“Hey, the Commander wants to see you.” “@#%$, what now?” “I don’t know, but he looked pissed.” Sound familiar? Replace “Commander” with any authority figure at any level, whether it be “Gunny” or “Smoke” or “Chief”, and you’ll get the same effect. In our time in the military, we learn Read more…
Veterans love our Creeds. The Marines have their Rifleman’s Creed, The Army has the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer and the Soldier’s Creed. Each of the other services…Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard…have their own Creeds. There are several similarities, and quite a few differences, but one of the key connecting Read more…
I heard a story on the news this morning about a group of four marines who took a picture on a beach in May of 1966, and recreated it 50 years later. That, and a chance remark to a former soldier of mine, who happened to repeat it to a Read more…
In a previous post, I spoke about a central aspect of leadership that is key to success…to never forget where you came from. In the context of being a leader, this means to remember what is like when you were a follower, and lead accordingly. I came to realize that Read more…
Get any three veterans who have deployed together in a room, and you’re in for a lively conversation. Ask who is the strongest, fastest, and smartest, and you will get a variety of responses. Often, each will argue that they should be considered for the title. Ask which of them Read more…
The violence of action paradox is this: those actions and emotions that protected us in combat are dangerous to us at home, and those actions and emotions that are supportive at home were dangerous in combat. A recent discussion on LinkedIn points out a significant truth that seems to be Read more…
Even before joining the Army, Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried was a powerful read; going back and looking at it now, from the other side of military life, is even more meaningful. In a further attempt to help keep the awareness of veteran mental health in the conversation, I Read more…
In January of 2016, I had the privilege of speaking at the Colorado State Capitol Building. Several state lawmakers have started the first ever Veterans Caucus at the Colorado General Assembly, with the goal of gathering together legislators from both sides of the aisles to learn about veteran issues in Colorado. Read more…