Army's Lessons Have a Broader Application
Tom Ricks is The Washington Post’s military correspondent and the author of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. He writes a weekly column in The Post's Sunday edition called “Tom Ricks’s Inbox,” which, as the name suggests, “aims to give readers a snapshot of the conversations that play out in Ricks's e-mail inbox.”
His column from August 12 was entitled “Ten Lessons the Army Has Taught Me,” and was based on a post from an anonymous blogger at walterreed.blogspot.com about what the Army has taught him. Here are the lessons in summary fashion. But do yourself a favor and read the column, which has an explanation for each one.
1. Always have a notepad, pen, watch, knife, and flashlight on hand.
2. Have a copy of everything. If it’s important, have two copies.
3. Make friends wherever you go.
4. Make an SOP. Know the SOP. Work the SOP.
5. Sleep.
6. Don’t go cheap.
7. Find humor everywhere.
8. Don’t tolerate oppression.
9. Tell your story.
10. Never forget.
