Donald Trump’s Generals Comments, Explained

Today’s guest post comes from Barefoot Boomer. Boomer is a career Army officer and strategist. He is also a historian with an emphasis in American and German military history.  The content and opinions of this article are the author’s only and do not reflect the opinions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. *disclaimer: …

The Real Army Mob: The E-4 Mafia

Battles are planned by generals and won by sergeants, so the saying goes. The saying didn't include anything about who runs things in the meantime. That's because the people who run things were very keen on ensuring that their names are left out of popular sayings. Those people are the specialists of the U.S. Army. …

How do I Talk to my “Boots” About Politics? Retaking the American Narrative in the Marine Corps

This is a guest post from Peter Lucier. Peter Lucier is a Marine veteran (2008-2013) and student at Montana State University. He writes as a member of the Council of Former Enlisted for The Best Defense blog, and is the editor of the soon to be launched Return to Base (rtbmag.com) You can follow him …

Retaking the American Narrative: A Challenge to the U.S. Army

So, the other day I was talking with a noncommissioned officer within my organization. We were having an interesting discussion about different issues facing the Army right now, when he made the somewhat alarming remark that he thinks multiculturalism is destroying this country.   This line of thinking isn't new at all; in fact it's …

Additional Duties? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Additional Duties! Ten Tips for Executing the Role of Executive Officer

This post first appeared on the blog Point of Decision and has been reposted in its entirety with permission. So, you’ve pinned (or rather, hook-and-loop fastened) your black bar to your chest. Gone are the days of people calling you “Butterbar” and ignoring what you have to say. It’s a new era, right? Wrong. You’re …

A Veteran’s Response to Allen West

Guest post by Combat Cav Scout. His opinions as written here do not represent or reflect those of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army. Title photo courtesy Politico. I don’t, as a general rule, give much mind to the opinions of war criminals. So imagine my astonishment as I sit here with a …

Winning the Civil War, Finally

Today’s guest post comes from Barefoot Boomer. Boomer is a career Army officer and strategist. He is also a historian with an emphasis in American and German military history.  The content and opinions of this article are the author’s only and do not reflect the opinions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. …

Top Gun 2: What Might Have Been

Okay, so I’ve got a confession: I’m a veteran and a military nerd who doesn’t care for war movies. And it’s not because I’m anti-war, or because Hollywood doesn’t “get” us vets, or because the movies trigger PTSD: no, I just don’t care for them because they’re too obvious and in your face. We get …

To my Cat, on the Occasion of his Parting

This wasn't supposed to be this hard to write. I'd thought about writing this weeks ago, and it all seemed to flow so well. That was before emotion got involved. See, emotion can be a blessing and a curse. It can tie your reader to your story and get them involved. But it can also …

Skywalker on Trial: the Galactic Code of Military Justice

Scene: Galactic Courtroom. Defendant seems blissfully unaware of what’s going on, keeps talking about his training with a “Yoda.” Judge: “Commander Skywalker, let’s walk through the events that occurred during the Battle of Hoth, shall we?” Commander Skywalker: “Sure, it’s all the same to me, but I’m kind of busy and --” Judge: “Commander, this …