Blogs for your consideration...
Over 20 years' worth of observations, recommendations, and considerations on life, family, and the military lie within these narratives. Cheers!
“Readiness” is a buzzword heard across every branch of the U.S. military. As the nation’s ultimate line of defense, service members are expected to be fit, trained, and ready to serve at the will of the President—or, for the National Guard, their governor. In practice, readiness is measured through ...
No one likes to be threatened—physically, emotionally, or professionally. It’s bad leadership and bad business. Ultimatums are often disguised as choices, but in reality they present a single outcome at the expense of something significant. Do this or else.
If you report this safety violation, I’ll...
The military is full of change. Rarely are two days ever the same. There are three states in which the military often finds itself: gearing up for major change, recovering from a major change, or managing the current state of ongoing thrash. There are high-highs and low-lows. And although military s...
I regularly sit down with service members from every status and background, and I often find myself giving voice to the words they’ve been quietly avoiding: “Take the leap. Go for it.” But before I send anyone charging toward a new path, I hit pause—and start asking the uncomfortable questions that ...
People want to know what’s going on. Unfortunately, in the military, knowing the “why” is not always possible. Whether due to urgency, national security, or lack of perspective, military members at varying levels will not know everything. A young private probably won’t know why they need to conduct ...
I know no one joins the military because of the paid time off to have children—but it’s an incredible benefit, and one that’s still surprisingly rare in the civilian world. Over the past two decades, I’ve personally watched (and benefited from) how military parental leave policies have evolved. Even...
One of the luxuries of moving every two to four years on active duty is that you get a new boss regularly. Either you move or they move. If you loved your past boss, you have a mentor for life. If you don’t love them, it’s only a matter of time before a new one gets cycled through and you can move o...
I often find myself torn between amusement and disappointment when a “leader” appears just in time for the spotlight.
A high-ranking officer materializes during a major inspection. A camera is poised to capture a soldier in action. A microphone is conveniently available. And suddenly, someone who w...
I’m not much of a video gamer under any circumstance. But after watching my family enjoy themselves across a variety of dynamic and first-person shooter games, I have concluded that the military is pretty much a live-action version of those games. The military requires its members to continually lev...
