We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:02:11 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Word! I don't know LTC Eden, but I know what he works on, as I help do some of the analysis. Truth is, however, this is ageless. Germanicus had to deal with same carp when he was trying to deal with Arminius after Varus' debacle in the Teutoburger Forest. Some gems to whet your appetite - and which are now on my cubicle wall: Competence, substance, even coherence fade in importance against the ability to brief smoothly -- not to mention that the language of higher headquarters reduces the strain of original thought and all but eliminates the need for... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html Thu, 19 May 2005 07:56:51 -0600 So *that's* why I'm doing well as a consultant! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25158 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25158 Fri, 20 May 2005 20:50:13 -0600 I was a consultant at Merrill Lynch a couple of times. I think these instructions would fit right in there. Also fit right in at Met Life (another consulting job). Kinda scary when you think about it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25157 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25157 Fri, 20 May 2005 20:46:56 -0600 Hey, MC - you can use me as a reference for your next assessment - I'll attest you're a loyal son of Shaitan-In-Redmond! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25143 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25143 Fri, 20 May 2005 10:43:56 -0600 HEY, blame the user, not the tool. I've seen several PPT slide decks out of Afghanistan and Iraq that more than adequately demonstrate that PPT can be used for good, as well as evil. :) But thanks for the explanation on the statue. I thought it might be some kind of hazing stunt gone wrong. Sort of like a fire hydrant I ended up in possesson of once... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25142 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25142 Fri, 20 May 2005 10:32:42 -0600 He forgot to mention the "delta"! Cheers JMH http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25112 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25112 Thu, 19 May 2005 21:43:49 -0600 I blame Bill Gates and Microsnot for PowerPoint... though in truth, it started with Harvard Graphics. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25108 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25108 Thu, 19 May 2005 21:08:32 -0600 Oh, no dis intended or thoughts thereof. Just wondering how he would teach a subordinate how to brief an AAR. Should make for some hair to curl or fall out. The Engineer was reading over my shoulder and wheezing with laughter and shaking his head. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25107 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25107 Thu, 19 May 2005 20:53:30 -0600 Nice to see someone with the BOFH's skills, but without the malice. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25101 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25101 Thu, 19 May 2005 19:56:18 -0600 Now don't go dissin' a good AAR! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25072 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25072 Thu, 19 May 2005 17:11:52 -0600 My head was spinning with the sheer giddiness of his logic and reasoning. I don't have a near BS in English for nuttin.' Sad part is, what he says is nearly true. I am grinning. What does the good LTC say about AARs? Can't WAIT for that one, unless he uses the same essay and switch a few words. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25070 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25070 Thu, 19 May 2005 17:07:32 -0600 I believe I filed an exemption for Shaitan-in-Redmond... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25066 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25066 Thu, 19 May 2005 16:48:28 -0600 Hey - Watch who yer callin' Normal, Mister! Them's Fightin' words!! *grin* http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25063 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25063 Thu, 19 May 2005 16:26:10 -0600 Well, lessee, the broken lamp... The Lamp sits in front of Bell Hall, current home of the Army's Command and General Staff College (I say current because the new home is being built as we speak, and Bell Hall is skedded for demolition, as soon as the Vogons are done building the hyperspace by-pass). Any, it's the classic old "Lamp of Learning" motif. Two years ago, despite the Army's best efforts at preservation (which consisted mainly of lots and lots of aluminum paint) the rotted out base collapsed during a sustained 2 mile an hour zephyr... I used that pic as a metaphor (that all CGSC grads would recognize) for the title of the piece LTC Eden wrote. The Lamp has been repaired and is back in place, and will be moved to the new Lewis and Clark Center (as the new home for CGSC will be called) when the College reopens for business in it's new digs. And that, MCart, is the story of the Lamp. It was essentially an inside joke for us Army guys. Figures the first comment I got would call me on it! 8^D You normals! (Said tongue-in-cheek considering where you work...) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25061 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25061 Thu, 19 May 2005 15:30:26 -0600 OMG! This sounds like my current job. I could joing the army and be kicking it! LOL I think I even wrote soem of the slides he's talking about. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25048 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25048 Thu, 19 May 2005 12:51:20 -0600 Hilarious and frightening at the same time! :) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25045 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25045 Thu, 19 May 2005 11:52:32 -0600 Ad-hocracies ... New word for the staff weenies! ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25044 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25044 Thu, 19 May 2005 11:49:37 -0600 So... whats the story behind the broken statue? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25040 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/on_assignment_to_a_higher_staff.html#comment-25040 Thu, 19 May 2005 11:30:24 -0600