Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
Whoa there, high speed. Look at you, all brand new and shiny, right out of your basic officer leader course, hard-charging to take over your first platoon. Thing is, behind that brash exterior, you're probably confused as all get-out. After years of training in ROTC or a military academy (you OCS guys know all this stuff …
Continue reading "Thrown into the Deep End: Tips for New Platoon Leaders"
Today's guest post comes from Tim Shea (@trshea88), a former U.S. Army Captain hailing from Joint Base Lewis-McChord's now defunct 4th Stryker Brigade. In 2014, Tim traded the green pastures of Army life for the exhilarating, cutthroat world of economic development consulting. He maintains his sanity by writing here. To all the badge, tab, etc. lovers …
Continue reading "A Combat Badge Does Not a Soldier Make"
I was born in 1986, just a few years after Return of the Jedi rounded out the original Star Wars trilogy. I recall using a broomstick and a rubber bike handle to make a light saber, with which I maintained Galactic law and order for the weeds, trees, and flowers of my parents' farm. As I grew …
Continue reading "Star Wars: The Hope Awakens"
You can tell a lot about someone based on their uniform. Especially in the Army. In fact, we regularly violate the "Don't judge a book by its cover" dictum. Hell, we stomp that dictum into the dirt and build a fighting position on top of it. When meeting each other, soldiers tend to size the …
Continue reading "Integrity: The Unseen Skill Badge"
Official complaint logged by Human Resources Division, I Division, Stormtrooper Corps Dear Sir/Ma'am/Alien/Droid, This is a closed complaint from troopers of the I Division, who wish to remain numberless, for very obvious reasons. This complaint is being registered in accordance with General Order Number 139, Complaints and Open Door Policy for First Order Personnel, Starkiller …
Continue reading "The First Order Complains"
When I was seven, my mother did the worst thing I could conceive of: she took my Calvin and Hobbes books away from me. Why, why would she do such a horrible thing, I asked her at the time, probably kicking and screaming and waving my tiny fists. It was a very simple answer: I was acting too …
Continue reading "Seven Military Leadership Lessons from Calvin and Hobbes"
After Action Review – Operations on Jakku Scene: Platoon room for 1st Platoon, 2nd Company, 4th Battalion, 225th Legion, First Order Stormtrooper Corps. Platoon sergeant SG51 is conducting the after action review for operations on Jakku. SG51: Alright, settle down troopers, settle down. Let’s get this whole AAR finished so that I don’t get an ass-chewing from …
Continue reading "First Order After Action Review for Operations on Jakku"
If you’re from the Northeast, you’ve most probably heard this term before: Masshole. Some clever person coined this expression to describe, most probably, the person from Massachusetts who had just cut them off in their horse and buggy. Since then, it has come to be a term describing anything annoying that comes from the Bay …
Continue reading "Three Times Massachusetts Earned the Title Masshole"
Land use and land rights within the United States have always been touchy subjects. Just ask the first colonists who landed and were confronted by the natives; for that matter, ask the natives. Right now, ask the armed occupants who are effectively "squatting" on Federal land in Oregon, who state that, "This isn't going to end …
Continue reading "Land Rights and the Formation of the U.S. Army"
As it stands right now, an undetermined number of persons have taken over several buildings in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns Oregon, to protest what they see as the unconstitutional activity of the Federal government's use of land. Many of the protesters are self-professed "militiamen," who are armed and profess a desire to hold …
Continue reading "The Oregon Insurrectionists and the Whiskey Rebellion"
The Angry Staff Officer 
You must be logged in to post a comment.