“Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Edith Louisa Cavell (1865 to 1915) A British nurse working in Belgium during World War I. She cared for all the wounded, regardless of nationality, and was greatly criticised by many at the time for assisting the German and Austrian soldiers, when… Read More
“There is the guilt all soldiers feel for having broken the taboo against killing, a guilt as old as war itself. Add to this the soldier’s sense of shame for having fought in actions that resulted, indirectly or directly, in the deaths of civilians. Then pile on top of that an attitude of social opprobrium,… Read More
“The side with the simplest uniforms wins.” Major Mark F. Cancian (USMC Colonel, Retired). Colonel Cancian spent over three decades in the US Marine Corps, active and reserve, serving as an infantry, artillery, and civil affairs officer and on overseas tours in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq (twice). A prolific author, he has published over 40… Read More
“During those years (1909-1916), I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.” Colonel John R.… Read More
“Leadership is the art of inspiring people to enthusiastically take action toward the achievement of uncommon goals.” Colonel John R. Boyd (1927-1997) A United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant of the late 20th century, whose theories have been highly influential in the military, sports, business, and litigation. Boyd inspired the Lightweight Fighter… Read More
“Harmony in operations is created by the bonds of implicit communications and trust that evolve as a consequence of the similar mental images or impressions each individual creates and commits to memory by repeatedly sharing the same variety of experience in the same ways.” Colonel John R. Boyd (1927-1997) A United States Air Force fighter… Read More
“Complexity (technical, organizational, operational, etc.) causes commanders and subordinates alike to be captured by their own internal dynamics or interaction – hence they cannot adapt to rapidly changing external (or even internal) circumstances.” Colonel John R. Boyd (1927-1997) A United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant of the late 20th century, whose theories… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 