Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[July 31, 2025] I arrived in Iraq three weeks before the U.S. declared the end of combat operations in Iraq, on August 31, 2010. This tour was the beginning of my third combat year, and by then, I knew the landscape well. What did this presidential declaration mean to the troops on the ground in Iraq? Zero. Nothing… Read More »
[July 30, 2025] I’ve not posted a movie review here in ages, but I was compelled to do so by John Podhorotz’s interesting review of the movie Eddington. The film is billed as an American neo-Western black comedy. Set in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico, it follows the lives of those in a small… Read More »
[July 29, 2025] Never underestimate your enemy. The “enemy” symbolically refers to people opposed to you, those with competing ideas, desires, and missions. They could be an opposing army, a terrorist group, a strongman dictator who wants to destroy the world, or the metaphysical Devil. Know your enemy. The enemy can be as tiny as a drunk friend… Read More »
[July 28, 2025] At its core, propaganda is designed to target your emotions and distort the ability to make logical, informed decisions. In war, propaganda has a central role, often exceeding the value of large military formations. In Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, we see this played out daily. The latest anti-Israel propaganda is trying to paint… Read More »
[July 27, 2025] The general rule of leadership is to fully own up to any mistake you make and do so promptly. In particular, this is true for senior leaders. Reasons for admitting your mistakes are many and will be listed here. Exemptions, however, for not accepting a mistake are exceedingly rare. One unfortunate exemption to acknowledging one’s… Read More »
[July 26, 2025] We read those stories of our heroes’ brave deeds, those who put their lives on the line for others in displays of unbelievable courage. We need good citizens like that, and for reasons of necessity, we do indeed love our heroes. But there are also many more stories of ordinary folks who, along with their… Read More »
[July 25, 2025] That Wednesday morning began cool, with lightning, thunder, and rain beginning around 0230 hours. This was great for plants but hard on our construction efforts in the Iraq War. The reason was the mud, and not just any mud, but mud made of extremely fine particulate. It was stuck like glue to anything it came… Read More »
[July 24, 2025] Occasionally, I will post an upcoming speech for feedback from the many who read my website. And today, I’m posting a short talk that I will deliver tomorrow at the Korean War memorial in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The ceremony is conducted by the NJ Department of Military & Veteran Affairs and the Korean War… Read More »
[July 23, 2025] It was probably some Army sergeant from long ago who made up the expression, ‘Stay in your lane.’ It has to be one of the most debilitating and offensive comments. Certainly, saying it has caused many soldiers to fail at their job, which would be to close with and destroy the enemy. I found it… Read More »
[July 22, 2025] The Greeks had a maxim, “Know thyself.” This idea was not new in the time of the Greeks because it was an incredibly ancient way of thinking. To know yourself is the very first step in realizing, in practical terms, your potential future. The importance of knowing yourself as the basis of a high-quality and… Read More »