*Note: This essay was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette print edition on August 16, 2020. An image of the column is included below, as well as the text of the essay. Moderna and Pfizer recently started trials to determine the effectiveness of vaccines that might halt Covid-19. But there’s a catch. Half the American people won’t take the…
*Note: This essay was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette print edition on June 15, 2020. An image of the column is included below, as well as the text of the essay. This strange travel season has the airlines rethinking every aspect of policy including the addition of pre-flight temperature checks and in-flight bathroom permission from attendants.…
Major Gabbard finally surrendered. Recently, following “Big Tuesday’s” six state primaries, “Late Night” comedian Seth Myers jabbed that, “after tonight, we might finally know once and for all whether Tulsi Gabbard can take a hint.” Like an awkward party straggler that stays past dozens that’ve departed—and with only the host couple remaining—Tulsi Gabbard became the talk of the town for those wondering when…
*Note: This essay was published in the Los Angeles Times print edition on August 2, 2019. Images from the actual print story, as well as text can be found below; it can also be found online here (and a PDF version as well). Tulsi Gabbard highlights a problem that is not unique to her. She has two…
*Note: This essay was originally published on the Modern War Institute’s Commentary & Analysis site. Last week’s midterm election reinforced and amplified America’s deep divisions. What’s worse, today, many Americans even fear this partisan divide will lead to political violence. And as the start line for the 2020 presidential race draws near, it’s virtually certain…
*Note: This essay was originally published on the Modern War Institute’s Commentary & Analysis site. The memoir that follows takes us on a “darkly imagined excursion into the future.” In it, an unknown brigadier general, identity sanitized through encryption, recounts “The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2037,” a series of trends that caused…
*Note: This essay was published at War on the Rocks on November 27, 2017. It can be found online here. Recently, Dan Helmer, a West Point graduate running for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, released a list of eight retired generals and admirals he calls his “National Security Advisory Committee.” At…
*Note: This essay was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette print edition on September 4, 2017. It can also be found online here. Sometimes, police must shoot to keep the peace. When used effectively, this results in safer cities. When done wrongfully, it inflames society. The question is how police can best wield deadly force. The 2015…
*Note: This essay was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette print edition on August 30, 2017. It can also be found online here. I’m a veteran and I belong on a university campus. Both today, as a dissertation student, and someday, as a professor. Last week a vocal minority calling itself the “Social Justice Collective,” in an…
*Note: This essay was originally published at War on the Rocks on March 16, 2017 and is available online here. When twelve stars tell you to knock it off, there’s a problem. At several points throughout this past presidential campaign, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael Flynn’s partisan political behavior, while legal, was so out-of-line for a…