A few weeks ago I was conducting a debrief session with an American who served in the Middle East. A close colleague of his had been the victim of a targeted killing. The follow-up investigation revealed that the man with whom I was speaking was likely scheduled to be...
About two weeks ago I received a text message from a friend. He asked if he could come over to talk about something that had just happened. As we sat down, he related an incident that had taken place just moments before. He was in a Wawa convenience store not far from...
Reports of wildfires in Canada and the smoke they create have been in the headlines recently. A few weeks ago we had our own encounter with fire, but it was much closer to home. We keep a Weber grill in an outdoor porch that’s open on two sides. Our normal routine...
Like many others, we are heavily involved in seeking to assist those impacted by the conflict in Sudan. This is a crisis that has caused unthinkable suffering for millions. Please pray for the security and safety of the Sudanese people, and for the thousands of...
There are numerous obstacles that may threaten the success of achieving an objective. Identifying threats and training to overcome them are essential elements to operational success. For example, with the advent of persistent and ubiquitous surveillance made possible...
The world and its inhabitants depend on a series of complex and interrelated systems. Each of these systems contributes to life on earth. It’s remarkable how resilient these systems have proven to be, and how problems with some systems are compensated by strengths in...
In June 2021 we posted an article titled Obstacles vs. Objectives. The article began in this way: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word objective as, “Something toward which effort is directed.” There’s no question that objectives vary in levels of...
On July 19, 2022 a Reuters headline included the following words, “Biden to sign executive order to deter wrongful detention of Americans abroad.” At any given time there are numerous American and other western expatriates being held by foreign governments. The...
As Global Security Advisor for teams serving in over 100 countries I receive calls at all hours and from various international locations. At 1:41AM this morning I received a call to my emergency number. It originated from a team member located within a country in...
