When I was called to active duty in 2003, we had exactly 5 days notice. But, our leadership had dropped heavy hints two months prior. And, that activation was classified. It was “super secret.” Still, we had those precious two months to change our lives.
Many soldiers in Operation Lone Star just had two
I first wrote this for Veterans Day in 2009. On Veterans Day, we note the spirit of service. Here are some examples:
The Ft. Hood 13
Today comes another Veteran’s Day. Many of us recall a grandfather who served or an uncle who endured. The 13 who were killed at Ft. Hood exemplify the hundreds
You served in Iraq twice. Both times, you served in a combat role, kicking in doors. You lost a few members of your Army family, but you accepted that. It is part of the deal you made with Uncle Sam. You were commissioned through ROTC at one of the Ivy league schools. You get out
He served as a mechanic, the chief mechanic for his battalion. He loved his job and was devoted to his unit. As they trained and prepared to deploy to Iraq, he promised them. He guaranteed no HMMWV would break down outside the wire. That is a big promise to make. He was an E7, a
I had a dream a couple of nights ago in which I visited the netherworld. Felt this overwhelming desire to assure those brave men buried at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France that the President’s comments were wrong, all wrong. For those of us with a modest bit of PTSD, Pres. Trump’s comments stung. Those
I served in the Iraq war 2005 to 2006. My job was to approve (or not) reconstruction projects. My post was at division level. We had some $90 million dollars each fiscal year to spend on projects inside Iraq. There were various civil affairs constraints on how to spend that money. It was my job
In what industry are both white collar and blue collar managers and leaders trained each time they are promoted? In the military. In the military services, we have to lead and manage persons from all sorts of backgrounds. So, for decades, the U.S. military has required attendance and graduation from various schools for promotion to
In the military, it is has always ben understood that discipline is critical. But, what does that mean in actual practice? Proper discipline starts with the small things. Commanders eat last. Officers do not leave the bivouac area to go into town for a shower and a nice meal. Those small things matter. They create
SSGT David bellavia was just awarded the Medal of Honor. He took out a building that was threatening his platoon. His battle devolved into hand-to-hand combat at times. In his speech, he gave credit to his squad, his platoon and his company. He recognized his interpreter, Sammy, who was just made a U.S. citizen. Sammy,
As I have mentioned here before, I served 12 months in Iraq during the Iraq war. It was one of the most wonderful experience of my life – except when it was not! …. Seriously, it was a searing and very positive sort of experience, overall. The big fear in the war was the IED’s,