Michael J. Hicks

Father of 3 marvels. Lucky husband. Parent lottery winner. Ret’d infantryman. George & Frances Ball Dist. Prof. of Econ, VMI '84, UT ‘98, personal account.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

The ideals of the Enlightenment returned to an enslaved French beach by the wretched refuse of her teeming shores. June 6, 1944. https://t.co/e4uvj7kZUH

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@broadcastmike @infantrydort By then he'll be the Lt William L. Calley Chair of Military Ethics at Heritage Foundation.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

There is no self-contortion Erick will avoid to keep from saying Trump botched something.

Biden didn't appoint these clowns.

[Erick Erickson @EWErickson]

President Trump could immediately give consumers relief tomorrow by ending all tariffs, but his advisors from the Island of Misfit Toys have convinced him he's helping America. They'll go to their graves insisting they were right when they are not.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@mikekofoed Bingo . . . but don't bother filling up, the gas tax is suspended.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@shashj It is all part of his lobbying efforts for the LT William L. Calley, Jr. Chair of Military Ethics at the Heritage Foundation.

[Robert Clark @RobertClark62]

Looks like Trump's *excursion* is still going on despite claims to the contrary.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

This is my favorite tweet of 2026.

[(((Tendar))) @Tendar]

The Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum of 2026 (SPIEF 2026) in Russia has started with a very fiery keynote speech by the Ukrainian surprise guests.

[John Culver @JohnCulver689]

I was waiting for some idiot to make the comparison. Marshall was preparing the Army for war after a long peace. Hegseth is picking partisan 3rd stringers over service selections and blocking more qualified officers because of race/gender. By Dort's math, Xi Jinping is awesome.

[Roy "Deacon" Qualls @RoyDeaconQualls]

One of the most important leadership lessons of my career came from Kevin Bassett—a Master Sergeant who outranked me in wisdom.

At the time, I was a Civil Engineer Squadron Commander—but still actively flying.

Upon taking command, I immediately tried to put my airmen at ease.

“Just call me, Deacon.

“Stop standing up when I enter the room.

“Knock it off with all the salutes.”

Not long after, we left for a two-week field exercise.

I left the flight suit at home and wore BDUs—the first time I’d worn them since…well, ever.

When I walked out of my tent, my troops began pointing.

My pants were bloused incorrectly.

My sleeves were rolled wrong.

Loose threads dangled from patches and nametape.

I looked like a fighter pilot playing dress-up.

Three junior NCOs surrounded me like a NASCAR pit crew and begin fixing my uniform.

Later that day, Kevin asked if he could speak with me privately.

"Sir," he said, "we're trying hard to be proud of you—but you’re making it difficult.”

He now had my undivided attention.

He continued. “I've read your resume. I know you’ve landed two burning airplanes. Five combat tours. You’re still flying fighter jets to this day. I bet not a day goes by that you’re not reminded you are serving your country.”

I nodded, but resisted the urge to respond.

“Crew chiefs see the jets every day. They feel the thunder in their chest when the afterburners light.

“The life support troops watch pilots step to the aircraft in gear they maintain.

“They all know exactly where they fit in the mission.

Another nod. Another stifled reply.

“But some of my airmen are building toilets in the woods. Some are pulling cable in the mud. Some are making water from a swamp. They may not see an airplane for weeks."

Then came the part that hit me hardest.

"You don't wear the uniform—OUR uniform—correctly.

"You tell us to call you 'Deacon.' You insist we don't stand up when you enter the room.”

He shook his head and leaned closer. “You think you're making us comfortable. What you're really doing is robbing us of the things that remind us we're in the military.”

He took a step back and folded his arms. “Sir, we need those things.”

I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut.

I thanked him for his honesty and considered what he said.

Within a few months, Kevin was diagnosed with colon cancer. Not long after, he was gone.

Before his funeral, two senior NCOs and I stood beside his casket and inspected his Dress Blues one final time.

Every ribbon aligned.

Every badge straight.

