Responding to the Emerging Threat of Chinese Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles in the Near-Space Environment

By Lt. Col. Wallace Steinbrecher,
170th Military Police Battalion Commander
March 1, 2011

The Chinese are preparing to operationally deploy a new variant of ballistic missiles specifically suited for U.S. aircraft carriers. This system can acquire, track, and engage at ranges greater than 1,000 miles.

In the near-term, the U.S. has existing technologies that can be quickly modified to counter this threat in the near-space (less than 60 miles in altitude) environment. In the long-term, developing technologies can be used to defeat this threat at all points during the flight envelope.

Realizing the three tenets of Strength Maintenance by focusing on two

By Col. Peter VanAmburgh,
Georgia Army National Guard Chief of Staff
September 22, 2004

The GAARNG has significantly improved its end-strength over the last eight years growing from 8700 to our current authorized strength of 11,100. This increase was the result of changes to our state's strength management philosophy, a transformation of the recruiting and retention force, and re-stationing of units to capitalize on demographics and spread capabilities across the state.

The below document outlines the theory-research-application, and implication of focusing the Recruiting and Retention force on quality accessions and orienting them through the Recruit Sustainment Program while leaving retention duties on the chain of command. This model, to include the recruit sustainment program, was replicated nationally. The philosophy, coupled with the GA Recruiting and Retention Battalion 3-Year Strategic Transformation Plan, have been credited with significantly influencing the entire ARNG's direction and subsequent turn-around from end-strength decline to growth.

Do you suffer from Decision Fatigue?

By Maj. John Alderman
Commander, 124th MPAD
August 18, 2011

It's an old adage in my family never to shop when you're hungry, because you'll always buy too much food. Likewise, as military leaders, we know that we should avoid making decisions when we're angry. Yet, making decisions when angry or stressed, even afraid or hungry, is just part of being a military leader.

This article from the New York Times by John Tierney addresses some of the science behind a particular kind of stress embedded in just making decisions. It's worth a read to help folks better understand when and how we should make decisions - and why "sleeping on it" is so often such a good idea. Here's an excerpt:

"Virtually no one has a gut-level sense of just how tiring it is to decide. Big decisions, small decisions, they all add up. Choosing what to have for breakfast, where to go on vacation, whom to hire, how much to spend — these all deplete willpower, and there’s no telltale symptom of when that willpower is low. It’s not like getting winded or hitting the wall during a marathon."

For more along these lines, see the Georgia Guardsman book review of Lt. Col. (ret.) Henry Thompson's The Stress Effect.

Lessons learned from the Afghan front

By Lt. Col. David Simons,
Director of Public Affairs, 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard
Published by the Savannah Morning News
August 5, 2011

On Dec. 31, 2010, I landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, to start a six-month tour as the Director of Public Affairs for the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.

It was a valuable learning experience that taught me much and one that I hope not to repeat too soon.

There were good days, but the bad days were much more plentiful. The hours were long, the living conditions frightful and every drive was fraught with danger.