Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[May 3, 2025] What we called our “Battle Rhythm” was the formalized daily cycle (or pace) at which the command staff, at all levels, worked. The idea was to synchronize future combat and support operations. It worked, but the effort was grueling, complex, structured, and generated a massive set of taskers that had to be cross-referenced and tracked.… Read More »
[May 2, 2025] I love baseball, and I think that’s obvious from my past writings on the subject. Maybe that’s why I also love the “Savannah Bananas.” Baseball, in its purest form, is a superb form of entertainment and rightly symbolizes hometown America. That is why it is loved worldwide and why so many know how to play… Read More »
[May 1, 2025] One of our major challenges as an occupying military force in Iraq was to keep major SWET (Sewer, Water, Electricity, Trash) services online. Back in 2005, a mere two years earlier, the 1st Cavalry Division developed operational tasks for its BCTs as we transitioned from primary combat to what is called Stability Operations. A combat… Read More »
[April 30, 2025] Inevitably, the discussion turned to the question, “What is a warrior?” A small group of us were discussing this topic over a few “near-beers” the night before our military unit was to fly into Baghdad, Iraq. For most of us, it would be the first time we would see combat. The “what is a warrior”… Read More »
[April 29, 2025] A recent article by Lt. Col Ken Segelhorst, USA retired, tells the tale of our nation’s elite military academies and the surge in academic cheating. He is alarmed by this growing pattern of cheating that, at one time, meant immediate expulsion from the academies. No longer. “Once rare and met with mass expulsions, large-scale cheating… Read More »
[April 28, 2025] More than a decade ago, I wrote an opinion piece that ran against the thinking of many prominent military senior leaders and politicians when I said that there was not enough use of shame as a way of modifying human behavior. The average person walking the streets of America today may or may not agree… Read More »
[April 27, 2025] A few years ago, I was caught off-guard by a question from an Army sergeant who asked me what I thought was the least important leadership trait. This was a question that both surprised me and that I had difficulty answering. Of course, being a leader means balancing an array of traits that each adds… Read More »
[April 26, 2025] The general rule of leadership is to own up to any mistake you make and do so quickly. In particular, this is true for experienced leaders. Reasons for admitting your mistakes are many and will be listed here. Exemptions, however, for not admitting a mistake are exceedingly rare. One unfortunate exception to admitting one’s mistakes… Read More »
[April 25, 2025] Tomorrow at 11:00 AM – Saturday, April 26th – we are holding a ceremony to honor a very special person, Marco Polo Smigliani. Marco is a close friend of mine, a friendship that has grown over the past years since I’ve lived in South Jersey. An Italian immigrant, Vietnam War Veteran, family man, Christian, and… Read More »
[April 24, 2025] Growing up in rural Louisiana, my grandmother often told me to “put your brain in gear” … and she was one smart woman, as grandmothers are known to be. What she was trying to do was get me to think and engage with what was happening around me; I call it intellectual engagement. One afternoon… Read More »