Thoughts
I’ve blogged off and on since 2013 on a range of topics, including leadership, military, resiliency, technology, and security. When I’ve got time, I’ll be new articles here as well reposting old content as I migrate it from other platforms.
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Military Ceremonies: Going Virtual
COVID-19 has created a new abnormal, but not everything is bad! The U.S. military has a long tradition of formal ceremonies marking particular special milestones in a service member’s career or as part of a larger celebration. These events include promotion to the next rank, retirement, (re)enlistment, change of command, banquets, awards or decoration presentations,…
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We Are All Cyber Airmen
The “Whole Airman Concept” isn’t just about volunteering and education. Cyber Airmen from the 24th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. (Courtesy 24 AF/PA, 2014) For as long as I can recall, the U.S. Air Force has pushed an idea called the “Whole Airman Concept.” According to our doctrine, the Whole Airman Concept…
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Redefining Failure
Failure is critical to learning. Why do so many of us get this one wrong? I have failed. I cannot even begin to count all of the times I have failed. Some of them haunt me while others give me a chuckle. I can see each of these failures as one of two ways: I…
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A Mere Formality
Informal feedback is vital, but it must be employed consistently to be fair. On 3 June 2020, U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General, Lt Gen Jeffrey Rockwell, released a memo detailing an investigation into racial disparity concerns inside our military justice system. He concluded that the Air Force had a significant disparity in the rates at which…
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What is an Airman?
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force represents all enlisted Airmen, but what does that mean? What is our core identity? Chief Master Sergeant JoAnne Bass First of all, I’m excited by the Friday, 19 June 2020 announcement that CMSgt JoAnne Bass would be taking charge as the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force…
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How to Build Your Ship
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Emotion is an undervalued element of good leadership, but it’s necessary to inspire those you hope to lead. Without…
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New Uniforms and Change
The U.S. military services have rapidly changed working uniforms over the last several years, forming a litmus test for adaptability. If you have followed the U.S. military’s uniform changes in the last 20 years, you might walk away with two clear observations: Since the turn of the twentieth century and rolling into World War I,…
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The Danger of Domestic Terrorism
While there are groups within the U.S. that fit most definitions of terrorism, the greatest danger may be from ourselves. President Trump made for some interesting news on Sunday, 31 May, when he tweeted that he would be designating antifa (short for anti-fascists) as a terrorist organization. As a response, many signed a petition calling for the same thing…
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Malice or Ignorance?
Some easy tools to avoid common cognitive traps that can negatively impact your mental health. This concept is from the U.S. Air Force’s “Comprehensive Airmen Fitness” resiliency program. My examples and uses are my own. “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance.” This is one of my favorite aphorisms. Various forms…
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Protecting a Key Military Strength
The U.S. military possesses an unparalleled political might, matched only by its desperate need to remain apolitical. “War is a mere continuation of politics by other means.” – Carl von Clausewitz The U.S. military is a long-standing institution with a unique set of beliefs, social values, and standards. It’s shocking how quickly these values take hold…
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Observations: Duty by Secretary Gates
I finally got around to reading the 2014 autobiography of one of the most fascinating Secretaries of Defense of the modern era. Having served in the U.S. Air Force while Secretary Robert M. Gates was overseeing the Department of Defense (DoD), I have been eager to read his 2014 autobiography, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at…
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White Space
Here’s what we haven’t been doing enough of to combat racism. Since the sad death of George Floyd, our nation has been given much to think about regarding both where we have come from – and where we want to be. I’ve tried my best to listen to the hard stories of what it means to…