I was a legislator in the Virginia General Assembly for 16 years following a 28-year career in the U.S. Army. The latter was not entirely helpful to the former. Sure, there were many leadership lessons I learned from the military that helped me as a legislator. But legislating is a “different breed of Read more
Having settled on my New Year resolutions (which I am happily observing with varying degrees of success,) I thought I would share a few resolutions that others may want to consider. Presumptuous? Yes. Most folks can figure out on their own how to improve their lives. Some even without the assistance of enumerated resolutions. That Read more
The other day, my dear wife asked me innocently “Do you have any resolutions for this new year?” I groused at the idea saying, “My only resolution this year is to get to next year.” It was a rude brush off. But the last two years have felt rude. In 2020, we saw COVID-19 Read more
Recently I lost something. I say lost because I’m not sure where it is. I’ve looked and retraced my steps several times and just cannot find it. It’s both valuable and sentimental. It’s distressing that I can’t find it. Yet I’m finding this loss is somewhat instructive as I occasionally disengage from a busy workday Read more
I’m not a supporter of what is now known as “cancel culture,” whereby individuals and groups advocate boycotting or withdrawing support from those they regard as saying things they find offensive. This phenomenon is self-righteous and fundamentally anti-intellectual. The former is evident. The latter may need a bit of exploration. The cancel culture Read more
In national security matters, it is vital that America is clear and not pusillanimous. That’s a big word for “gutless.” Strength and clarity must be what defines our diplomatic affairs. To be sure, diplomacy requires a deft hand applied to direct and guide our national security actions while avoiding the popular political themes Read more
I’m taking a break this week to catch up on revising the final draft of my next book. Writing a book is no small effort and it requires patience and focus to get it right. This week I received very positive peer reviews on my latest work—the U.S. role in UN Middle Read more
It’s Thanksgiving Day. This is a time when many of us are focused on family and food. But we should not let the day pass without contemplating our many blessings, including our family and friends. In our case we have five wonderful grandchildren who are all a delight. They are, as we like Read more
The latest rendition of the culture wars now includes a term that characterizes what it means to be “woke.” What does that mean? Well, if you accept popular expressions of being “woke,” you might agree with the Urban Dictionary’s version. Specifically, being woke means “being aware and knowing what’s going on in the community” Read more
Today is Veterans Day. It’s not Memorial Day, when we remember our fallen, as a nation should for all time. When it fails to, it ceases to be a nation. Today instead we honor veterans, the ones who came home. I am one of those fortunate people. I served with Read more