Military Hack, Part I: Discipline

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Discipline is the soul of an army.  It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all. — General George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army Ask a veteran or a current military member why they join the military. Most, if not all, individuals join for reasons relating to improving their lives; be it financial improvement, learning skills, or bringing purpose to one’s life.  Some people’s lives are so chaotic they join the military to bring order to the chaotic life either through broken families, drug or alcohol abuse, economic disadvantages, or generational violence.…

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Lethal Weapon: I’m Getting Too Old for This Sh!t!

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Murtaugh:  Jesus.  You’re not trying to draw a psycho pension.  You’re really crazy. Riggs:  So now you know. Murtaugh:  Yeah.  Now I know. — Lethal Weapon (1987)                                      1980s Hollywood gave the world a genre of movies that will forever be known for explosions, gratuitous nudity, on point humor, and tag lines that will forever market the movies into the future.  Then as computer-generated imagery (CGI) and a shift in political and cultural norms brought about the demise of movies that forever shifted…

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Everybody Hurts, Somtimes

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If you’re on your own in this life The days and nights are long When you think you’ve had too much Of this life to hang on — REM “Everybody Hurts” Automatic for the People (1992) Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide are tangible results from a U.S. military that has been at continual war since 2001 (some people would argue even longer).  There are more outcomes from continual posture and war, but for this discussion let us discuss the impacts on our military members; those micro-level impacts that push our military members into a darker place where perhaps they struggle…

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Letter Writing: It’s a Lost Art

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“The proper definition of a man is an animal that writes letters.”  — Lewis Carroll                      Technology has revolutionized how humanity communicates with each other both on the micro and the macro level.  Information travels around the world instantaneously allowing communities and individuals to share experiences, traumas, and news from their part of the world.  These impulses can be shared through voice, video, written emails, social media posts, or even morse code dots and dashes all with the ability to increase the transport speed of this information exchange.  Improved communication speed…

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We Are on Summer Break

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The warm winds of summer are blowing and the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) season is a full go.  Even with all the A1 funding shortfall for moves, bonuses, and other reasons to stay in the military, your resilience flickers like a candle in a hurricane. With that, Military Cheat Codes is on SUMMER BREAK until September.   Even we need a break to develop new ideas and capture solutions in written form.  We are always looking for writers and any people interested in participating in the Podcast. See you for Show and Tell in September 2023!

Military Spouses Should Dare to Be Independent

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“…should I draw you the picture of my Heart, it would be what I hope you still would Love; tho it containd nothing New; the early possession you obtained there; and the absolute power you have ever mantaindover it; leaves not the smallest space unoccupied. I look back to the early days of our acquaintance; and Friendship, as to the days of Love and Innocence; and with an undiscribable pleasure I have seen near a score of years roll over our Heads, with an affection heightned and improved by time — nor have the dreary years of absence in the…

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Solemn Reverence on Memorial Day

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“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” — Winston Churchill             Memorial Day in the United States is one of those holidays (last Monday in May) that people who have not served in the military do not know how to celebrate.  It is easy to honor veterans (Veteran’s Day 11 November) through simple appreciation via words of gratitude or providing them a discount for a lunch.  There is a holiday for our active duty service members (Armed Forces Day third Saturday in May) that most people do…

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Feedback is so Critical Even Your Boss Needs It Too

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“Examine what is said and not who speaks.”  — African Proverb Feedback fuels successful organizations and teams as it is the lubricant that keeps processes at peak performance.  Conversations, either formal or informal, regarding team performance can happen at any time but its criticality is vital with the honest and free flow of information, either perceived or actual, to a team or organization’s success.  True leaders at all levels must position themselves such that there is an open flow of communication to them with previous events, current situation, or what is to come.  We tend to focus on the feedback…

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Vital Question – What Are You Reading?

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Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead. — General James “Maddog” Mattis, 2003 To quote Edwin Starr from his song War, “War, huh, yeah / What is it good for?”  Well that may be obvious to some but to others it is not self-evident; it is a necessary evil to ensure security. Let’s change the quote to:  “Reading, huh, yeah / What…

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The Unknown Known: Morris Study of the Unknown Known Rumsfeld

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Subject:  What you know. There are known knowns.  There are known unknowns.  There are unknown unknowns.  But there are also unknown knowns.  That is to say, things that you think you know that turns out you did not.  — Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, 1975-1977, 2001-2006 Love or hate Donald Rumsfeld …. the man got one thing right.  He understood the way to defeat enemies is to understand the possibilities that exist in the war space.  The Machiavellian politician understood that for a leader to make decisions they must understand the situation to include facts and assumptions that are both…

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