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“The lessons I learned took effect slowly and often weren’t recognized until years later.” — Robin Olds October 2003. I was a Lieutenant attending Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF). It happened to coincide with a reunion for the legendary 435th Fighter Squadron. As a young aspiring fighter pilot—although I wasn’t all that young by then—I…
This one is different. The last blog covered the process. This one is about what happens inside your head while you’re going through it. Especially if you’ve built your identity around being a leader. The Failure You Can’t Brief Away Divorce hits differently when you’ve spent your life performing at a high level. You’re used…
Before We Go Any Further Before we go any further, let me be clear. I am not advocating for divorce. It may be necessary. I support marriage, commitment, and doing the work when it’s hard. That said — I wish I had understood how this was going to go before I was living it. Because…
This Isn’t a Highlight Reel. It’s a Debrief. What you’re reading is a dive into life through a fighter pilot’s directive of mentorship — aviation, career, family, failure, pressure, and the decisions that compound over decades. The objective is simple:Learn now what took me 22 years to understand. Where This Started I’m Lt Col Eric…