Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
By David Dixon I began my commitment to the service of the United States in 1999, when I showed up at West Point as a fresh-faced new cadet, deeply conservative, religious, and full of a desire to be a patriot and to serve my country. In the almost twenty years between then and now, much …
Continue reading "Guest Post: The Growing Emptiness of Service"
As an Army officer, I tend to spend a lot of time talking about, well, talking about officer things. And no, that does not mean discussing polo, the price of cufflinks, sipping brandy, and thinking of ways to make our NCOs lives harder, as some circles might believe. Although the brandy thing isn’t too far …
Continue reading "7 Characteristics of Highly Successful Non-Commissioned Officers"
"I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar." - Julius Caesar Memory is an odd thing. It affects not only people, but whole societies and cultures. Take the memory of the U.S. …
Continue reading "A Murky Heritage: the U.S. Army, the Civil War, and Memory"
You know, there’s nothing quite like a cold gin and tonic on a hot summer’s day - where you can see the condensation slowly build up on the exterior of the glass and smell the tang of lime garnish mixing with the scent of mown lawns and neighborhood barbecues. Or, if you’re like me, there’s …
Continue reading "Gin: the Military Spirit"
How do you solve a problem like North Korea? This is the song that Pentagon planners have been singing for decades now. We’re told that there are plans to use a limited strike on a North Korean target that would send a message to the dictator that the U.S. isn’t playing around. A strike that …
Continue reading "World War I Stands as a Lesson Against a “Bloody Nose” Strike on North Korea"
It's a simple sentence. Deceptively simple. And yet, it's one that people resist answering or get awkward if it gets brought up. What is worth fighting for? And further, what is worth dying for? Home? Family? Religion? Way of life? Economic pursuits? Safety and security? How about this one: what is worth killing for? Yes, …
Continue reading "What is Worth Fighting For?"
Today’s guest post comes from Major John Q. Bolton. Maj. Bolton is an officer deployed to Afghanistan. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy, an MBA from American Military University, and a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the Command and General Staff College. An Army Aviator (AH-64D/E), his …
Continue reading "Guest Post: Military Scrutiny Isn’t a Bad Thing; In Fact, We Need More"
By Dan Kim Author's note: This fantastical post is the brainchild of a friend who joked about me reading a story to my daughter, but instead wanted me to read him a bedtime story about the Iran-Iraq War. After a few lines, the friend and ASO planted the seed, like, why not turn one of …
Continue reading "The Schoolyard Bully: A Bedtime Story of the Iran-Iraq Conflict"
She had a senior non-commissioned officer buy her lingerie, passing it off as a joke. I didn’t know. She was mentally broken down and denigrated, day after day, by a male officer who was her commander and who felt threatened by her presence. I didn’t know. She was propositioned - openly - by higher ranking …
Continue reading "I Didn’t Know"
Right. So I’m just going to put this out here right off: if I have to listen to yet another stumbling, rambling, mispronounced, mumbled, dry, and generally boring as hell briefing from one of my peers, I’m going to find a way to beat someone over the head with their own PowerPoint slides. Seriously, we’ve …
Continue reading "An Army Officer’s Guide to Public Speaking"
The Angry Staff Officer 
You must be logged in to post a comment.