Author Archives: Starbuck

In Washington, few things bring the left and the right together.  That’s why the latest round of debates over drones–involving a strange coalition of the far left and the far right–was so surreal.  Drone hysteria filled the airwaves for days, once again, … Continue reading →

A wise man, erm, rabbit once said that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  In that case, I’m pleased that an Air Force officer named (Presumably, Lt. Col.) Tony Carr has manage to pen an … Continue reading →

Whether they want to admit it or not, the majority of Americans got what they wanted this Friday. We’re a nation that pays far too little in taxes; and despite the rhetoric, we receive far more from our government than … Continue reading →

So you’re leaving the US military because you’re tired of being micromanaged? As it turns out, the private sector isn’t much better.  In a recent report from Harvard Business School, entitled “The Flattened Firm: Not As Advertised“, we learn that … Continue reading →

Fans of this blog are undoubtedly familiar with the tale of brave Sir Leeroy Jenkins.  As Leeroy is away from the keyboard, enjoying a bucket of fried chicken, his clan leader briefs his fellow World of Warcraft players on an intricate plan to … Continue reading →

I doubt Carl von Clausewitz, Maurice de Saxe or Napoleon Bonaparte could even beat Arthur Wellesley in a game of Command and Conquer. Continental strategists did, however, have one great advantage over the future Duke of Wellington: After all, grand strategy is … Continue reading →

Every flight school class has “that” student. The one who unwittingly hits on female instructor pilots at off-post establishments, throwing his car keys on the bar, and referring to them as the “keys to the F-22″. The one who claims … Continue reading →

Israeli military historian Martin van Creveld has made immense contributions to the US military when one considers the legions of students at the various War Colleges who have written term papers specifically rebutting van Creveld’s crackpot theories.  From the same theorist who … Continue reading →

I really didn’t want to knock on the US Air Force…they’ve had a bad week.  First, we re-visited the unfortunate incident in which a C-17, bound for MacDill AFB, accidentally landed on a much smaller runway 4 1/2 miles away. … Continue reading →

In case you missed Major Jonathan A. Bodenhamer’s missive at Small Wars Journal, let me summarize it for you, dear readers:  Contrary to the claims (his word, “propaganda”) of Army senior leaders, the US Army would benefit from more officers … Continue reading →