Previous posts by a particular author can be viewed nine at a time on the page below. Click on the links at the bottom of the page for more posts.
Relatively few individuals serve in low-visibility roles in challenging international locations. Those who do know the importance of understanding the culture of those among whom they operate. We address this in Topic 01.01.02 of the Panoplia.org Soft Skills and...
The word “enemy” has an interesting etymological background. In some classical languages the literal meaning is “not a friend.” And yet, in usage the term generally refers to being hateful toward another and seeking to cause harm. For the purposes of this article,...
My first work within an Islamic country began in 1986. For the most part I was based in a large urban area. There were a fair number of other westerners around, and therefore I didn’t attract too much attention from the authorities. Things changed, however, during my...
Today is a special day for our family. Our twenty-eight-year-old son is getting married this afternoon. Our Daughter, now twenty-nine, was married just about two years ago. We dearly love our son-in-law, and our soon-to-be daughter-in-law. We are truly thankful to the...
In some ways the year 2020 may end up being among the most challenging since the Great Depression in the 1930s or World War II in the 1940s. Children who grew up during those times had to cope with things that were in many ways outside the norm for times before or...
The Hebrew word often translated as “rebellious” in the Old Testament seems to have at its root the sense of bitterness. This makes sense. Those who rebel against something, such as authority, are not happy with the way things are. They want change. The difference...
In November 1864 the United States stood at a crossroads. After enduring 3.5 years of bloody civil war, Americans in the Union had the opportunity to vote. The choice was between the incumbent Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, and the Democratic challenger,...
I’m new to the world of social media. I’ve enjoyed using Instagram (IG) as a way to meet new people. We also use it to let members of the wider military, law enforcement, and security community know about Panoplia.org and the articles we post. When I run across an...
A few months ago we posted our definition of “Soft Skills and Tactics.” This reads as follows: It goes without saying that individuals who operate overseas in this way spend a great deal of time and effort ensuring that publicly-available information about themselves...
– – Use the links above to view previous (older) or newer (next) posts – –