The Marine Corps Way of War examines the evolving doctrine, weapons, and capability of the United States Marine Corps during the four decades since our last great conflict in Asia. As author Anthony Piscitelli demonstrates, the USMC has maintained its position as the nation’s foremost striking force while shifting its thrust from a reliance upon attrition to a return to maneuver warfare.In Indochina, for example, the Marines not only held territory but engaged in now-legendary confrontational battles at Hue, Khe Sanh. As a percentage of those engaged, the Marines suffered higher casualties than any other branch of the service. In the post-Vietnam assessment, however, the USMC ingrained aspects of Asian warfare as offered by Sun Tzu, and returned to its historical DNA in fighting “small wars” to evolve a superior alternative to the battlefield.The institutionalization of maneuver philosophy began with the Marine Corps’ educational system, analyzing the actual battle-space of warfare—be it humanitarian assistance, regular set-piece battles, or irregular guerrilla war—and the role that the leadership cadre of the Marine Corps played in this evolutionary transition from attrition to maneuver. Author Piscatelli explains the evolution by using traditional and first-person accounts by the prime movers of this paradigm shift. This change has sometimes been misportrayed, including by the Congressional Military Reform Caucus, as a disruptive or forced evolution. This is simply not the case, as the analyses by individuals from high-level commanders to junior officers on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, demonstrate. The ability of the Marines to impact the battlefield—and help achieve our strategic goals—has only increased during the post-Cold War era.Throughout The Marine Corps Way of War: The Evolution of the U.S. Marine Corps from Attrition to Maneuver Warfare in the Post-Vietnam Era, one thing remains clear: the voices of the Marines themselves, in action or through analysis, describing how “the few, the proud” will continue to be America’s cutting-edge in the future as we move through the 21st Century. This new work is must-reading for not only every Marine, but for everyone interested in the evolution of the world’s finest military force.

The odds were against the Allies on June 6, 1944. The task ahead of the paratroopers who jumped over Normandy and the soldiers who waded ashore onto the beaches, all under fire, was colossal. In such circumstances good leadership can be the defining factor in victory or defeat. This book is about the extraordinary leadership of seven men who led American soldiers on D-Day and the days that followed. Some of them, like Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt Jr, and Lieutenant Dick Winters, are well known while others are barely a footnote in the history books. All of them made a dramatic difference during Operation Overlord. All understood that they had a mission to accomplish and that if they failed to lead that mission would fail and more men would die. When things did not go as planned, they took action, adapted and overcame – they were leaders. Leadership was the only ingredient that would get them through the storm of death surrounding them and their men. This book is not a full history of D-Day, nor does it cover the heroic leadership shown by men in the armies of the Allies or members of the French Resistance who also participated in the Normandy assault and battles for the lodgment areas. It is, however, a primer on how you can lead today, no matter what your occupation or role in life, by learning from the leadership of these seven.A critical task for every leader is to understand what leadership is. Socrates once said that you cannot understand something unless you can first define it in your own words. This book provides the reader with a means to define leadership by telling seven dramatic, immersive and memorable stories that the reader will never forget.

Now available the XV edition of our Italian defence yearbook “Coccarde Tricolori”. Coccarde Tricolori 2017” is formed by 320 pages, all in colour, which include:• Review of the most important facts, photos and news of the year 2016 in the air, sea, and land fields• 23 in-depth illustrated articles on topic subjects• Fact sheets on the Italian MoD and on all the Armed Forces and State Corps, with organizations, order of battle, data on personnel and balance• Fact sheets on all the air, sea and land machines and equipment, in service with the Italian Armed Forces• An English Summary

Historically, prolonged campaigns have been frequently lost or won because of the greater fitness of one of the combatant armies. In the twentieth century, infection was still a major problem, leading to withdrawal from Gallipoli, and the near defeat of the Allies due to malaria early in the Second World War’s Pacific campaign. Malaria emerged again as a major problem in the Vietnam War. The Australian Army Medical Corps, founded in 1901, learned from past medical experience. However, errors leading to significant morbidity did occur mainly in relation to malaria. These errors included lack of instruction of doctors sent to New Guinea with the Australian Force in the Great War, inadequate prophylactic measures against malaria in New Guinea early in World War Two, failure to perceive the threat of emerging resistant strains of malaria in the 1960s, and military commanders not fully implementing the recommendations of their medical advisers. Many Australian campaigns have taken place in tropical locations; a substantial amount of scientific work to prevent and manage tropical diseases has therefore been conducted by the Army Medical Corps’ medical researchers—particularly in the Land Headquarters Medical Research Unit and the Army Malaria Institute. Their work extends well beyond the military, greatly improving health outcomes throughout the world. This book recognises the efforts of both individuals and the Army’s Tropical Disease Research units since Federation in helping the Army succeed in battle.

