And like with most abilities, I took it for granted. I would jest about writer’s block as if I truly knew what it meant, even though for …
Continue reading "When the Words Stopped"
OPORD 11-26-21 (OPERATION TURKEY DAY) (U) SITUATION. Thanksgiving holiday necessitates high intake of Class I itemsTerrain and weather: White and drifted snow; biting wind MISSION. Your unit moves to Grandmother's House IOT complete Pumpkin Pie consumption operations EXECUTION.Scheme of Movement and Maneuver: Over the river and through the woodCoordinating instructions: The horse knows the way …
Continue reading "Thanksgiving Operations Order"
Ok, so, as most of you know, I normally don't do book reviews on this site. I'm breaking my own rule because I lost a bet to an author about who could run more during one specific weekend. 17 miles and some extra sprints later, she got .2 miles on me and here we are. …
Continue reading "Pantheon Book Review: Or, How I Lost a Bet"
With all due apologies to Charles Dickens. Marley was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt ever about that. Marley and Scrooge had been buddies ever since basic training. They’d shared a bunk together. But now, Marley was dead. As dead as a door-nail. Okay, not actually dead-dead, just dead on social media, where …
Continue reading "A Veterans Day Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Veterans Day"
“Well this couldn’t have worked out better, Rislen,” said the admiral, chuckling. Ian’s blood went cold - then hot. Rislen. General Rislen Zaros was known all too well in the Army community. As a colonel, he’d led the massacre of an entire US Army scout platoon that had been overrun and had surrendered. No one …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Sixteen"
