Drone Warfare from a grunt’s perspective

Folks love to say that the new and shiny thing "is the future". Air power was the future and would replace ground warfare, tanks and mechanized forces were the future that would replace the infantry, and now we have "drones are the future and will replace (x)". While it would be convenient and a lot …

Enlisted and Officer: Growing Divide

There is a growing divide between enlisted members of the military and officers. One can look at interactions on twitter, or spend some time in uniform and most likely come to the same conclusion. In the previous 20 or so years of war, most of the fighting has been done at the platoon or squad …

Quick Hits: Surgical Strikes

The new year is upon us and we are already rife with controversy in the realm of foreign policy and military options. Almost everyone has heard of and is following the surgical strike that killed General Soleimani at a Baghdad Airfield. Of course, the usual "experts" have weighed in and taken to their foxholes on …

Out of The Army: A moment of clarity on my last day in uniform

When I was ending my time in service in the Army, I had a moment of clarity on my final day of active duty. When you finish your time in service, you go through about a month long process of clearing- it's a bunch of paperwork, confirming you turned in gear, attended a few transition …

Quick Hits: Editorial Decisions

I'm a one man shop here, so there isn't too much in the way of "editorial decisions". I have a log of articles that I've written and ideas for articles to write, select some graphics and try to keep things relatively fresh. One thing I've realized is that the writing process itself does not have …

Quick Hits: New Directions

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be updating the site a bit and might even start some social media accounts for better outreach. I've never been too concerned with numbers; I like to write, and if a few people enjoy what I write, that's great! When I started the website, it was a …

NATO: A Historically Unique Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, originally an agreement between Western European countries and the United States has seen massive change over the past few decades. Started as an alliance that would prevent and counter Soviet aggression against Western Europe, NATO is now a wholesale strategic institution and common framework that the allied nations work under. …

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 …