As many of you know – and are no doubt really excited for – next years begins the semiquincentennial of the Revolutionary War here in the United States. Or, for those of us who have trouble with a jawbreaker like that, the 250th anniversary. Now, a bunch of you – not, not you of course ..read more

I am not going to bury the lead in this article: fantasy armies are simply terrible when it comes to conducting security operations.  It certainly builds tension with the audience when one side is on the cusp of losing a battle, quickly followed by a moment of pure exhilaration when an ally arrives unexpectedly and ..read more

One of my mentors dropped this quote on me a few years back: “The United States military is obsessed with tactical solutions to strategic problems.” After I picked my jaw off the floor because it was such an apt description of the last 20 years, I began to chew on the meaning of what they’d ..read more

While attending a Working Group during my deployment to Romania, my fellow Field Grade Officers and I were discussing the Initial Operating Capabilities (IOC) and Full Operating Capabilities (FOC) for our Tactical Command Posts (TAC) within the context of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO).  As we discussed these capabilities, we briefly touched on the criteria to begin breaking down our TAC ..read more

So there I was the other day, just minding my own business and falling down some social media algorithm-caused rabbit holes of a Saturday night, like ya do, when I came across this image: Now, for those of you who are war monument nerds like myself, you may have recognized this as being cast in ..read more

Ever wondered about the history of your Christmas carols? Well, sit tight because this is a wild ride! Famous Christmas carol "Jingle Bells" has a complex backstory involving Bostonian James Pierpont who, despite hailing from an abolitionist family, joined a Georgia militia unit during the Civil War. Similarly, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, moved by his son's near-death experiences in the Civil War. These carols echo stories of strife, despair, and unflagging hope amidst war ..read more

West Point’s Modern War Institute, in conjunction with Training and Doctrine Command, initiated a contest in July 2023 to elicit essays describing a novel approach to “solve the recruiting crisis”. Entries were accepted until September 3, 2023. To date, the winning entries have not been announced. The below reproduced short essay was originally written as ..read more

Leader development was a hard thing to come by in the Imperial Navy during the 24-year reign of the Galactic Empire.  Throughout the movies, books, and television shows set in the Star Wars universe, there are countless examples of counterproductive leadership in the Imperial hierarchy that highlight the lack of positive role models in the ..read more

            In 1954, General Anthony McAuliffe wrote a letter to General Henry Hodes describing “an urgent and vexing problem” within the Army: “It is my understanding that assignment to command of a company or a battery is not a popular one, a pronounced contrast to the attitude existing prior to World War II…We must give ..read more

One would say that picking the day before the anniversary of D-Day in World War II is an odd time to talk about the first world war, yet, here we are. Because the more that I look at the war in Ukraine, the more I am drawn back to World War I. And no, not ..read more