Papers by Steven L. Ossad
CNBC.com, 2013
Historic grounds, like Saratoga where General Horatio Gates crushed the dashing British general "... more Historic grounds, like Saratoga where General Horatio Gates crushed the dashing British general "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne, or Antietam where General George B. McClellan stopped General Robert E. Lee cold
in his tracks, are the ultimate classrooms for teaching leadership, decision-making, collaboration and risk-taking under extreme pressure.
Experiential learning is not new and it's part of a big market. According to Census Bureau statistics US corporations spend $12.7/yr on all types of management development and leadership training programs, growing at 12% per year. Where will you get the biggest impact for the training dollar? I say, "staff rides" may be your answer.
Training Magazine , 2013
Leadership lessons abound. They’re available at the click of a mouse, the touch of a screen, or t... more Leadership lessons abound. They’re available at the click of a mouse, the touch of a screen, or the link to a video guide/curriculum. Yet the benefits of our high-tech management training techniques often cause us to overlook the lessons of history. Specifically, how can American Revolution and Civil War battlefields help you augment the leadership, collaborative, risk-taking, and communication acumen across your organization?
WWII History Magazine, 2004
Since 1944, speculation has persisted that 3rd Belorussian Front Commander General Ivan D. Cherny... more Since 1944, speculation has persisted that 3rd Belorussian Front Commander General Ivan D. Chernyakhovsky was a near- Darwinian example of survival - a Jewish officer who survived Stalin's purges and the Great Patriotic War nearly to the end - until his death in February 1945, at age 39. Recent scholarship (attached) is compelling that General Chernyakhovsky was not born Jewish, but as a front commander (equivalent to an allied army group) his record was spectacular, and his place as a great armoured commander in victory and defeat, is assured.
Global War Studies, 2011
"Still, something essentially sympathetic about Lucas persists, and his fate is heavy with pathos... more "Still, something essentially sympathetic about Lucas persists, and his fate is heavy with pathos. Once he had been selected for a command he never should have held, he had no choice but to carry out his orders as he understood them, even though he regarded them at the core as completely misguided and he was fully prepared to die doing his duty. The only other option would have been to ask to be relieved, thus ending a distinguished career under a real cloud, rather than the historical fog that has settled over his name. John Lucas, who had faced Pancho Villa's men, alone, barefoot, and in the dark, was not prepared to do that."
Army Magazine, 2003
"There is an apocryphal story that German General Staff Chief von Moltke once said that it takes ... more "There is an apocryphal story that German General Staff Chief von Moltke once said that it takes the loss of a full division to train a major general. As brutal and cynical as this sounds, if there is any truth at all in it and without in any way diminishing respect for and gratitude to those who fell, then Kasserine Pass might be considered a "bargain." At a cost of just 6,000 casualties, one clearly incompetent general unworthy of further "training" was relieved, and the Supreme Allied Commander learned one of the most important lessons in war - the absolute requirement for ruthlessness in command. From that point on, Ike dealt severely with those who failed in leadership on or off the battlefield."
Army Magazine, 2003
"Finally, Wood had a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the institution he so desperat... more "Finally, Wood had a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the institution he so desperately wanted to dominate. While the U.S. Army has evolved greatly over the last century and is more tolerant of unconventional opinions and personalities, it will always be based on discipline and self-subordination. In Wood’s time, at least, there was some truth in the observation of the reviewer of Hermann Hagedorn’s classic biography that “there is a place in the world for rebels and for men with strong convictions; but that place is not the Army.” Whether this is still true—and what it means if it is—remains a question worth pondering."
Army Magazine, 2003
The Colonel walked out of the vacation hotel that served as the 86th
Mountain Infantry headquarte... more The Colonel walked out of the vacation hotel that served as the 86th
Mountain Infantry headquarters and started to move toward the broad, scenic esplanade along the shore. It was a beautiful sun-drenched spring day in Torbole, shattered by the recent fighting, which still commanded a magnificent vista of Lake Garda.
Civil War Quarterly, 2016
When Union General Joseph Mansfield fell at Antietam, he became the oldest general on either side... more When Union General Joseph Mansfield fell at Antietam, he became the oldest general on either side to be killed in combat.
World War II Magazine, 2003
Just 3 years after returning to active duty as a 1st Lt. Fred Castle was promoted to Brig. Gen. i... more Just 3 years after returning to active duty as a 1st Lt. Fred Castle was promoted to Brig. Gen. in Nov '44 and command of the 4th Combat Bombardment Wing. On Christmas Eve, he fell, the highest ranking and last of 17 flyers of Eighth Air Force awarded the MOH. Presenting the award to Castle's mother, his friend and commander, Lt. Gen. Ira Eaker said, 'he would stand forever in the front ranks of gallant men.'
