Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
It was a warm summer's morning as I stood hesitantly in the door of the church, removing my service cap and tucking it under my arm. I adjusted my tie and cast a glance at my uniform before stepping inside. Seeing a tall man in a black suit, I asked if this is where the …
Continue reading "On Rendering Honor"
Sustainment. It’s always the elephant in the room; the thing that “warfighters” don’t want to talk about. Neglect it, however, and maneuver suddenly ceases, combat support can’t support, and the whole operation collapses. So how do we get that elephant from the brigade support area to the front lines? Let me start, right off the …
Continue reading "Getting the Elephant in the Room to the Front Lines: Engineer Sustainment at JRTC"
There had been dancing that night. The room had shimmered with the glorious hues of the dress uniforms, the stunning jewels flashing when ladies turned with their partners -- the colorful dresses flaring. It was a warm night, he recollected. Warm and seasonable for Reon at that time of year. That was where they had …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Six"
In 1862, the King of Siam offered President Lincoln war elephants for the Civil War. Lincoln politely declined. But what if he hadn't? Artist rendering of guidons and equipment of the 1st Ohio Volunteer Pachyderms, by Dr. Nyri A. Bakkalian, @riversidewings The long, low lines of white pup tents, punctuated by the larger A-frame and …
Continue reading "If the U.S. Army had Elephants at Gettysburg"
Energy blasts arced across the sky, blue hints against the permanent dark yellow. Someone was apparently fighting someone. Ian was laying on his back, gazing upwards. He briefly shut his eyes, yearning for some blessed relief from the ever-present light. Space is supposed to be dark he argued to himself. They'd moved far more than …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Five"
The fighting had gone on for hours. The platoon had formed a cordon, had exhausted all their ammunition, and had ended up using the weapons of their fallen enemies -- to good effect, thought Ian. He went into the fight with twenty-three troopers. He could count twelve relatively uninjured ones around him right now, sprawled …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Four"
The world of international relations is fraught with peril these days. Old alliances are frayed, new enemies seem to be hiding behind every tree, and we find ourselves unlikely bedfellows with many countries. In short, we've basically become a Taylor Swift song. Yes, she has become the troubadour of our times, with apt descriptions of …
Continue reading "Taylor Swift Songs as U.S. International Relations"
So, we know all about the heroes of the American Revolution, right? George Washington, John Adams, Paul Revere – OK, well, not him, he was a good silversmith, an average errand rider, and a godawful general. But odds are you probably haven’t heard of Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kosciuszko. Nor can you spell it or pronounce …
Continue reading "Thaddeus Kosciusko: The Polish Engineer You Never Heard of who Saved America"
There had been chattering voices over the intercom after the last transmission -- suddenly higher headquarters was very much online, very much insistent that Ian provide SITREP after SITREP. Ian scowled in annoyance at the voices in his ear, wishing he could disappear into radio silence once more. He briefly considered ordering the platoon back …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Three"
Welcome to an experimental story I've been working on of what war in the future might look like. It will be serialized until it is complete. Ian had been in innumerable firefights before. Most had been small, short, and sharp. Then there was that one time in a valley back on Leto 9, where he’d …
Continue reading "Finding Space – Chapter Two"
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