Doctrine, Droids, & Dragons: An Impassioned Plea for Unconventional Professional Development

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 …

American War and American Memory

Collective memory is a fascinating thing. "Never forget." That's a phrase that we often hear associated with things like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor, usually splashed across social media pages on the anniversary of those days. Or maybe there are calls to never forget the sacrifices at Normandy or Bastogne. These national calls for memory tend …

Thursday Thoughts: Warfare in 5G

Trade is a basic human function. Not only does it ensure monetary subsistence to individuals and societies, but it also spreads ideas and opens minds. It serves to connect individuals from disparate backgrounds, making them part of a larger whole. Commerce is inextricably linked to the advance of technology. Where technology leads, commerce will follow. …

What is Worth Fighting For?

It's a simple sentence. Deceptively simple. And yet, it's one that people resist answering or get awkward if it gets brought up. What is worth fighting for? And further, what is worth dying for? Home? Family? Religion? Way of life? Economic pursuits? Safety and security? How about this one: what is worth killing for? Yes, …

War as a Human Endeavor: How do we train for that?

“War is a human endeavor—a fundamentally human clash of wills often fought among populations. It is not a mechanical process that can be controlled precisely, or even mostly, by machines, statistics, or laws that cover operations in carefully controlled and predictable environments. Fundamentally, all war is about changing human behavior. It is both a contest …

Waving the Bloody Shirt: Getting Americans Ready For the Upcoming War with Iran

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. If …

Tolkien and Combat Stress: Writing as a Release

I’ve been mulling over this idea of going back and revisiting old favorites, both in literature and film. If you’re like me, you read a lot of books growing up and probably had your favorites that you revisited time and again. Same with movies, TV shows, and documentaries. As we’ve gotten older – and our …

Classic Military Quotes Brought into the Modern Era

Military doctrine is updated every few years, to reflect the changes in technology, tactics, operations, and strategy, as well as to keep several thousand doctrine writers employed. Next to military doctrine, famous quotes from past military leaders are the most commonly cited source when two strategists are arguing. But although we update our doctrine, we …