[December 9, 2017] A few years ago one of the U.S. Army’s best machinegun crews was hurt when their gun blew-up. Why was it, that the best crew could have made a mistake that caused such a preventable accident? After an internal investigation (required whenever there are serious injuries) it was determined that the crew had taken unauthorized… Read More »
[December 8, 2017] In 1784, Robert Burns wrote in a poem1 that “Man’s inhumanity to man causes countless thousands to mourn.” His inspiration was based on his own poverty in which he lived. It is poetic, in a sense, that we use his words to describe the horrific genocide perpetrated against the Armenian peoples in the early 20th… Read More »
[December 7, 2017] The attack on Pearl Harbor on this date December 7, 1941, by the Imperial Japanese Navy is a day in infamy for many reasons. But it was also on this date that Americans began to find out about being tough, determined, and knowledgeable about freedom. In other words, they learned about winning. “A lot of… Read More »
[December 6, 2017] In September last year during the U.S. presidential elections, candidate Hillary Clinton referred to supporters of her opponent Donald Trump as “deplorables.” Some say that comment helped doom her campaign. Yet, politicians are not the only ones who say stupid things. For her campaign, it was one of those moments when clear-headed folks just shook… Read More »
[December 5, 2017] The girlfriend of one of my best friends is a hard person to get along with; even on her best days. She is a hardcore New York Yankees fan and only associates with like-minded baseball enthusiasts and other such devotees. Every conversation revolves around her team and, of course, they can do no wrong. She… Read More »
[December 4, 2017] Like the proverbial genie in the lamp, wishful thinking is at best a feel-good fantasy and at worse a flight of the imagination gone wrong. When I joined the U.S. Army I had the idea that my money problems would go away and I could relax in a stateside barracks with a bunch of fun… Read More »
[December 3, 2017] Hands-off leadership, incorrectly referred to as Laissez-Faire leadership, is a topic of intense debate in senior military circles. Today, I refer to hands-off leaders as those leaders who know what is happening, are not directly involved, trust others to do a good job, but also are who are unwilling to make decisions. This type of… Read More »
[December 2, 2017] As a 5-year old child I told a fib about a large catfish I’d caught in a nearby pond but somehow my grandmother, a great lady, knew I was exaggerating. As a child, I could get away with a little padding of my fishing résumé but as an adult, the effect can be unexpected and… Read More »
[December 1, 2017] The idea that life is fair was expunged from me in Army Basic Combat Training during my time in 1974 at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Drill Sergeant Bryant was a rigid disciplinarian that I intensely disliked because he was hard on us … but looking back, he was also the fairest man I ever knew. What… Read More »
[November 30, 2017] This morning I was flipping through a favorite book that I’d bought in 1983 just after being commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. The book, the 42nd Edition of The Army Officer’s Guide, is probably one of the best overall books providing countless lessons for the junior leader. Those lessons from 40 years… Read More »