World War II Magazine, 2004
"The hard-pressed and fever-ridden Marines dug in
around Henderson Field on Guadalcanal had good ... more "The hard-pressed and fever-ridden Marines dug in
around Henderson Field on Guadalcanal had good reason to be nervous. Just past 0100 hours on Friday, November 13, 1942, 'Louie the Louse', a harassing Japanese biplane that usually carried nuisance bombs, was dropping flares over the air base."
Military Heritage Magazine, 2004
action against the Barbary pi rates (depicted below) and was commended for his courage. ln 1814 h... more action against the Barbary pi rates (depicted below) and was commended for his courage. ln 1814 he would lead one of the decisive battles of the war against Britain. against the Americans. Squadron commander Captain Edward Preble was determined to erase the stain on the infant Navy's honor and humble the pirates,'regardless of the price. He: had a plan and, more importantly, he had trained the men who would caffy it out. On the night of February 16, t804, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Jr., commanding the prize ketch lntrepid and a handpicked crew of 74, entered Tripoli harbor unchal-Arab garb and masquerading as a merchantman in distress, the small boat drew up alongside Philadelphia, Sitting beside his capta tn, a 21"year-old midshipman clutched the hilt of his cutlass tightly and prepared himself for close combat. \[hat Admiral Horatio Nelson later described as "the most bold and daring act of the age" was about to unfold, and Thomas Macdonough was at its center. Son of Thomas McDonough, a tionary \Var hero, and Mary Vance McDonough, Thomas Jr. was born at The Trap,a hamlet in New Castle County Del. (later renamed Macdonough in his honor). Differing sources place his birth date at either Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, 1783.His father had served as a militia major at the Battle of Long Island, where George Washington cited him for gall antry. After being wounded at the Battle of \flhite Plains, Thomas Sr. returned home and began a politic al carcer, holding the office of Speaker of the Delaware Council and sitting as a justice of the
Military History Magazine, 2005
Renowned Ohio family that sent sixteen to fight in the Civil War. Seven became generals. Four did... more Renowned Ohio family that sent sixteen to fight in the Civil War. Seven became generals. Four did not return.
Army History, 2014
Steven L. Ossad, an independent historian and author, brings to life the old Civil War adage that... more Steven L. Ossad, an independent historian and author, brings to life the old Civil War adage that the conflict was one of “brother against brother.” In the case of the prominent Terrill family from Virginia, this could not have been more true. The family was torn apart as one of the Terrill boys, William Rufus, a West Point graduate, decided to remain loyal to his oath and the Union; while the rest of the family declared their loyalty for Virginia and the Confederacy. Because of William’s decision, he would forever be ostracized from his family and his home. Ossad details the lives of various Terrill family members, culminating with the battlefield deaths of two brothers, both of which had reached general officer rank.
WWII History Magazine, 2017
Should Lucas have moved aggressively immediately after the successful landing to seize the Alban ... more Should Lucas have moved aggressively immediately after the successful landing to seize the Alban Hills and cut the German lines of communication or was he right to consolidate the beachhead, build up his forces, and protect the port that was crucial to his survival? As historian Martin Blumenson framed the question, had Lucas been "prudent" or simply "paralyzed."
WWII History Magazine, 2017
WWII History Magazine, 2019
The U.S 3rd Armored Division made a startling discovery on 11 April 1945 at a camp near Nordhause... more The U.S 3rd Armored Division made a startling discovery on 11 April 1945 at a camp near Nordhausen deep into their drive into Germany. The horror at the railroad tracks in the town, the misery of the pitiful starving survivors, and the unimaginable conditions inside the tunnels of Dora-Mittelbau KZ, the production hub of Hitler's V-2 Vengeance Rockets, shook up the veterans for the rest of their lives. When they spoke, some only at the end of their lives, the words were mixed with rage and pity.
Army History, 2016
"Independent historian Steven L. Ossad examines the life of West Point and World War II civil aff... more "Independent historian Steven L. Ossad examines the life of West Point and World War II civil affairs icon Col. David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus. Known to our readers as the author of the excellent article "The Terrills of Virginia: Impossible Loyalties, Irreconcilable Differences," which appeared in the Spring 2014 issue (No. 91) of Army History, Ossad highlights the career of a man who would gain fame not only as an athlete at the U.S. Military Academy, but also as one of the primary architects of U.S. military civil affairs policy during World War II. Marcus would also go on to become the first Israeli Aluf (general) following the partition of Palestine and the only officer to be buried at West Point having died while fighting under the flag of a foreign nation. Immortalized in the 1966 movie Cast a Giant Shadow, Marcus' exploits gave rise to a large number of fictionalizations. Ossad sets the record straight, which in no way diminishes the legend of this extraordinary individual."
