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FROM BOOT CAMP TO VETERANS DAY 2019

November 11, 2019 by

The greatest way to see what the rest of humanity looks like is by joining the army and going through boot camp. From the mild mannered kid who turned into Sergeant Rock with his provisional rank, the college grad who joined to become an air traffic controller, they all had dreams. First they had to […]

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LEARNING LEADERSHIP: WHERE TO START AND END

October 4, 2019 by

The idea of learning leadership begins the first time you do what you are told to do. Usually it starts with a mom or a dad. If not them, maybe a teacher or coach. If it happens to be some jackass in the neighborhood a few years older, then it’s going to be a defective […]

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ARMY BRAND DD214 WON’T WASH OFF

March 21, 2019 by

Not sure when it begins, but a lot of men feel remorse about not having an Honorable Discharge and a DD214. What did they miss? Listen to guys in their late 30’s and early 40’s reflect on the sort of soldier they would have been, or their opinion on what makes a good soldier. The […]

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MANPLAINING MAN CODE FOR NON-MAN CODE TALKERS

February 28, 2019 by

Man code isn’t the same as secret encryption, but they share a common aim: communication by means other than normal language. A secret encryption message gets deciphered, then delivered; a man code message gets interpreted and acted on. For example:

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ENOUGH LEADERSHIP? WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

January 10, 2019 by

    Talk to any reliable construction contractor about when enough is enough and they say two things: It’s enough when you run out of money to do more. And it’s enough when you run out of time and need to wrap things up. Ask any self respecting parent how they decide when enough is […]

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NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERAN DRILL SERGEANT DAY

March 29, 2018 by

    By the time of September, 1974, people joining the armed forces knew they wouldn’t go to Vietnam. At least the people who kept up with the Vietnam War knew, and keeping up was as easy as watching the six o’clock news.   Back then joining the Army wasn’t the same as being drafted, […]

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KA-BAR TO THE RESCUE AGAINST BEARS AND OTHERS

February 7, 2018 by

  One of the benefits of being an Armed Forces veteran from the mid-70’s is the ability to relate to other veterans, to show respect for their service today.   History is full of great moments of grace and dignity, pomp and circumstance, but veteran to veteran isn’t about a parade, or acknowledgement.   Getting […]

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THE REAL GEORGE MARSHALL, AKA GRANDPA

August 21, 2017 by

  George Marshall, George Warren Marshall, Grandpa Marshall, a ground breaker for the ages. He was a logger, a tree feller, of a different stripe.   Once I asked him, “What’s the difference between you and the rest of the loggers drunk and fighting in bars after work?” “That’s not the sort of life to […]

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ARMY STRONG? FRED WHITE WAS BORN READY

April 21, 2017 by

You might be Army Strong, but not from the start. Step off the bus at the Army Receiving Station and you notice those around you. Showing up in the dark leaves lots to see. These are your people, the ones you’ll bond with, stay in touch with the rest of your life, and plan those […]

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DOES YOUR FAMILY HATE YOU ENOUGH? GET BUSY

April 7, 2017 by

  Family hate means family values 0.  Are you the right gender? Check early pictures to see if you’re wearing the right clothes. If you’re a guy and your baby pictures look like a girl, relax. General Douglas MacArther wore a dress and long hair as a child. It was the fashion, and it didn’t hurt […]

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