AMERICA('S) FIRST FIRETEAM
By Andy Weddington
Sunday, 04 January 2026
A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. - George S. Patton
Yesterday morning I watched four - structure of a U.S. Marine Corps infantry fireteam - statesmen and warriors debrief to America (and the world) the capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
First, President Donald Trump - fireteam leader - addressed big picture who, what, when, where, why, and hows of the operation.
Second, Secretary of State Marco Rubio - assistant team leader and automatic rifleman - added diplomatic depth to his fireteam leader's remarks.
Third, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth - grenadier, statesman/warrior - moved into particulars of the raid.
Fourth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine - rifleman, warrior - precisely mapped out the complexity.
Masterful!
Professional. Thorough. Articulate. Unambiguous. Compelling.
The descriptors endless.
That unclassified video must be incorporated into every military leadership course, across the services, from entry-level to most senior ranks. [As should the operation, as appropriate, be curriculum.]
That there was not loss of American platform nor life (even through no fault mechanical failures, human mistakes, etc.) testament to capable people properly equipped, trained, and led - fireteam leader to President.
In short, great plan perfectly performed.
The contrast to and pathetic explanations of the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle - resulting in 13 Americans dead, senselessly, and platforms and gear bewilderingly gifted to the enemy - noted. [I pray those responsible will soon be held accountable - punished.]
To understand President Trump read 'On the Natural Law of War and Peace - A guide for statesmen and warriors.' by the late Angelo Codevilla. I read this morning. And will again. [Published in 2018. He died three years later.]
Codevilla's insightful piece to past and present Nature, world history, warfare, and American ineptness is lengthy but not a book. https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/ede9398cd0cc178fa83cf43ffc5d7394.pdf
Give it a deliberate read. Digest. And consider against the past year of President Trump at the helm of America. All falls into place. Sensible.
Writing at length no longer interests me. I've other duties and interests time worthy; some for too long neglected and it's time to fix that.
But, to close, know this ...
1. America is today led by statesmen and warriors;
2. The President - fireteam leader - means what he says and his statesmen and warriors, masterfully melding tools of peace and war, carry out orders to results;
3. While critics and domestic enemies behave as toddlers and play tiddlywinks and tantrum, President Trump and his fireteam check and mate on the high stakes multi-dimensional chessboard;
4. Past fireteams? Timid tigers;
5. Today's fireteam? Legendary lions;
I like that our Vice President is a U.S. Marine; a corporal - typically the rank of fireteam leader.
Now to turn attention to domestic enemies; past President and not.
Naturally.
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