[October 3, 2020] If there is one thing I had pounded into us as Privates in the U.S. Army, it was that words matter, and they matter a great deal. But, growing up and living in the civilian world, I learned just the opposite; that words were not just words. The old saying that “sticks and stones…” is… Read More »
[September 30, 2020] The concept of the fog of war was put forward by a Prussian fellow by the name of Carl von Clausewitz with his posthumously published book, Vom Kriege (1832).1 I have a copy of the English version, On War (1833), sitting on my bookshelf. It is one of the few books I’ve read twice, cover… Read More »
[September 28, 2020] One of the better things about the military is that it gives opportunities to learn from good and bad leadership. I’ve witnessed some deplorable decisions by leaders at all levels, one of which was by a two-star General. His command headquarters was rife with insubordinate civilians who regularly disobeyed orders and failed to show up… Read More »
[September 27, 2020] U.S. Army General Order #1 reads, “I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.” The military recognizes that a leader’s mission is most at risk of failure when that soldier or leader is not present. One of the most valuable lessons from World War I… Read More »
[September 22, 2020] It is difficult to put ourselves into the position of someone who lived during the U.S. Civil War. American citizens today, nor any time since, have experienced nothing like the level of destruction and loss of life during such a war. And, like all wars, nothing was straightforward about it. The Emancipation Proclamation by President… Read More »
[September 21, 2020] I admit it, I love dogs. My life began with my trusty Cocker Spaniel “Rusty,” and we were inseparable. Dogs have a special connection with humans, a meta-story that tells of great companionships. But today, I’m talking about another story. This is about how leaders are chosen. I’m calling it the pick of the litter… Read More »
[September 20, 2020] Warfare has always been present in our human species. And despite the terribleness of the battlefield, humans have, in fact, learned some terrible lessons. And thus, there has been broad agreement on laws of warfare established to prevent atrocities and unnecessary death. Unfortunately, there still are times when these agreed-upon laws of warfare are violated. … Read More »
[September 15, 2020] If we were to look at one example of violence incited by leaders, the most notorious in the past century is Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, carried out on 9-10 November 1938 by the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party.1 The pretext for the attacks was the assassination of a German diplomat in… Read More »
[September 17, 2020] Yesterday, at about 2 pm, my website crashed. The reason is unknown. What we do know is that it destroyed two days worth of posts. I will re-post the articles but reader comments have also disappeared. My apologies for any inconvenience. One of my readers suggested that the “Internet Secret Police” may not have liked… Read More »
[September 10, 2020] Laid out before us was a bounty of food and drinks, all in honor of our visit to Honduras. Our advanced party had been sent to determine the needs of our local military counterparts in their war against illegal (and very dangerous) drugs coming across their border from Nicaragua. Our soldiers were going to eat,… Read More »