Some pictures of the national WW1 monument in Kansas City and my grandfather’s memorial brick. Grandfather was a cook in the 80th Division. As the family story goes, he was in a foxhole with fellow soldiers and an artillery shell exploded nearby killing a number of Soldiers. His life was spared by the fact that […]
Category: Military
5 Things traders can learn from America’s greatest fighter pilot
COL John Boyd , USAF was a national treasure. One of the most gifted and effective fighter pilots of all time, he went on to revolutionize the way the armed services thought about command, control and combat effectiveness on the modern chaotic battlefield. He was instrumental in reforming the process by which the Department of […]
A reflection on Problem-solving vs Decision-making
I see an important distinction between problem-solving as a method and decision making as a process. I see problem solving as an important component of decision-making but I see this distinction: decision-making seems to be the ultimate act of convergent thinking as a prelude to action. I see problem-solving as an analytical or intuitive process […]
Military officers: superstitious?
A new blog friend, Konrad Talmont-Kaminski, a naturalist philosopher in Poland, shares an interest in bounded rationality. He is thinking hard about superstition and the question was posed to me: Given the connection between stress and superstition the army must be a good place to run tests. Do you think the military are among the […]
World Class Training: the After Action Review
There are many reasons why the US Army has developed such an excellent reputation as a training organization over the years. Excellent equipment, superb training areas, master trainers in the form of non-commissioned officers who have perfected their expertise in task training under all conditions. Success also comes from the knowledge that Army training may […]
5 Essential Qualities For Effective Managers
What does it take to manage a diverse group of creative individuals? An extensive review of management literature produces the following list of management qualities that are essential if you want to build and leverage high performance teams. Without these skills you run the risk of losing your most valuable business asset: the knowledge and energy […]
Reflections on TRADOC Pam 525-5-500: Commander’s Appreciation & Campaign Design (CACD)
Research Question: What is the theoretical basis for the US Army’s proposed modification to the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and what are the issues of concern for practitioners of the art of military decision making? Introduction and background: The United States Army’s Military Decision-Making Process stands the test of time as a method […]
The cost of the military industrial complex
I was reviewing an article by Jim Quinn at the most excellent blog “Seeking Alpha”, wherein he laid a fiscally conservative response to the apparent profligfate spending associated with international adventurism initiated by the neo-cons in the Bush Administration. Jim’s article prompted the following thoughts. full article at this link The concepts of opportunity cost, […]
Blogs: Your expertise offered painlessly to the world
As a teacher and researcher, and a subject matter expert in some aspects of military logistics, small unit management and leadership, I am constantly answering questions from current or former students on areas where they know I have some skill. I have been frustrated with providing similar answers to the same questions which have been […]
Writing for the Web & Army Strategic Communication
re: strategic communication my belief is that Impact = Quality x exposure 300 great words in a comment section at the edge of the blogosphere has less effect than mediocre 300 words on a high traffic streetcorner. location, location, location writing for the web is different than academic writing. research shows book-like posts make people […]