Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
I have been struggling with the concept of pain and grief of late, with my father's death in the midst of a global pandemic as a backdrop. It was a beautiful morning the day after he died, and that seemed somehow confusing to me - just as the spectacular blue skies on September 11, 2001 …
Continue reading "Incongruous"
My father passed on Easter Sunday. While I've found some solace through writing, there's just that feeling of wondering why the world goes on when yours has stopped. I wrote this poem to try to express how I feel. Hopefully it will help those also grieving in this time of pandemic. Why doesn't the whole …
Continue reading "Why doesn’t it"
With most of Americans entering week two or three of social distancing or quarantine, circumstances are taking on some rather familiar overtones for many of us. Confined to one small area, save for periods of time where we leave the walls of safety and venture out into a hostile world – surrounded by a threat …
Continue reading "FOB Couch: COVID Isolation, Deployments, and Coping Tips"
Well, look at you. You got selected for command. First off, congratulations, you've been given an awesome trust: the lives of America's fighting women and men. There's really nothing so amazing as this. Secondly, say gooooodbyyyyyyye to your free time, 'cause the unit owns you now, baby! But hey, it's all good. You're going to …
Continue reading "Assuming Command: A Guide for Incoming Company Commanders"
We spend a lot of time in the Army talking about readiness. But what does readiness look like in the face of a pandemic? Do we stop training? Stop pushing out new equipment? Where does one draw the line when it comes to providing a trained and ready force, while also looking after the health …
Continue reading "Readiness in the Time of Coronavirus"
There’s a saying in the Army: “Take a knee, pull security, and drink some water.” Some extra-caring people might even add, “Rub some dirt on it.” If your medic is extra loving, they might even tell you to change your socks. It’s what you say when someone gets injured or otherwise incapacitated, usually out in …
Continue reading "Take a Knee and Drink Water: Mental Health in the Army"
One thing Ian could always be sure of, and that was that when things seemed at their worst or darkest, his troops would find someway to make the best of it. Years ago, back when he’d first come into the Army, he was stuck on a mounted patrol on some outlying moon. It was more …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Twelve"
This morning, the Virginia state capitol in Richmond saw dozens of armed men gathering to demonstrate their support for the Second Amendment of the US Constitution - the right to bear arms. These men were not merely bearing arms, however; they were fully accoutered in the trappings of what one would call a paramilitary group: …
Continue reading "Stop Calling Armed Mobs the “Militia”"
If you’re like me, you’ve always wondered where some of the wonky unit numbers in the US Army come from. Like, where did the other 99 airborne divisions other than the 82nd and 101st go? Did we ever have 503 infantry regiments at the same time? The answer comes down as a combination of some …
Continue reading "Army Unit Numerical Designations: Where do they come from?"
"You're in the Army, you must not have any problems being assertive. You just say things and people do them, right?" Sitting in my counselor's office, these words fell on my ears and caused me to smile. Even in parts of the public where people are more familiar with the military, the idea of the …
Continue reading "The Importance of Being a Self-Aware Leader"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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