New Media: Branding and Mobility

Very few people finish their career in the same industry, let alone with the same company. The internet has revolutionized how we conduct business, wage war and even read and write. Obviously other economic and external factors unconnected to the rise of the internet played a part in this, but the internet career mobility is …

Fighting Generals: The End of Frontline Leadership?

Alexander The Great led his Armies from the front, being wounded multiple times and throwing himself headlong into the melee and overwhelming odds. Even though it wasn't the "Roman Way" to challenge opposing generals, the men who commanded Rome's Legions usually shared the hardships with their men, and on occasion, found themselves also embroiled in …

Quick Hits: Combat Catnaps and Living in The Moment

This week I'm focusing on veterans and soldier life. I enjoy writing about this, and will probably write more extensively on soldier life and veterans issues in the future. I have lived experience as a Light Infantryman in combat, but have also been fascinated by war and history since I can remember. An earlier article …

Military Discipline, Barracks Life and Soldiering

Armies are built on small units that work together as a whole. Depending on how well these smaller teams coalesce into a bigger unit, is one of the main factors that will contribute to battlefield victories and sustained success. These units are bought together through discipline and individual bonding between soldiers. Throwing a group of …

Connections of Combat: Military History and War Through the Ages

Like any campaign, my first deployment to Afghanistan was marked by moments of sheer thrill, terror and ecstasy and also with moments of boredom, doubt, and drudgery. During one of this slower moments, I pulled out a paperback copy of The Iliad. Not wanting to delve into anything new or too deep, I picked the The Iliad because …

Quick Hits: Veterans Day 2019

November 11th has always been a special day for me. As a kid growing up in the city, I looked forward to the yearly parades. But it also holds some personal significance as well; On my first deployment, November 11th was also the first time I was in a serious, lengthy and sustained firefight and …

Quick Hits: New Guys Get No Love

No one likes the new guy. And, if you're the new guy, you always want to avoid the first couple of dudes to talk to you. They are looking for an easy friend because no one likes them. In one way or another, you have to prove yourself to be accepted by the new tribe …

Early Tank Warfare: Armies fight for allocation not Victory

World War One is frequently seen as a watershed time in warfare. We had seen modern war start to develop as far back as the Crimean War, really develop a brutalist, Total War aspect during the Civil War, and come into it's own during WWI. One of the themes we hear all the time is …

Quick Hits: Power Moves and Power Vacuums, Syria, Kurds and Turkey Edition

With Donald Trump giving an implied blessing for Turkey to conduct operations in the Kurdish region of Syria, many of the usual talking heads were in shock, outrage or disbelief. How could this happen and how could we let our allies suffer like this? Well, anyone who spent some "boots on the ground" time in …

Primary Sources: The Importance of First Hand Information

The "fake news" phenomenon is still going strong, with talking heads throughout the political spectrum and on all levels throwing out accusations of lying and misinformation. As a business model, the mainstream media, collective thought and conventional narratives are ingenious, because it always guarantees a story that is palatable that the general public will not …