Chaplain Graeme Ramsden served in Vietnam as a soldier and subsequently studied theology and was ordained as a deacon of the Roman Catholic Church. He commenced duties as a chaplain in the Australian Regular Army and was deployed on operations to support the Joint Support Unit with the international force in East Timor (INTERFET). Letters from Timor is his personal and moving account of his deployment and a unique perspective of Australian Military Operations.

Early one cold, wintry morning in late May 1942, the bullet-ridden body of Driver Roy Willis was found on the side of the road. He had been shot a number of times with a military revolver. Despite extensive enquiries by some of the Victoria Police’s most experienced homicide detectives, the murderer was not found. Then three months later, the killer struck again. In September 1942 Gunner John Hulston went missing whilst on guard duty. His gun crew immediately began a search. Two soldiers followed what appeared to be drag marks from the gate down towards the beach. They saw a figure some way off and thinking it was Hulston, they called out to him. Instead of a friendly reply, they were met with a barrage of bullets. The figure ran off and disappeared towards the camp. Incredibly the garrison was not turned out to search for the missing man or the mysterious figure. The searchlights which could have turned the night into day along the beach, were not activated. Hulston’s rifle and bayonet were found in the water. His torn trousers were also found on the beach. His body was eventually recovered further along the coastline, 10 days later. Like Driver Willis, back in May, he had also been shot in the chest with a .455 calibre army revolver. As with any good murder mystery, this story has more twists and turns than the Great Ocean Road. They range from black market operations, confessions, suspects identified in later years, lost or missing police files, disagreements between the police and the army over the investigation, and an attempted cover-up that went all the way to the wartime Deputy Prime Minister’s office.

The Phantoms of Bribie is a highly readable blend of an engaging yarn and a fascinating portrayal of operational service in Vietnam as an infantry company commander, leading some 100 fine young national service and regular soldiers in close quarter jungle fighting. Ian's training within the SAS and operational service in Malaya served him well in Vietnam where he was a company commander of Bravo Company 6 RAR. During Operation Bribie he lead his outnumbered company’s desperate bayonet charge, followed by close quarter fighting, against a well dug in and determined enemy. This action sharply illustrated the courage, the battle discipline and the spirit of the well trained Australian combat infantryman. On leaving the Army, Ian excelled in the Australian and international business worlds. A multi-talented sportsman, Rugby Union remained his passion, in which he performed to international level. Ian outlines the difference between leadership and management using many interesting and often humorous examples. Both qualities are vital for successful senior operatives in both civilian and military organisations. Most importantly, as Ian explains, a good leader must also be an effective decision maker and a good communicator. This book is a tribute to Ian Mackay’s qualities as a battlefield commander, an international sportsman, a successful businessman and an entertaining author.

Much of Australia’s military history literature focuses on battles and the way generals plan and prosecute an action or campaign. But what do generals do when they are not fighting battles? "The Battles Before" examines the role of senior leaders in preparing an army for war — fighting bureaucratic battles, mobilising forces for operations, or preparing for a future that is impossible to anticipate. The five cases examined in this book focus on strategic leadership and describe how major organisations grapple with political, strategic, economic and cultural change over time. The first three case studies analyse a series of pivotal moments in the history of the Australian Army: the dramatic downsizing that followed the Vietnam War, the seminal 1985 Dibb Review, and the build-up to the East Timor intervention in 1999. Further cases describe planning within a large organisation, particularly the way senior leaders grapple with the demands of multiple operations while facing significant impetus for force modernisation. The final chapter focuses on the crucial role of the Army’s leadership in developing the next generation of leaders. The book concludes with a series of insights into the study of command in peacetime and its relevance to wartime command, particularly given the challenges that face peacetime commanders who operate within considerable constraints. "The Battles Before" uses recently declassified documents and interviews with key participants in a meticulous examination of a 30-year period characterised by profound and far-reaching change. This was a period that would reshape the Australian Army.

