[March 19, 2023] Can we predict the outcome of the Ukraine War? Nearly 13 months into the war and the outcome is still uncertain, so even an informed prediction will be suspect. Additionally, extensive Western propaganda, state secrets, and an unofficial and unstable coalition surrounding Ukraine, all combine to make a mess out of any prediction. The Ukraine… Read More »
[March 18, 2023] I had just finished a talk on the motivation of Soldiers. A young Sergeant came up to me and said that he had heard me discussing how to provide encouragement to our troops. He noted how much I said had really helped him, and then he started walking away. I said, “Hold on, what’s your… Read More »
[March 17, 2023] I was recently asked by one of my readers what was the most important rule in your book, 55 Rules for a Good Life, and why. My answer was easy. Never lie, cheat, or steal. The reason is that it is an excellent starting position to straighten out your life. And, of these, never lie… Read More »
[March 16, 2023] Everywhere I’ve worked, I learned that if you go beyond the basics and push yourself beyond the minimum and show some humility to learn, you will get ahead of the game. But, there will also be corruption that will hunt you down, and it will catch you and drag you down from getting ahead. Keep… Read More »
[March 15, 2023] You have nothing better to do than to be right. That is at the heart of being a person; one who knows what is good, acts properly, does not break in the face of evil or tragedy, and stands with those who are weak and defenseless. A young Army Officer asked me the other day… Read More »
[March 14, 2023] In 1960, a small group of boys sat in a movie theater to watch the second movie any of them had seen; the first was King Kong. All I remember from it was the finale’s Roman chariot race in MGM film Ben Hur (1959). We sat there, eyes open wide and transfixed. It should be… Read More »
[March 12, 2023] People are not after being happy. They are interested in not being hurt. Most folks do not want to be bubbly, enthusiastic, and full of laughter and smiles. That is not what they mean by “I want to be happy.” They mean, “I don’t want to be anxious or in pain.” People want to avoid… Read More »
[March 11, 2022] “Learn to connect the dots, Satterfield.” My commander was on my case about not properly using our military intelligence to properly position my Infantry Company in an upcoming training battle. I thought I was doing a good job, obviously not. I was not able to make the mental leap from the many intell inputs to… Read More »
[March 7, 2023] Can we learn from war? What lessons can we learn for future wars? Is war inevitable? Do we get our history right about war? Of course, there are exceptions about getting history right and Mark Moyar does exactly that in his latest book, Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968 (700+ pages) and answers these questions. … Read More »
[March 6, 2023] Since a young age, as far back as I can remember, I was fascinated by stories told by my mother and grandmother (Bigmama, as we called her). But also those told by the many military veterans who lived in the small town where my family settled. I would call them ‘great stories’ in my unsophisticated… Read More »