Task & Purpose
Legendary Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal Praises His Marines As ‘What Is Right About This Nation’ In Humble Retirement Speech
It’s not a stretch to say that Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal is a legend in the Marine Corps. Most Marines know him as an incredible leader who epitomized Corps values and always led from the front, while most of America learned who he was after he was photographed walking out of an insurgent-infested house in … Read More
Russia’s Moral Hypocrisy
Immediately following the strikes by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France against Syrian chemical facilities on 13 April 2018, Russia’s Ambassador to the United States stated, “The U.S. – the possessor of the biggest arsenal of chemical weapons – has no moral right to blame other countries.” In fact, we have not only … Read More
The Military Doesn’t Really Want To End The Forever War
Alexis de Tocqueville rightly notes that democratic armies crave war; the draft must be reinstituted in America in order to protect the Republic from this desire. Selective Service will achieve this by forcing the average American to re-engage with military policy and evaluate if our current wars are worth their lives or those of their … Read More
Army Vet Turned Pundit: US Should ‘Normalize’ Kim Jong Un, ‘A Guy Who Has To Murder His People All Day Long’
Let’s all just agree to one thing right now: Whatever our vision of the United States of America is, however we feel about its future and its role in the world, it should not look anything like Pete Hegseth. Let’s not be like the former Bear Stearns banker, Army veteran of Iraq, Fox News personality, … Read More
A Mullet-Wearing Marine Recruit Showed Up To Boot Camp Ready To Party
When I look at the above photo, first posted by Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego on Tuesday, I imagine this is the conversation that played out: Hey mom, I’m at boot camp safe. Can you send me some black cats, Roman Candles, or screaming mimis? Yeah, and throw in some lady fingers, fuzz buttles, … Read More
How to Read Tom Ricks’ Books
I recently got a note from someone new to this here Long March. He liked it, and wanted to read more by me. So, he inquired, “How should I read your books?” That question intrigued me. It had never occurred to me. On reflection, I think the place to begin is where I recently ended, … Read More
British Blog to Light Infantry: Buzz Off
They’re cheap to support, but even so, they’ll still have to justify their inexpensive, cheese-paring existence by training foreign forces, it appears. “This would lead to improvements in partner force proficiency, which would facilitate their employment with British mechanised and armoured battlegroups to clear ground,” avers the cheeky “Wavell Room.” Thanks, mates! Now to the … Read More
5 Irrational Reasons Military Leaders Hate Red Teaming
There are five basic reasons why leaders are fearful of Red Teaming. None of them are very good, but you need to know them so you can anticipate these objections. The U.S. military has some really insightful Red Teaming operations, but in my experience, the majority of Army leaders fail to embrace this work — and … Read More