[May 6, 2022] Be loyal. Never betray. The idea of loyalty is as ancient as human association with others, although often revealed in its opposite (disloyalty, betrayal, ingratitude). The world’s greatest thinkers have studied the notion of human commitments, whether to God or each other and regard loyalty, as a remarkable virtue worthy of true wonder. This concept… Read More »
[April 25, 2022] Driving with my 15-year-old in the car and listening to the radio was great for our father-daughter relationship. We got to talk, relax, and see the countryside. I’d purposefully selected a radio station that played current music appealing to teenagers, or so I thought. This car trip was in 2003, shortly after I’d been ordered… Read More »
[March 30, 2022] John Wayne is an iconic idol of manhood. Tough, courageous, self-reliant, and independent; are the hallmarks of true manliness. In the 1975 American western movie “Rooster Cogburn,” John Wayne stars as an aging, one-eyed lawman doing his best to redeem his reputation and earn back his marshal’s badge. Critics do not consider the movie to… Read More »
[March 23, 2022] Here is a philosophy of life I recently heard verbalized by a radio disc jockey. “Do as much good as you can, as best you can.” We will find stories about this same idea from ancient philosophers and biblical figures; we call it discipline1. Without discipline, you will fail. The idea of discipline, and I… Read More »
[March 22, 2022] A society that has many of its members standing strong against the evils that permeate our world is a fortunate society. A recent article by Coffee or Die Magazine staff writer Mac Caltrider1 highlights the remarkable life of NFL star and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva. Wow, well done! “Villanueva served in the US Army’s… Read More »
[March 18, 2022] I remember reading a book when I was a mere 17 years old. I thought it would be boring, but I was wrong. Titled “A Soldier’s Story,” it was a behind-the-scenes eyewitness account of WWII. Written by U.S. Army General Omar Bradley, known to us all as the Soldiers’ General, his story is the story… Read More »
[March 10, 2022] With war raging in Ukraine, now is an excellent time to remind ourselves of the 5 essentials for victory. Sun Tzu, whom I’ve written about many times (see links here, here, and here), has condensed for us what is needed for victory in war. In a future article, I will address whether the Russian military… Read More »
[March 7, 2022] It was a dark September night at Fort Benning, GA, as our platoon of new lieutenants moved out on a new training mission. We were headed deep into the bush to test our newly acquired leadership skills and measure our resilience. I was paired with a lieutenant from Chicago; he had the worst traits a… Read More »
[March 5, 2022] There are times when doing the right thing – doing what is moral and honorable – is unpopular. I found myself and those I served with on the end of such unpopular opinions while deployed in the Iraq War.1 Politicians, Hollywood actors, journalists, and other uninformed folks, regularly dismissed our efforts as foolhardy and evil. … Read More »
[February 3, 2022] A peek into Chapter 2 of my book, Our Longest Year in Iraq. I thought this might spark some ideas about the leadership at the grunt level. I called it our turn in the “box” – the box was the Iraq battlefield. Thanks for reading it: The greatest foe on the battlefield is fear; it… Read More »