Category: Defense and Security

We Are Witnessing BIG History. Take Notes.

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Some of This Will Inspire Us. Much of This Will Not Be Pretty

The following post was one I drafted back in early March, but never posted. It was bumped by other news and forgotten. At the time, we were just starting to experience the pandemic that now dominates so much of our lives. Little did we know back then just how big an effect we were about to experience, and how long this fight was going to be. Looking back on this post, it seems both prophetic and a bit innocent, almost naive. I don’t know about you,

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The Secret to Solving Big Problems? LOGISTICS

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  • Hi Everyone Talks Tactics and Strategy. Making Things Actually Happen Requires Logisticians

 

Save Us from Armchair Experts

I learned a valuable lesson as a young Army officer, a lesson that time proved to be valid over and over again. The lesson is as follows. Everyone thinks of themselves as great armchair generals. Everyone thinks they know what is needed for tactics, strategy, and priorities. Darn few people have a clue about what it actually takes to make all those great plans happen on the ground. Master logistics or its all talk,

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Government’s Mission and a President’s Role in a Time of Crisis

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There are few fundamentals of what we expect from government and presidents.
The current team has failed them all.

Surprise!

I have written often that at some point a transformative crisis would hit the Trump administration. They would fail to meet it, with disastrous consequences. I felt that way from the first year of the administration and noted it early on at the start of this publication. I expected it would be something in national security that came calling. Perhaps a military conflict with China in the Pacific or a major terrorist incident. I did not see a virus as the precipitating event.

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What’s the Difference Between a Zombie and the Republican Party?

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Not much, as a Matter of Fact

Consider the Zombie

The zombie. Certainly a popular fellow in mass entertainment these days. We seem to see them everywhere. Consider what makes them different from human beings.

A zombie, at first glance, looks like a human being. But, of course, it is not. It was a human being, but now it is the undead – not really dead or alive, but somewhere in-between. There is no heart. No soul is evident. It has no purpose other than sustaining itself by eating the occasional brain. This, of course,

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This is The Trump That Was Always at Risk

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It’s Not Hard to Make the Case for Killing Soleimani.  Even Easier to Cite How Wrongly This Was Carried Out.

 I really wanted to talk about something other than politics today

I had a nice blog on something completely different ready to offer you. But the real world does intervene, doesn’t it? Many will be speaking out on this over the next few days, but this one is just too important to let slide, so I too am joining the parade. This is The Mother of Unintended Consequences and Poor Execution. The price will be steep in many corners.

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What Happens Next in the UK with Brexit? Should We Care?

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Boris Johnson got perhaps a mandate, certainly the room to maneuver. Now what?

 

What Happened – and Why?

Few called the sweeping win the Conservatives garnered in the UK last week. I certainly did not. A lot of time and calories will be burned figuring out why this. Remember that Brexit is not that popular in the UK. Most analysts say two things were at work. One, people are exhausted of the uncertainty; at least this gets things moving. Two, Labor had terrible leadership and a muddled message. The best thing to come out of all this is a change in leadership.

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Impeachment? Sure. How Many Counts? Ah, Well, Let’s See…

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How Impeachment Goes Depends to Some Degree on the Number of Charges

Where Are We?

Anyone involved in prosecutions – or impeachments – can tell you. A critical decision is determining how many charges to file and for what offenses. There are a lot of factors to consider. It is not simply a question of what offenses have been committed.

I recognize that some people are still undecided about impeaching Donald Trump. Still others are determined that it is God’s Will that he not be impeached, ever, for anything. For the rest of us,

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A Shooting War Could Begin in Any of These 3 Places -Soon

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Trump’s Decisions, Processes, and Personality Make Armed Conflict More Likely

But first an update:

Not too many days ago, I took Trump to task for failing to visit US troops in combat zones. Most presidents would have made several such trips at this point in their presidency.  But, finally, it is done. Trump last week visited troops in Afghanistan, helped serve a meal, talked with small groups of soldiers, and made no blatantly political or inappropriate speeches. I still think he should be impeached immediately, but let’s give credit where it’s deu. By all accounts,

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Think Trump Respects the Military? Think Again

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No President in History Has Done So Much to Harm the Military. And Trump is Just Beginning.

 

Our Military

The American military is an amazing institution. It’s ability to adapt, persevere, and win is nothing short of awesome. The people who are the armed forces and their families are among the best our nation has ever been privileged to have protecting us. If you watched the impeachment hearings last week, you got a taste of the ethos. The military and civil servants who testified made us all proud to be Americans.

But a military is always a force at risk.

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Reflections on Veterans Day – For Vets and Non-Vets Alike

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Occasions Like Veterans Day Offer a Much Needed Opportunity to Reflect

I had the good fortune to participate yesterday in a Veterans Day commemoration in our community.  I don’t often attend or provide part of the program at such gatherings. Yesterday reminded me why that is an error on my part. These are important reaffirmations of community on a very fundamental level.

I’d like to share with you a few observations that came out of the day for me that reflect the value of such gatherings. I hope they will encourage you to seek out such opportunities,

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