Military

Guest Post: Who is Achilles Anyways? A Millennial Fires Back

/ pptsapper / 6 Comments

By Butters' Bars Recently a couple friends and I turned to the internet to answer a very important question: are we millennials? A number of sources place the millennial generation between 1980 and 2000—with some variation—putting the most recent group of college graduates (recently minted 2LTs) right at the end of the millennial generation. The … Continue reading Guest Post: Who is Achilles Anyways? A Millennial Fires Back

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“I Would’ve Served, But…”

/ pptsapper / 13 Comments

If you've been in the military, you've had this conversation before: "Oh, you're in the Army? That's cool, I almost joined up once, but..." Random excuse follows. (Caveat: unless it is a medical issue, because there are those who desperately want to serve in the military but can't because of medical issues, and that can … Continue reading “I Would’ve Served, But…”

How I Lost at Patriotism – And How We All Lose

/ pptsapper / 9 Comments

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! America: a Poem for July 4th (1911) A few years ago, I traveled back to my Ohio hometown for … Continue reading How I Lost at Patriotism – And How We All Lose

Guest Post: LARPing for Leader Development

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By Mike Denny You don’t have to be a Level 20 dungeon master to enjoy dressing up on Halloween and getting into character. For non-nerds, LARPing is Live Action Role Playing, which typically describes people getting into character to create fantasyland environments (e.g. Lord of the Rings), but it can encompass the whole realm of … Continue reading Guest Post: LARPing for Leader Development

A Short History of the Militia in the United States

/ pptsapper / 5 Comments

The idea of a militia - that is, groups of armed citizens that enter military service in time of need - has a long and contentious history in the United States. The idea of what constitutes the militia under the Constitution is has stirred up a lot of debate these past few years, and was … Continue reading A Short History of the Militia in the United States

The U.S. Military Photo Scandal: Whose Fault is It?

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In case you haven’t noticed, sexual harassment and assault in the military is back in the news. This time, Marines and retired Marines have been caught sharing nude photos of women Marines inside a closed Facebook group. These photos were either shared or taken without consent. But that was merely the beginning. Digging deeper, investigators … Continue reading The U.S. Military Photo Scandal: Whose Fault is It?

Guest Post: It Takes A Leader: Successful Integration of Combat Arms

/ barefootboomer / 3 Comments

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. Prologue:  … Continue reading Guest Post: It Takes A Leader: Successful Integration of Combat Arms

No More Task Force Rogue Ones: A Tactical Analysis of the Raid on Scarif

/ pptsapper / 65 Comments

Disclaimer: this should not be read as not wanting more Rogue One-type movies; we need more Star Wars films like this. Also: SPOILERS. There's a common phrase that you're apt to hear in discussions on Army readiness: "No more Task Force Smiths." For reference, Task Force Smith was a rapidly cobbled together unit of infantry and artillery … Continue reading No More Task Force Rogue Ones: A Tactical Analysis of the Raid on Scarif

Warfighter: Toad Hall

/ pptsapper / 7 Comments

How Wind in the Willows can teach us about small unit actions in warfare. That sound? Oh, that’s just the clunking of heads hitting desks, as people react to their beloved childhood book being brought under the scrutiny of the military microscope. But really, we’d be doing an injustice to that mighty asymmetric warfighter, the … Continue reading Warfighter: Toad Hall

Taking Care of Soldiers: What Does that Mean?

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Cover photo: Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, U.S. Army Pacific commanding general speaks with a Soldier currently training on the Gulkana Glacier near Black Rapids, Alaska, March 10, 2015. (Sean Callahan/US Army) Taking care of Soldiers. That’s a favorite catch-phrase used by leaders, usually of the sergeants major variety, to describe any number of things: extra duty, … Continue reading Taking Care of Soldiers: What Does that Mean?