“Professional soldiers are sentimental men, for all the harsh realities of their calling. In their wallets and in their memories they carry bits of philosophy, fragments of poetry, quotations from the Scriptures, which, in times of stress and danger speak to them with great meaning.” Matthew Ridgway (1895 to 1993) Matthew Bunker Ridgway was a… Read More
“Logistics is the ball and chain of armoured warfare.” Heinz Guderian (1888 to 1954) Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was German general and tank expert, who became one of the principal architects of armoured warfare and the blitzkrieg between World Wars I and II. He contributed decisively to Germany’s victories in Poland, France, and the Soviet Union… Read More
“Leadership is intangible and therefore no weapon ever designed can replace it.” General Bradley (1893 to 1981) Omar Nelson Bradley was a US Army officer who commanded the Twelfth Army Group, which helped ensure the Allied victory over Germany during World War II. He later served as first chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of… Read More
“Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.” Carl von Clausewitz (1780 to 1831) Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz was a Prussian general and military thinker, whose work Vom Kriege (1832; On War) has become one of the most respected classics on military strategy.
Each year the Ministry of Defence (MOD) runs a Higher Command and Staff Course (HCSC) for those officers it has identified as the most talented and who are expected to reach senior rank. Most attendees are OF-5 and a few are OF-6. Retention rates for graduates of the HCSC were: 2007-2011: 25% had left the… Read More
The ‘Star Count’ initiative is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy to monitor the total number of 1-star (general officer rank) and above military personnel to assess whether the target of a reduction in these posts, from 500 in 2010 to 405 in 2020, will be reached. With 431 personnel at 1-star and above on… Read More
“Duty then, is the most sublime word in the English language. You can never do more. You should never wish to do less.” Robert E. Lee (1807 to 1870) Robert E Lee was a General in the Confederate Army (1861-1865) during the American civil war. Prior to the war he was an officer in the… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 