Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
'Tis the season for looking back and contemplating where we've been this year. But that's just too damn depressing. So instead we will consider what we can hope for in this coming year. And the future's so bright that we've got to wear blinders. 2016 is the year that  Lockheed Martin will finally "work out …
Continue reading "Predictions for 2016"
This time of year makes me nostalgic; for crossing the Delaware and wrecking a Hessian Christmas. (Image by LadyHistory) I've been bad. I have not written anything since last week. Here are my awful reasons for slacking. 1. As it is Christmas leave, my writing contributions have fallen as my intake of alcoholic beverages has …
Continue reading "Five Bad Excuses for Not Writing this Week"
Updated May 4, 2020. May the Force be with you. It comes as no surprise to frequent readers that I enjoy making Star Wars and national security comparisons. As we live in a world where there are new Star Wars movies every year, here is a handy reading list of all my Star Wars-related blog posts. …
Continue reading "Star Wars Reading List"
Dear Dad, You mentioned that you would like to know what my days are like now that I have graduated from the Raithal Imperial Academy, and since I'm on staff duty with not a lot to do, I figured I'd tell you. As you know, I did not get my first choice of assignment to …
Continue reading "A Day in the Life of an Imperial Staff Officer"
Xenophobia: intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries. So, let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, some religious dissenters called Puritans fleeing persecution left their country with its state-sponsored religion for better lands. They arrived in North America in 1620 and settled there. Where they almost immediately began persecuting …
Continue reading "Xenophobia: An American Saga"
A new CNN poll says that a majority of Americans support the idea of sending in ground troops to fight against the so-called Islamic State, or as I prefer to call them, Daeshbags. While it was by a slim majority (53% with a plus/minus margin of error of 3 points), this indicates an increasing desire …
Continue reading "Ethical America and Militarization"
We all remember learning about the Monroe Doctrine, right? I’m sure everyone was awake that day in high school or in your survey of U.S. history class in college. You learned that in 1823, President James Monroe essentially claimed the Americas as the playground for the new United States and told Europe to stop meddling in …
Continue reading "Has the U.S. begun a new Monroe Doctrine in the Middle East?"
At tables all across the United States, families will be gathering to share a meal heavy on starch, alcohol, and awkward conversation. Inevitably, someone will look around the table and suggest that everyone go around and offer one thing that they’re thankful for, which will cause a chain reaction of people reaching for the wine …
Continue reading "Give Thanks for What?"
Everything we do in the Army seems somehow dehumanizing. We remove individual identity at basic training, in order to meld individuals into a cohesive group. Individuals are referred to by their rank or just their last name. Our entire careers can be summed up on one or two sheets of paper (usually incorrectly). While …
Continue reading "Battle Staff Made Human"
This past weekend, I spent some time re-watching Star Wars episodes IV, V, and VI, or as I call them, Star Wars. Watching them with a critical eye towards leader development, tactics, and strategy, I was struck by a number of critical flaws on both sides that could have been fixed with some basic organizational …
Continue reading "Center for Galactic Lessons Learned"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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