Every pleat perfect.

Every insignia exactly where it belonged.

We wanted it right because Kevin deserved nothing less.

Kevin has been gone for years now. But I’ve never forgotten him.

The most valuable feedback I ever received didn't come from a general officer, a wing commander, or a fighter weapons instructor.

It came from a Master Sergeant who cared enough to tell his commander an uncomfortable truth.

And I have been grateful for it ever since.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@mikenelson586 The fact that we are barely responding to nightly drone attacks on our bases in allied nations signals how impotent the Trump decision making has become.

[The Lincoln Project @ProjectLincoln]

Hormuz *could be* still closed come Labor Day.
Yes, the Labor Day that's in September.
Over 3 months from now.

$6/$7 gas this summer, and Iran sitting in an unprecedented position of power... and Trump put them in there.

Had enough yet?

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@GasBuddyGuy He’ll extend today

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@jstewartIndy He must have turned down the Spiro Agnew Chair of Political Ethics at Heritage Foundation. .

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@JavierBlas Except one doesn’t have voters, but subjects.

[Ford News @FordJohnathan5]

BREAKINGNEWS: Secretary Marco Rubio stated during a congressional hearing that the war with Iran is over. Here is Iran bombing US bases in Kuwait just hours later. We are being led by idiots and liars. 🚨

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

A serving US Army officer, working in Hegseth’s office, posting racial slurs & describing journalists as “civilisation destroyers”. Doing all of it anonymously. A good indication of the ethos of the Pentagon in this moment.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@DerrickBailey10 Attacking fleeing enemy combatants isn’t simply legal, it is actively ethical in that it shortens war.

I was at Rumalyah, nothing in modern warfare surprises me but the belief that committing more war crimes will lead to victory.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

This is an officer who never captured a wounded soldier, never thought through the implications of attacking a village with civilians in it, or calling for fire in an urban setting.

Neither did he think he won a war.

Maybe he doesn’t know anything worth knowing.

[InfantryDort @infantrydort]

Ethics ethics ethics what is this fucking obsession with ethics?

I was talking to some officers about testing leadership in simulations recently.

The first question I got from some major after talking about LARGE SCALE COMBAT was “the first thing we should look to test is ethical decision making”.

I was beside myself.

This overly feminized society that has become brittle from political correctness is obsessed with ethics and virtue signaling.

To the point where they don’t even realize that the main thing the military needs to do is throw a punch.

Like we’re talking about testing because we question the ability of many officers to be able to throw that punch. And yet still we get met with ethics ethics ethics.

Are we unethical or something? Are there mass US war crimes I’m unaware of that actually fit the definition and not just how some soy latte drinker feels?

You want to talk about “ethics”? Start with fucking readiness and the metrics you lie about every single day in an effort to not rock the boat and keep your jobs.

Spare me.

War on the rocks is a filthy rag anyway. I’m just here to point it out.

[Stephen Richer @stephen_richer]

"drain the SWAMP in our intel community."

Guys. What are we doing here? Our intel community is full of Americans who have defended the country against bona fide terrorists.

They are not enemies. They are unsung heroes.

Many are ex-armed forces. Others have put themselves at risk in other ways for the benefit of the country. Others have spent countless hours analyzing some of the most vile behavior in order to make the country safer.

Are a small number of them unethical? Maybe.

Are a small number of them politically motivated? Maybe so.

But the majority? Absolutely not.

Stop demonizing broad swaths of Americans. Especially Americans who have dedicated their professional lives to defending the country.

"Drain the swamp" might sound cute for politicking. But you're governing now. And these are real humans.

.....................

On a separate note: stop acting like such a victim. Trump has now been president for six years. He completely controls the Republican Party. And the Republican Party controls Congress. You're not the David versus Goliath anymore. You're not the underdog. You're not the rebels. You're the Republican Party establishment.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@samstein You are such a stickler for facts.

[Michael J. Hicks @HicksCBER]

@PaidtoRaid @infantrydort If you only knew . . .