6 Comments

The part of the vignette about focusing on winning/excellence and using physical fitness as the first objective measure to turn around a unit is salient. My division CSM thinks like this, but there are barriers to executing the way Price does in this story. Company Commanders no longer have that kind of latitude, but perhaps with senior leader buy-in this strategy can be employed. Then again, maybe it only works for the few and the proud. Dependent on a particular type of leader with character strengths that are all too rare in today's Army. This gives me much to consider, thanks!

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Masterful. This reads like the opening set-up for a sci-fi thriller. Price was motivated by something more than just the desire to do the job, he was on a mission to find something, something that he needed the most badass motherfuckers he could bring with him to locate, and something powerful people back home didn't want him looking for at all.

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agree completely... perhaps Price was looking for ancient statues of Sanskrit mystic...

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Lost relic left by Alexander the Great, a shield of great power....

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Fascinating mystery, extremely well-executed.

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One thing that I love about your writing Paulos is that I reread every sentence 2-3 times, the prose is so lovely and densely compressed with details, suggestions, insinuations, implicit and ambiguous consequences.

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