Proud to have been asked to narrate the WW II Veterans Honors at the White House, in Wash DC, July 4th. I will be standing proudly next to TEN living veterans of WW II. The greatest generation.!!!
When CBS Reporter Margaret Brennan tried to outsmart Medal of Honor recipient Will Swenson, she got an answer she didn't expect.
BRENNAN: "Before I let you go, we are coming up on this 250th anniversary of the American experience. I know I can't ask you a question like, are you optimistic? What specifically makes you optimistic? Because this country, at times, can feel dark, these days, there's a lot of darkness. What makes you feel optimistic?"
WILL SWENSON: "Well, ultimately, because we're in Washington DC and everything revolves around politics, we have to remember that politics aren't everything. American lives continue on. Children are born, children go to school. Lives are achieved. Dreams are achieved. This country is a great place. It's not politics. It's not just what's the news bites coming off of media. Ultimately, we continue forward as a country, continually imperfect, continually evolving forward, always trying to achieve a more perfect union. That's what's important to remember, what we can achieve aspirationally. No other place in history, time or on this planet have ever gotten to where we are today. We need to be proud of that, and we need to remember that is what we stay focused on, what we can be."
Pete Crow-Armstrong of the @Cubs is one of three players in MLB history to have a month with:
.375+ batting average
.775+ slugging pct
80+ total bases
15+ walks
10+ home runs
5+ stolen bases
The others are Babe Ruth (June 1920, July 1920, May 1930) and Lou Gehrig (June 1930).
Before engines start turning.
Before the ramp closes.
Before the mission begins.
An NCO stands there with a manifest in hand and silently says to themselves:
“Every one of these Soldiers is my responsibility.”
Manifest call is one of my favorite NCO rituals.
For all the leadership courses, books, and theories we talk about, there are few moments that capture the essence of NCO leadership better than a manifest call.
It’s accountability, stewardship, and trust distilled into a few short minutes.
A list of names.
A chorus of voices answering back.
And an NCO making sure everyone gets on the bird together—and everyone comes home together.