Evolving Warfighter

Stoic philosophy and the Western profession of arms are inseparable. The Ancient Stoic tradition built upon resilience and leadership techniques discovered on the battlefield by Athenian and Spartan warriors. This philosophy would be carried onto Roman battlefields by legendary military leaders such as Scipio Africanus, Cato the Younger, and the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. NeoStoicism would be fundamental to the Military Revolution of the 16th & 17th century that would professionalize Western militaries and pave the way for democracy and the industrial era. Great military philosophers from Raimondo Montecuccoli, Gerhard von Scharnhorst, Carl von Clausewitz, and Alden Partridge would further build upon the NeoStoic tradition to identify needed elements of military strategy, the ideal traits of military leadership, and supporting educational models. While the Stoic tradition has had a strong impact on warfare into the 21st century, the direct knowledge of Stoic philosophy has largely been lost within the modern profession of arms. Regaining knowledge of this powerful philosophical tradition will be critical for continued success on the modern battlefield. It is time for Western militaries to reconnect to this philosophical tradition to ensure the psychological resilience of their soldiers and support for our democratic systems of government. This lecture was given on June 23rd, 2023 in Calgary, Canada, in support of the Before Operational Stress Program. For more information on the BOS program visit: https://www.beforeoperationalstress.com/ Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

I was honored to have a chance to interview Sheridan Taylor, a Canadian combat veteran and author of "Not Okay? Okay: A Roadmap Back from the Brink." We had the opportunities to discuss his book and some of the materials he wished he would have known before going to war. Full Interview: https://youtu.be/dpEE-a6_xIE You can purchase his book here: https://amzn.to/43or5BH (Affiliate Link) My review of Sheridan's book: https://medium.com/@franklin-annis/the-humble-poet-book-review-of-not-okay-okay-by-sheridan-taylor-b5a79ae0ae50 Find out more about Sheridan on his website: https://sheridantaylor.ca Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

A conversation with Bruce Gudmundsson about the purpose of military learning and how military education can support self-directed learning. Full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0I_UVAvxc4&t=61s Check out Dr. Gudmundsson's website at: http://teachusmc.blogspot.com/ Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

I was honored to have a chance to interview Sheridan Taylor, a Canadian combat veteran and author of "Not Okay? Okay: A Roadmap Back from the Brink." We had the opportunities to discuss his book and some of the materials he wished he would have known before going to war. You can purchase his book here: https://amzn.to/43or5BH (Affiliate Link) My review of Sheridan's book: https://medium.com/@franklin-annis/the-humble-poet-book-review-of-not-okay-okay-by-sheridan-taylor-b5a79ae0ae50 Find out more about Sheridan on his website: https://sheridantaylor.ca Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

I was honored to have a chance to interview Sheridan Taylor, a Canadian combat veteran and author of "Not Okay? Okay: A Roadmap Back from the Brink." We had the opportunities to discuss his book and some of the materials he wished he would have known before going to war. Full Interview: https://youtu.be/dpEE-a6_xIE You can purchase his book here: https://amzn.to/43or5BH (Affiliate Link) My review of Sheridan's book: https://medium.com/@franklin-annis/the-humble-poet-book-review-of-not-okay-okay-by-sheridan-taylor-b5a79ae0ae50 Find out more about Sheridan on his website: https://sheridantaylor.ca Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

I was honored to have a chance to interview Sheridan Taylor, a Canadian combat veteran and author of "Not Okay? Okay: A Roadmap Back from the Brink." We had the opportunities to discuss his book and some of the materials he wished he would have known before going to war. Full Interview: https://youtu.be/dpEE-a6_xIE You can purchase his book here: https://amzn.to/43or5BH (Affiliate Link) My review of Sheridan's book: https://medium.com/@franklin-annis/the-humble-poet-book-review-of-not-okay-okay-by-sheridan-taylor-b5a79ae0ae50 Find out more about Sheridan on his website: https://sheridantaylor.ca Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

I was honored to have a chance to interview Sheridan Taylor, a Canadian combat veteran and author of "Not Okay? Okay: A Roadmap Back from the Brink." We had the opportunities to discuss his book and some of the materials he wished he would have known before going to war. You can purchase his book here: https://amzn.to/43or5BH (Affiliate Link) My review of Sheridan's book: https://medium.com/@franklin-annis/the-humble-poet-book-review-of-not-okay-okay-by-sheridan-taylor-b5a79ae0ae50 Find out more about Sheridan on his website: https://sheridantaylor.ca Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

Watch the full video at: https://youtu.be/3y0tZuPIjDs Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

I had a wonderful conversation with Ryan Driscoll about his podcast "Stoic Warfighters." He is trying to spread useful Stoic practices to help Soldiers and Veterans. Full interview: https://youtu.be/5I21mhciApc Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

I had the opportunity to interview Marcus Aurelius Anderson about his experiences being significantly injured in the Army while preparing for deployment. Full interview: https://youtu.be/SuR-fqJzwes He captured his experiences and how he used Western and Eastern philosophies to overcome his paralysis and find purpose in his book "The Gift of Adversity." I had a chance to further discuss with him the timeline of his injury and recovery and more about his experience with the warrior transition unit. This book is available at: https://amzn.to/3OjzT34 (Amazon Associates Program) You can find Marcus on his website: marcusaureliusanderson.com on Twitter: @the1realmarcus on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcus-aurelius-anderson/ on Facebook: facebook.com/marcusaureliusanderson on Instagram: instagram.com/marcusaureliusanderson Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

Lead by example. Stay greedy for labor and fatigue. Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

Lead by example. Stay greedy for labor and fatigue. Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.

Here is a Stoic-themed poem to help inspire you to get out and engage in Stoic Toughening Training. Find me on Twitter: @EvolvingWar Check out my books: https://www.amazon.com/author/franklinannis For a list of other academic materials produced by Dr. Annis, please visit: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-1607 The content which appears on The Evolving Warfighter are unofficial expressions of opinion. Views presented are those of the speaker(s) or author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.