Edwin Llewellyn Charles was a slim, handsome youth, but Terence John, his brother, was beautiful and he knew it. Technically, the boys were twins, but their personalities could not have been more different. So begins this sweeping true story of a fractured but close-knit Australian family during World War II, focusing on the service of the twins and life on the home front as experienced primarily by their elder sister and mother. When hostilities are declared, Terry joins the Australian Military Forces and is quickly promoted. However, as a militiaman, he is banned from serving overseas. Having watched Edwin join the glamorous RAAF and become a pilot, Terry resigns his commission to follow his twin. Forced to swallow the disappointment of failing to emulate Edwin by winning his wings, Terry becomes a navigator in heavy bombers in the closing stages of the European war. Readers are transported from the Charles family home in northern NSW to Canberra, Africa, England, Scotland, the United States, the Subcontinent and Ceylon between 1939 and the end of 1945 as the perspective shifts between the two protagonists. Little-known aspects of wartime experience are explored, including the so-called ‘wet canteens’ debate; the international negotiations over the release of interned Allied and Japanese diplomats, and the life of the Raj on the north-west frontier and in India and Ceylon. The author’s clever interweaving of primary documents with historical fact gives rare insights into the lives and relationships of the Charles family and creates an authentic snapshot of wartime Australia. The Charles Family’s War is a compassionate and multilayered examination of two intelligent and articulate young men who come of age in the cauldron of global conflict.

This new revised edition includes: exclusive interviews with the Italian Navy Chief of Staff, the first Italian F-35 pilot, and the Commander of the Italian Army Special Forces Command. In addition, various articles focus on the new Centauro II armoured car, and the first participation of the Italian Typhoon fighters to exercise Red Flag, in the USA, to the Italian Army Parachutists School, and many, many more!

With its XIII edition, our yearbookmagazine “Coccarde Tricolori” confirms its new format, introduced in 2014. Since last year, it deals not only with the aviation sector of the Italian Armed Forces and State Corps, but adds also the land and naval sectors, to become a complete publication on all the Italian Defence and Security forces, and its industry. An extraordinary work, a unique tool which allows all the enthusiasts, but also all the professional operators, to be informed and updated about all world of the Italian Defence sector, with a single publication.

With its XII edition, our yearbook-magazine “Coccarde Tricolori” grows up and improves. Since this edition, it deals not only with the aviation sector of the Italian Armed Forces and State Corps, but adds also the land and naval sectors, to become a complete publication on all the Italian Defence and Security forces, and its industry.The new “Coccarde Tricolori” is formed by 320 colour pages, which include:The air, land and sea forces 2013 overviews, with all the main facts, news and photos of the past year. 26 illustrated in-depth features on topics subjects. The data sheets of the Ministry of Defence, and of all the Armed Forces and State Corps, with updated and detailed data on organisations, balance, personnel, flight hours, etc.

Moments define us: moments of adversity reveal character; moments of challenge disclose courage or cowardice; moments of action uncover decision or irresolution; and defining moments reveal leadership.This book is about seven defining leadership moments from the American Revolution. 7 Leadership Lessons is not a complete study of the American Revolution; readers will have to go elsewhere for such a chronicle. Rather it is the story of seven leadership moments that helped to win liberty during the struggle for Independence. On these pages you learn about real people facing real challenges and overcoming what reasonable observers believed were insurmountable odds. These leaders, thankfully, were unreasonable for the cause of liberty.This work is a guide to learning about the leadership that created a revolution, opposed Great Britain, the greatest power of its age, and created the freest society on earth. In these pages you are able to study the leadership of a select few who changed the course of human events and helped bring about the birth of an exceptional nation. This is a compact collection of stories that retell some of the most dramatic events in the founding of the United States. These stories—for leadership is best learned by storytelling, rather than through lectures on process, style, or technique—offer you insights into the meaning of leadership and liberty that can change your life. These seven leadership lessons are as relevant today as they were essential to the birth of the United States. The stories are about the leadership that forged colonial British subjects into a nation of Americans. They define the leadership that hammered out the standard for how Americans are expected to lead. In 1775, this leadership created the flame of liberty that lit the world, and offered a beacon of freedom and human progress to all men.