Manns Medium

For those Marines who survived this “supposedly hazing, assaults and physical abuse” when it was thought to be the best way to train and condition Marines so that they would be better able to survive wars and what they saw in them as well as survive longer in a prisoner of war (POW) camp than those not exposed to this type of training, we say now how much of a wimp those who now cry when their little bitty feelings get hurt are draining this nation of macho men with balls.  We now use this as the reason so many are committing suicide and begging to get out once they get in or refusing to even joins in the first place.  We do this because we survived it and if we can survive it, then those in the news crying like a little bitty baby should be able to survive it as well but what we miss is that not everyone is like us and to hold ourselves as perfect examples of how others should act is definitely a clear definition of arrogance.  So are we now to display Marines as arroga...

For all those wanna-be bad asses in America that think the only way to solve a problem is behind the butt of a gun, let me ask you a few questions.  The true meaning of ownership is that which you can take with you wherever you go even in death and since none of the material things you covet, you are able to do that with, what is it that you truly own.  In death, all you will be able to take with you is your soul so why is it not the most important possession to protect?  Why do we pretend that what we purchase is worth the life of another person when it is not something we can take with us where ever we go and why is it so important to pretend to care about the plight of man on one hand while pulling that trigger on another man from the other?  How many of you would be willing to be responsible for the taking of 10 lives simply because you were so set on ridding the world of all those who don’t think or act like you. I asked this because I ran into this article...

People can tell you mostly anything you wish to hear and many can make even a flat out lie seem plausible.  The trick is at what cost is this revelation.  Is it of little cost to you but great cost to friends and family?  Is it of little cost to you but great cost to stalwart institutions or is it of little cost to everyone else but great cost to you in the form of losing your soul.  This is the question that anyone with information must weigh each and every day but regardless of the choice they must also be willing to take responsibility for the outcome of that choice.  This is especially true of a recent article from the Associated Press that talks about the retired Navy SEAL who is now preparing to share his side of the story about the bin Laden raid with the claim that he fired the shots which killed him. The article reports that “Some special operations service members and veterans are unhappy that one of their own has taken credit publicly for killing...

The recent stories about the long wait veterans have to endure to see a doctor for the first time and the possible loss of life because of this wait is nothing new to veterans and those trapped within this system.  For some they are quick to blame this administration for these stories but if they do a little research, they may learn that this has been an on-going problem since the  Reagan  Era if not further back.  So let’s not get lazy and ask only those veterans we know or the new breed of veteran, ask those who have been sitting in VA facilities for years.  The issue should be if this time will be treated as those times were.  A major story for a few months then as another shiny object appears, becomes just another whisper in the back drop.  You see, stories that sell papers may be the objective but to those veterans trapped in this maze, it is a little more than that, it’s a matter of life or death. I believe it was Montel Williams who suggest...

Many people in the Human Resources Industry, or what I like to call the “People Factory Business” will have many different and a variety of ways to accomplish this goal of getting the best from your employee or associate.  Much of the information is good and most of it is solid but I have a much simpler way and instead of having the top 3, top 5 or top 10, I have only one consideration.  Now don’t get me wrong, I do not think that my way is better than the rest nor do I think that I know more than them.  I offer this because it is the most consistent barrier that I have come across and if you are constantly running into this wall as well, maybe this could help. Based on my many years of leading Marines, a few Corpsmen and a couple of soldiers from 1980 till 1991 and in some peaceful situation as well as some that was greatly chaotic,  I've  learned a few things.  Based on the years of managing several small businesses, a household of 4 and more as a si...

Since attention was first drawn to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, many have been scrambling to define and treat it.  What seems to be lost on those chasing this mythical beast is a plain and simple truth that when clearly understood will lead to a much better life for all concerned. Experts would have you believe that PTSD is only a condition suffered by those who are combat veterans and nothing could be farther from the truth.  To get to the truth one only has to close that hole below their nose and open the two on opposite sides of their heads.  In other words, shut up and listen.  Do not think that a piece of paper depicting your years of study or a degree gives your insight into this disorder because it does not.  What gives you insight is the memory of any event in your life that caused you to re-think your entire existence and question your reason to live on.  That people is PTSD and it affects everyone at one time or another in their live...

Yesterday, I attended a gathering and was listening to a young man tell me about some of the promises made to him by a Marine Recruiter.   I found myself strangely confused by what I was hearing because it sounded nothing like the Marines that I spent over 9 years in.   It made so little sense that I had to question him about it and was surprised to find that he took offense to my asking. The main question focused on the information that being a felony would not mean anything as far as owning a firearm because the Marines would not only wipe that away but allow him to gather items associated with firearms outside of the realm of the military.   He stated that he would not only be able to own a firearm with his felony conviction but also purchase silencers.   Now while this may not appear such a big deal to most people, it truly concerned me. The Marines, to me, was an organization that prided itself on choosing the best and the brightest to wear that uniform...

Diversity is and always will be a good thing regardless of how some may feel about it.   Differences allow us to hear a completely opposite view of things and this allows us to make better decisions about subjects having the invaluable information.   What brought me to write about this is the Real Clear Politics piece titled Father Of 9/11 Victim: Obama "Putting Too Much Spotlight on Himself" The report quotes “David Beamer, father of 9/11 victim Todd Beamer on FOX News: "I feel some chagrin now, though, about how the rest of it has been handled. And frankly it started May Day, 2011 when the president announced what had happened. The excessive use of the personal pronoun that he used in his remarks, I really felt that was the beginning of the Commander-in-Chief putting too much spotlight on himself, taking too much credit for what the remarkable Americans had done. And of course it's only now accelerated to a greater degree in the media. “Now I do not know exactl...

Imagine my surprise when I saw this article and begin to read it.   Surprised because of two important facts.   Fact one was that it was written by someone whom I had very high regards for and one of the best in the business, Mark Halperin , who not only got the entire event wrong but was way off on his implication that his reporting cast no shadow on those who accomplished this feat. I speak of Mr. Halperin’s take in his article titled Time Five Mistakes the Obama Administration Has Made in the Aftermath of Bin Laden Killing for Time.   At this time I would like to challenge Mr. Halperin on his points made in the article to include why I think he and others like him are completely off-base.   Mr. Halperin states that “no one can question the heroism of the US military, the doggedness of the intelligence community, or the cajones of the President in making the call.”     But when you micro-manage decisions made or past events you do nothing more than q...

Nothing demises a spirit more than having those who were not actively involved micro-managing the results of success.   One does not question those who have questions and often times revel in the fact that there is interest in what they did but when it comes to arm-chair quarterbacking and back seat driving, it gets quite annoying. In an article written by Jim Kuhnhenn of the Associated Press titled Raid poses narrative challenge for White House , the clear answer to why this narrative may not be happening fast enough for media were close to the very top of his own article.   "We review this information and make these decisions with the same calculation as we do with so many things — what we're trying to accomplish and does it serve or in any way harm our interests, not just domestically but globally," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.”   Toward the lower half of the article even more reasoning for patience was expressed "A graphic image such as that has the...