Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
Trade is a basic human function. Not only does it ensure monetary subsistence to individuals and societies, but it also spreads ideas and opens minds. It serves to connect individuals from disparate backgrounds, making them part of a larger whole. Commerce is inextricably linked to the advance of technology. Where technology leads, commerce will follow. …
Continue reading "Thursday Thoughts: Warfare in 5G"
Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER..L to R: Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) .Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018 By Matthew Ader In 2016, there was a coup d’état in Wakanda. Using a combination of foreign training and racialist rhetoric, Erik Stevens overthrew the T’Challa administration. Although his regime was destroyed a few …
Continue reading "The Wakandan Civil War: A Profile in State Reconstruction"
Okay, so yes, one week into my pledge to write more and I already broke it, having missed "Thursday Thoughts." Well, now you get some Friday Fuming, based upon my frustration with myself and U.S. foreign policy at large. Go big or go home, right? Here's my bone of contention today: WWII and the Marshall …
Continue reading "Friday Fuming: WWII and Expectation Management"
On April 1, seven states - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia - will begin their celebration of Confederate Heritage Month. As a counter to this narrative of southern hegemony, I'd like to take a moment and celebrate those Southerners who remained loyal to the United States and who - if they were …
By Matthew Ader The world is blessed that Steve Rogers never made it past captain. The Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War is a master class in how not to use an infantry battalion. However, from his failure, we can extract some fundamental lessons: STAY MOBILE To set the stage – Captain Rogers and …
Continue reading "Military Lessons Learned from the Battle of Wakanda"
Let's be honest: being a disciplined writer is tough. Writer's block is usually waiting in an L-shaped ambush somewhere, and has converged effects with Procrastination, leading to near collapse of efforts by yours truly. So, "Thursday Thoughts" is an attempt to break free, using disciplined initiative, where I place minimal words on the page in …
Continue reading "Thursday Thoughts: Developmental Counseling"
By Lt. Col. Jim Davitch Darth Vader looked on as the Millennium Falcon, engines screaming to life, darted from the ice planet Hoth and into the freedom of space. The getaway was short-lived. C-3PO implored anyone to listen as he tried to explain that the hyperdrive was damaged, and consequently the Rebel ship would not …
Continue reading "Never Tell Me the Odds: Prospect Theory, Risk Acceptance and Asteroid Fields"
Every organization wants the best talent. But how to get it? This has been the conversation within the U.S. military at large for some years now, as the economic outlook for potential recruits has gotten brighter. It is a topic that is especially dear to the Reserve Component (National Guard and Reserves) these days, as …
Continue reading "Recruiting the Next Generation of National Guard Soldiers"
Taking command is a big deal. For most officers, we spend all our lieutenant time with that as the goal. But taking command as a National Guard officer versus Active duty is a pretty different beast. Look, we all want to pretend it's one team, one fight, right? And - once the bullets start singing …
Continue reading "5 Time-Saving Tips for National Guard Company Commanders"
"It's a system that's designed for the Active Component, so we just have to work around that."Raise your hand if you're a Reserve Component (Army National Guard or Army Reserve) soldier who's heard that over the course of your career. Whether it's an online portal for accessing records or the way that we dispatch vehicles …
Continue reading "Are Active Duty Army Systems and Procedures Harming Reserve Component Readiness?"
