Know Your Team

In 1942, prior to the Battle of Midway, Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance assumed command of Task Force 16. This was a result of Vice Admiral William F. Halsey’s admittance to the hospital for a skin condition. “One great advantage in making Spruance the stand-in commander, was that he was already familiar with the personnel…

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“You have sixty-seconds…”

Sometime last year I came across Captain Steeeve on Facebook. He is a former naval aviator and airline pilot, and I enjoy watching and listening to his analysis of aircraft incidents and accidents. Why? Because I teach leadership and decision-making under stressful conditions and he has quite a bit that apply to both. Captain Steeeve’s…

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Hey Chiefs, Are Your Firefighters Present and Accounted For?

That is the question, are your firefighters present and accounted for? You may say, “Of course they are Rick! They show up when they are supposed to and their names are on the roster. Also, we ensure accountability at the scene of an emergency. So, what kind of a question is that?” Ok, so their…

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Discipline is Not a Curse Word

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the United States entry into World War II, the United States Army conducted large scale maneuvers in Louisiana in September of 1941. Major General Leslie McNair had an instrumental role in this exercise. In his book Crusade in Europe, Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote,…

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Complacency, a Psychological Obstacle

Prior to the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s involvement in World War II, there was a general feeling in our country that the war in Europe and Asia was not an American problem. This attitude was also prevalent with many members of the U.S. military. In Dwight D. Eisenhower’s book,…

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Memorial Day: Remembering the Cost of Freedom

Two dates have carried deep meaning in my life—November 10, the birth of the United States Marine Corps, and November 11, once known as Armistice Day and now recognized as Veterans Day. As a veteran of both the Air Force and Marine Corps, those days are personal. But Memorial Day reaches even deeper—it is about…

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