ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

A-Team Hits the Ground in Afghanistan

Swords of Lightning: Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America’s Response to 9/11. Mark Nutsch, Bob Pennington and Jim DeFelice. Permuted Press. 352 pages. $28

By Lt. Col. Mark Reardon, U.S. Army retired

Mark Nutsch and Bob Pennington were the commander and deputy commander, respectively, of Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 595, the Green Beret A-team that worked with Afghan allies to overthrow the Taliban in the opening campaign of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Their riveting story, told with the help of bestselling author Jim...

The company assembled for the ceremony in scorching heat. Thirty days into their deployment to Iraq, the troopers in the compound were looking forward to the award of their combat patches—or, more formally, the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia-Former Wartime Service, which recognized soldiers’ participation in combat operations. Now proven veterans of a famous division, they looked forward to wearing its storied colors for the rest of their service. A proud anticipation rippled through the formation.

Soon, a lieutenant, the company executive officer, approached the formation. Calling the troops to...

Their friendship mattered. Although distinct in personalities, Gens. Ulysses Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman treasured their relationship with one another as they led their forces and fought to preserve the Union.

These officers were unique in that they did not fit the prototypical model for generals of the time. They were humble in an era when general officers tended to be preoccupied with self-image and status.

However, as history demonstrates, these two men, through their individual achievements and the strength of their relationship, were integral to the Union’s success in the...

It all started in March 2020 when cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, left for spring break, expecting to return after a week of vacation. Little did we know that the COVID-19 pandemic would turn that week away from the academy into five months.

Few people could have imagined what would happen during those five months. First, the pandemic caused a worldwide public health emergency that isolated everyone from friends and extended family, closed schools and shut down businesses. Political tensions intensified. Then, a series of violent protests broke out following...

Their friendship mattered. Although distinct in personalities, Gens. Ulysses Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman treasured their relationship with one another as they led their forces and fought to preserve the Union.

These officers were unique in that they did not fit the prototypical model for generals of the time. They were humble in an era when general officers tended to be preoccupied with self-image and status.

However, as history demonstrates, these two men, through their individual achievements and the strength of their relationship, were integral to the Union’s success in the...

Nothing has transformed modern life like the microprocessor, and nothing has significantly shaped the modern global economy as the rise of cyberspace.

In the first half of the 20th century, through two world wars, the U.S. Army transformed from a largely horse-powered constabulary force into the world’s premier industrial age army.

In the same way, exponential technological change is driving Army transformation today. Cyberspace, the global network of information technology infrastructure and data, has emerged as the most powerful phenomenon in human history, shaping all aspects of...

Nothing has transformed modern life like the microprocessor, and nothing has significantly shaped the modern global economy as the rise of cyberspace.

In the first half of the 20th century, through two world wars, the U.S. Army transformed from a largely horse-powered constabulary force into the world’s premier industrial age army.

In the same way, exponential technological change is driving Army transformation today. Cyberspace, the global network of information technology infrastructure and data, has emerged as the most powerful phenomenon in human history, shaping all aspects of...

Military-to-military relations between the U.S. and France are at their closest and most dynamic since Benjamin Franklin strode the gardens of Versailles as minister to Louis XVI’s court late in the 18th century. Fast-forward to this year: Both armies—strategic partners and the oldest of allies—are refocusing on large-scale combat operations and multidomain operations readiness.

Both armies also are realigning their global presence while initiating necessary modernization efforts to adjust to new realities. These ambitious efforts afford an opportunity to build interoperability across the...

Military-to-military relations between the U.S. and France are at their closest and most dynamic since Benjamin Franklin strode the gardens of Versailles as minister to Louis XVI’s court late in the 18th century. Fast-forward to this year: Both armies—strategic partners and the oldest of allies—are refocusing on large-scale combat operations and multidomain operations readiness.

Both armies also are realigning their global presence while initiating necessary modernization efforts to adjust to new realities. These ambitious efforts afford an opportunity to build interoperability across the...

If you are a leader in any organization, you will be asked on a regular basis to sign a variety of documents, and it is essential to balance speed with a number of other considerations. We all have worked, or will work, for someone who agonizes over every aspect of a document. It is especially frustrating to make so many edits that the document ends up looking nothing like the original version.

In the spirit of keeping processes moving forward while also protecting the integrity of your signature, here are some factors worth contemplating:

Reputation. Placing your signature on documents...

Russia’s war with Ukraine that began in early 2022 and the decimation of entire Ukrainian cities highlight the fragility of civil infrastructure during military conflict. Civil infrastructure can present both challenges and opportunities in large-scale war. For example, bridges can facilitate an expedient river crossing but also can funnel advancing troops, making them vulnerable to direct and indirect fire.

There are inherent challenges to maneuvering large elements across a battlefield, especially in Europe, where there are expansive river networks. To combat the inherent risk of...

Russia’s war with Ukraine that began in early 2022 and the decimation of entire Ukrainian cities highlight the fragility of civil infrastructure during military conflict. Civil infrastructure can present both challenges and opportunities in large-scale war. For example, bridges can facilitate an expedient river crossing but also can funnel advancing troops, making them vulnerable to direct and indirect fire.

There are inherent challenges to maneuvering large elements across a battlefield, especially in Europe, where there are expansive river networks. To combat the inherent risk of...

Russia’s war with Ukraine that began in early 2022 and the decimation of entire Ukrainian cities highlight the fragility of civil infrastructure during military conflict. Civil infrastructure can present both challenges and opportunities in large-scale war. For example, bridges can facilitate an expedient river crossing but also can funnel advancing troops, making them vulnerable to direct and indirect fire.

There are inherent challenges to maneuvering large elements across a battlefield, especially in Europe, where there are expansive river networks. To combat the inherent risk of...

Space has received a lot of attention recently, from its recognition as a vital national interest, to the creation of the U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Space Force, to commercial tourism becoming a reality. All the while, the world has watched other countries, namely China and Russia, enhance their space capabilities in the form of hypersonic missiles and destructive anti-satellite tests.

Despite these challenges and their discussion in the press, both friendly and adversary space capabilities are generally protected under shrouds of secrecy and whispered about in dark corners of secret...

Space has received a lot of attention recently, from its recognition as a vital national interest, to the creation of the U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Space Force, to commercial tourism becoming a reality. All the while, the world has watched other countries, namely China and Russia, enhance their space capabilities in the form of hypersonic missiles and destructive anti-satellite tests.

Despite these challenges and their discussion in the press, both friendly and adversary space capabilities are generally protected under shrouds of secrecy and whispered about in dark corners of secret...