Moments in Leadership

Over his career LtGen Brilakis served in a wide range of assignments including artillery tours in 10th Marines, and several other leadership roles and command such as CG 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Deputy CG of III MEF and Commanding General 3rd Marine Division. In this interview, we discuss his time as a Lieutenant, his combat experience in Beruit, and how that moment shaped his leadership philosophy as a General Officer and taught him about the seriousness of the decisions and

Retired US Army Brigadier General Craig Nixon discusses the leadership lessons he learned over a 29-year career through combat deployments during Operation Just Cause in December of 1989 where he participated in the airborne invasion of Panama as a Ranger, during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3rd, 1993 (also popularly known as Black Hawk Down) as a member of Task Force Ranger where he led the rescue effort to secure the crash site of Super 64 piloted by CWO3 Raymond Frank and CWO3

In Part Two of a two-part interview, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Bob 'Boomer' Milstead discusses concepts such as in baseball, a .400 hitter is considered for Cooperstown, while a 60% loser will be fired everywhere else. He discusses his "HEP" Principle (Humor, Enthusiasm, Patience), what he learned about giving second chances after some pilots in his command were involved in a fratricide incident, why how he defines a Maverick, and why he considers himself one too. LtGen

In Part One of a two-part interview, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Bob 'Boomer' Milstead discusses the leadership lessons he learned over a full career as a Cobra Pilot, ANGLICO Marine, Squadron, and as an Air Group Commander. LtGen Milstead strings together lessons from several different experiences to give the listener insight into his personal leadership style which carried him through 40 years of service as a Marine Officer

In PART TWO, Major General Mel Spiese discusses the leadership lessons he learned as a Platoon Commander at OCS, his time as Commanding Officer of 2nd Force Recon, and as "Coyote 6" in 29 Palms. MajGen Spiese discusses the most impactful and crystalizing moments of his career through personal stories and reflections on his unique experiences.

In Part One of a two-part interview, Retired Marine Corps Major General Mel Spiese discusses the leadership lessons he learned over a full career as an Infantry Officer. MajGen Spiese strings together lessons from several different commands and experiences which include serving as a Lieutenant alongside some iconic Marines from our generation

Retired Marine Corps Colonel, Matt Cooper, discusses the leadership lessons he learned over an almost 30-year career as an Artillery Officer. Matt strings together lessons from several different commands and combat deployments and discusses the day he was in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City during the April 19, 1995 bombing and was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Medal for heroism.

I'm the host of the podcast, David B. Armstrong and in this initial episode, I provide some quick background for context and answer the first question everyone will have, "Why are you even starting this?". Through a quick story, I'll explain why I think moments we all experience serve to crystalize lessons learned which ultimately string together to form our own unique leadership styles - and it is these moments and lessons that I seek to hear from my guests in the form of their own