Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
Civil discourse requires a shared allegiance to civil society “If every time you play chess, your opponent punches you in the face, getting better at chess is not the solution.” – Andrew Thomas An important life lesson came out of my early career as a civil litigator. I practiced law in Canada for eleven years; …
Continue reading "Don’t bother improving your chess"
Much has been written elsewhere regarding the unforgivable sin of failing to plan for known contingencies. Whatever one thinks of the current changes undergoing our Army here in the United States, the least controversial thing to be said about them is that they certainly represent a change from what has come before. And regardless of one what thinks, or refuses to …
Continue reading "“After me, the flood:” recovering the Army’s accountability"
Spaceballs (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Brooksfilms) Editor's note (with apology built in): Reader, if as you peruse the following, you wonder whether the author is sick in the head or does not understand FM 6-22 but at all, rest easy. This, but for the negligence and oversight of the editor, should have run on the 1st …
Continue reading "All I Really Need to Know about Leadership I Learned from Spaceballs"
I was in Hawaii for the first time earlier this year. Expecting a sunny beach vacation, it was actually more of a profound learning experience. I was not expecting to be provoked in thought as much as I was. For our purposes, the thing that stayed with me most was the state motto, formerly the …
Continue reading "What are the Obligations of Leadership?"
You’re all trapped here at my retirement ceremony and now I’m going to inflict some last scraps of wisdom on you.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Chain of Command (Paramount Television) In the United States Military, Change of Command ceremonies are formal yet simple affairs. The unit’s history is read, the colors or guidon are passed between leaders, and a few speeches are given, all encompassing a tradition that represents the official change in leadership from …
Continue reading "“Get it Done”: Adjusting to Transitions in Leadership Aboard the USS Enterprise"
While attending a Working Group during my deployment to Romania, my fellow Field Grade Officers and I were discussing the Initial Operating Capabilities (IOC) and Full Operating Capabilities (FOC) for our Tactical Command Posts (TAC) within the context of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). As we discussed these capabilities, we briefly touched on the criteria to begin breaking down our TAC …
(Warner Brothers) Aside from the Battle of Hogwarts, there is a lack of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) that occur in the wizarding world of Harry Potter; considering the prevalence of shield charms and their potential for fratricide, this is probably a good thing. The seven-book series focuses more on insurgency operations, first by Lord Voldemort …
Continue reading "Harry Potter and the Magic of Raiding"
Leader development was a hard thing to come by in the Imperial Navy during the 24-year reign of the Galactic Empire. Throughout the movies, books, and television shows set in the Star Wars universe, there are countless examples of counterproductive leadership in the Imperial hierarchy that highlight the lack of positive role models in the …
Continue reading "Grand Admiral Thrawn: Strategist, Coach, and Mentor"
In 1954, General Anthony McAuliffe wrote a letter to General Henry Hodes describing “an urgent and vexing problem” within the Army: “It is my understanding that assignment to command of a company or a battery is not a popular one, a pronounced contrast to the attitude existing prior to World War II…We must give …
Continue reading "Guest Post: Dear Senior Leaders, It’s Not Us, It’s You"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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