The ideas that Bonadonna espouses for improving officer education and for widening the lenses that get used to examine problems have much to commend them. His arguments that there are elements of military culture that need to be re-examined and changed will certainly raise questions, but this is a good thing…Investing in the time to examine how officers think, and considering how we can improve upon the status quo, is an investment worth making. Arguably, doing so is a requirement of anyone belonging to the military profession.
#Reviewing Gabriel Avilla’s No Pressure… But Don’t Mess This Up
[Avilla] offers a wealth of experience, a distinctive voice, and the courage to critically examine his actions while he exposes his audience to the issues he faced. This short volume is akin to a combination self-help book and an extended reflection on action, adroitly tracing the timeline of a typical command tour without drifting into an hagiographic memoir and accusations of self-aggrandizement. Instead, it is a candid discussion of the challenges many commanders can expect to see during their time.