The term "cohesion" features prominently in discussions of military effectiveness, especially at the small-unit level. We all know intuitively what it means, but understanding how to develop and nurture it in practice is a challenge. That's even more true as technological advancement continues to make constant connectivity with the outside world easier, even from a battlefield. How do soldiers' stresses from home impact cohesion? What about when soldiers no longer process shared traumatic experiences together? John Spencer spent twenty-five years as an infantry soldier and officer, including leading troops in combat. His new book, Connected Soldiers, is based on both his personal experience and deep research. He joins this episode to discuss how unit cohesion affects military performance and how leaders can foster its development.
Writing is often treated as a peripheral activity in the military, but it is a defining characteristic of any profession—including the profession of arms....
The United States currently has a limited appetite for large scale deployment of conventional forces, but the security situation around the world is tenuous....
MWI talks with "Scales on War" author and former Army War College Commandant MG (R) Robert Scales. We discuss how the role of the...