Book Reviews by Steven L. Ossad
Strategy Bridge, 2019
"The routine rhythm of field and staff assignments of a marine officer unfolds: rising through th... more "The routine rhythm of field and staff assignments of a marine officer unfolds: rising through the ranks as a rifle platoon and company commander, leading Task Force Ripper’s assault battalions in Desert Storm, as a brigadier leading Task Force 58 into Afghanistan, and capping his combat record in command of the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, culminating in the Battle of Fallujah. In these passages, Proser is at his best putting you inside a choking hot and dust-filled armored vehicle in the desert or aboard an amphibious landing ship in the Arabian Sea sweating out an invasion into a hostile land that Alexander the Great failed to conquer."
Missouri Life , 2018
“Learning about him, and particularly the hard scrabble life he lived—the barefoot, dirt poor, it... more “Learning about him, and particularly the hard scrabble life he lived—the barefoot, dirt poor, itinerant farmer
at the turn of the century—and how distant that is from
anything we can conceive draws me to the story,” Ossad says. “And I see that as a fundamental shaper of Bradley’s character, personality, and command style.”
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Papers by Steven L. Ossad
in his tracks, are the ultimate classrooms for teaching leadership, decision-making, collaboration and risk-taking under extreme pressure.
Experiential learning is not new and it's part of a big market. According to Census Bureau statistics US corporations spend $12.7/yr on all types of management development and leadership training programs, growing at 12% per year. Where will you get the biggest impact for the training dollar? I say, "staff rides" may be your answer.
Mountain Infantry headquarters and started to move toward the broad, scenic esplanade along the shore. It was a beautiful sun-drenched spring day in Torbole, shattered by the recent fighting, which still commanded a magnificent vista of Lake Garda.
around Henderson Field on Guadalcanal had good reason to be nervous. Just past 0100 hours on Friday, November 13, 1942, 'Louie the Louse', a harassing Japanese biplane that usually carried nuisance bombs, was dropping flares over the air base."
Book Reviews by Steven L. Ossad
at the turn of the century—and how distant that is from
anything we can conceive draws me to the story,” Ossad says. “And I see that as a fundamental shaper of Bradley’s character, personality, and command style.”
in his tracks, are the ultimate classrooms for teaching leadership, decision-making, collaboration and risk-taking under extreme pressure.
Experiential learning is not new and it's part of a big market. According to Census Bureau statistics US corporations spend $12.7/yr on all types of management development and leadership training programs, growing at 12% per year. Where will you get the biggest impact for the training dollar? I say, "staff rides" may be your answer.
Mountain Infantry headquarters and started to move toward the broad, scenic esplanade along the shore. It was a beautiful sun-drenched spring day in Torbole, shattered by the recent fighting, which still commanded a magnificent vista of Lake Garda.
around Henderson Field on Guadalcanal had good reason to be nervous. Just past 0100 hours on Friday, November 13, 1942, 'Louie the Louse', a harassing Japanese biplane that usually carried nuisance bombs, was dropping flares over the air base."
at the turn of the century—and how distant that is from
anything we can conceive draws me to the story,” Ossad says. “And I see that as a fundamental shaper of Bradley’s character, personality, and command style.”
General," argues Steven Ossad. Such perceptions, Ossad writes, have been shaped by the reputations of Bradley's more celebrated superiors (Dwight Eisenhower) and
subordinates (George Patton). Ossad's new biography seeks a more three-dimensional understanding of Bradley as "the Great Tactician of the West," and he brings new sources, such as the diary of Bradley's
British liaison, Major Thomas Bigland, to the task."
as Oscar Wilde observed, Omar Bradley has nothing to
fear. Ossad's book is an objective and detailed piece
of scholarship, one that demonstrates his command of
broad archival research and a gift for making sense of a
human complexity. Specialists and general readers alike
will find Omar Nelson Bradley: America's GI General a
valuable addition to their bookshelves."
accomplishments of a highly decorated U.S. military general. The historical import of Omar Nelson Bradley's military career is undeniable. As the officer with the "most European combat experience," who "'led more Americans in battle than any other man in our history" and maintained "a record longevity that will never be broken as long as the US Army survives," Bradley is worthy of examination. Despite his tremendous military accomplishments, Bradley remains "an almost totally hidden figure".
worth the price of admission. The author has
invested enormous time, effort, and expense into
this project. Writing a solid, eminently readable,
and competently researched biography in less
than 390 pages is no small accomplishment. But
as an antidote for reputation-eating worms, the
book falls short."
offering insightful analysis of his personality and examination of some of his major decisions, with reasons and results thereof."
book as one that should occupy a prominent place in the library of those wishing to gain an in-depth knowledge of a notable soldier."