Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
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"
A few months ago, this blog published the post "On Command: A Confession," wherein I talked about my personal struggles with the idea of taking a battalion command. Not unlike the USS Maine in 1898, that post blew up. Too soon? I got messages from other Army officers, Navy officers, even officers in foreign militaries. …
Continue reading "Are We Hearing What We Want to Hear?"
I have a confession to make. I don't want to be a battalion commander. I don't want to be a brigade commander. I don't want to command anything, ever again. For an Army officer to say, this is well nigh on heresy. I nearly expected George C. Marshall himself to descend from his lofty throne …
Continue reading "On Command: A Confession"
It's around this time of year that we're encouraged to give thanks for the good things in our lives. And while it might seem like a bit of a stretch in the midst of a pandemic, I think we can all find at least one or two things to be thankful for. For those of …
Continue reading "Gratitude: A Leader’s Duty"
The Legend of Korra is not only a good primer to study insurgencies, it can also be used to study operational art. The Battle of the Bay which took place between the Equalists and the United Forces over control of Republic City in season one episode eleven is an especially suitable example. The United Forces …
Continue reading "Operational Lessons from Legend of Korra"
I spent 12 months managing a division-level Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program. It was evident, commanders have varying opinions on what “success” means in SHARP. It was even more clear Commanders were not in sync with the inner workings of their programs. The more senior in rank the commander was, the …
Continue reading "Taking Ownership: The Problem of Command Teams and the SHARP Program"
Stay in the military long enough, and you'll gain rank. Rank comes with privileges and responsibilities. But it also comes with something else: something more dangerous. Ego. Now, one might say that if you're aiming to be a leader in the military then you're going to have ego anyways. People who strive for leadership positions …
Continue reading "Leader, Know Thyself"
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"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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