[March 5, 2017] There’s a worldwide war on those who manufacture and distribute illicit drugs and that war is mostly hidden from Americans and the most affluent in Western democracies. The war is deadly and how it’s played out is best illustrated in the case of the small country of the Philippines. Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte is the new… Read More »
[March 3, 2017] The use of mankind’s propaganda goes back in time well before written records were kept. Its practical use is undeniable. For those us who study it, we know that the idea of keeping people accurately informed is often blurred with propaganda, depending upon the intent of those wielding power. Architectural propaganda is a variant of… Read More »
[March 1, 2017] Trust and confidence is a fundamental attribute of leadership. It is the ability to build strong trust and confidence in others that makes a leader and furthermore it is a leader’s credibility that is drawn from those who work in similar professions. That brings me to a story from a good friend of mine who… Read More »
[February 28, 2017] An old axiom in the U.S. military is that to be the best leader possible, one must chose the right people and give them the authority and freedom to do their jobs. Choosing good people is not an easy task but is necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of any organization. “Leadership consists of picking… Read More »
[February 1, 2017] This is my fifth and last in a series on my personal views of the War in Iraq. The years 2005-2006 were the formative years after our invasion of the country and much of the perspective of the U.S. military was formed during that time. We all were closely involved daily with ordinary Iraqis, hometown… Read More »
[January 18, 2017] This is my fourth post in a series on my personal view of the War in Iraq. It spans my thoughts after one year in combat during its early years; 2005-2007. That was a time where many of us got to know the Iraqis, terrorists, other combat troops, contractors, hometown folks, reports, and politicians. To… Read More »
[January 11, 2017] Pashtunwali … if you’re reading this, then you’ve likely never heard this word spoken aloud. The meaning, of course, will elude you but most importantly you will never understand its full meaning as intended. You cannot understand fully the code of ethics of Pashtunwali unless you’ve personally lived it from childhood. No amount of study… Read More »
[January 3, 2017] This post is my third in a short series on my personal view of the War in Iraq after a one-year combat tour of duty. While I served three years total, that first year shaped much of my understanding of Iraqis, terrorists, combat troops, contractors, home town folks, reporters, and politicians. As leaders it is… Read More »
[December 28, 2016] There will be times and places where the most effective leader will do the greatest good by personally being present at a significant time or place and paying one’s respect. Yesterday, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii where his nation conducted a surprise attack on December 7, 1941 bringing America into… Read More »
[December 27, 2016] It was a hot summer day at Fort Benning, Georgia when my class was to take an exam on how to survive a chemical attack by a determined enemy. It was rumored to be our school’s most difficult test and that could explain why two Second Lieutenants were cheating on the exam; both were caught… Read More »