Professor at SAMS, Chair of Applied History
@WarInstitute
, Senior Fellow
@UrbanWarfareCtr
. RTs/Follows ≠ endorsement. My tweets represent personal opinion alone
I have seen some questions about why
#IDF
#Armor
#tactics
look different from those that come out thenlessons of
#Ukraine
. It is not that
#Israel
hasn't learned from
#Ukraine
rather it is a matter of different threats & different capabilities. 1/3
While the
@IDF
is not perfect in their conduct of this war
@SpencerGuard
is 100% right that there is no
#Genocide_in_Gaza
. This doesn't mean that there isn't civilian suffering but in this war only
#Hamas
& its supporters have showed a genocidal intent & committed mass atrocities
This is the adult academic equivalent to saying “I haven’t done the research to show how John Spencer is wrong, but here, here is someone I know who doesn’t say that but has an opinion on Gaza.” Let me help you with any other academic and oh historians like
@JacobStoil
General
Since working at
@us_sams
I have been privileged to work with a number of officers from the
#Canadian
Army. Each one of them have been outstanding and among the best with whom I have ever worked. I want to wish them,
@CAFinUS
, and all my neighbors to the north a
#HappyCanadaDay
!
So in
#Ukraine
the battlefield favors dispersion & for the
@IDF
it favors concentration. The additional top protection and the use obscuration and
#electronicwarfare
are definitely lessons from
#Ukraine
.
Recieved this today! It has been a honor to serve the American people while at
@us_sams
@USACGSC
for the last 6+ years. I hope I have made a contribution and I am glad I have the opportunity to keep serving!
#service
#ArmyCivilian
#IDF
heavy vehicles have a suite of active protection systems. This means when clustered they have a significantly greater chance of intercepting incoming missile threats & killing the shooter. It also allows them to provide protection for more vulnerable vehicles 3/4
Honored to have been selected for Chair of Applied History
@WarInstitute
! Thank you
@us_sams
&
@andy_morgado
for the support. There is little I find more rewarding than engaging in applied history. I look forward to continuing to work with the team & announcing new projects soon!
US Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS)
Congratulations to Dr. Jacob Stoil from the SAMS ASLSP faculty on being appointed Chair of Applied History for the Modern War Institute at West Point! Dr. Stoil is recognized for his significant contributions to military history and practice.
@usacac
@USACGSC
@WarInstitute
Very excited and pleased to announce that I've been promoted to Associate Professor! It's been an amazing few years serving
@USACGSC
@us_sams
- I've learned & grown so much and am humbled by the recognition!
You know you're an academic when TSA stops you at the airport because you have so many books in your backpack that they block the X-ray and you have to explain what happens at
@SMH_Historians
#SMH2022
!
#phdlife
For both
#Russia
&
#Ukraine
one of the primary battlefield threats comes from indirect fire. This forces a dispersment of armor. In
#Gaza
the primary threats comes from anti-tank guided missiles &
#IEDs
. In both cases unmanned aerial systems (
#UAS
) are part of the threat.
The casualty & bereavement units of the
@IDF
are a unique aspect of
#Israel
's force. As the article makes clear they do heroic work under pscychological strain devoting their careers to caring for others. They're critical to the civil-military compact.
This is an amazing example of a learning organization. Holding a conference on lessons learned with commanders and forces during a war. This is one of a number of ways that I have seen the
@IDF
has rapidly learned lessons and adapted during this war.
פיקוד הדרום קיים אתמול פורום למידה מבצעי באוגדת עזה בראשות מפקד פיקוד הדרום, אלוף ירון פינקלמן ובהשתתפות מפקדי האוגדות והחטיבות המתמרנות. בנוסף, בפורום לקחו חלק ראש אגף המבצעים, אלוף עודד בסיוק, מפקד זרוע היבשה, אלוף תמיר ידעי, ומפקד חיל האוויר, אלוף תומר בר>>
I have been studying the
#Israeli
military for the better part of 2 decades &
#urbanwarfare
&
#subterraneanwarfare
for around 10 years. I'm surprised how many people have sudden expertise on the subjects. If you want people with deep expertise reach out and I can give you names.
This a reminder that by taking
#hostages
#Hamas
committed a
#WarCrime
by carrying out acts of sexual violence on them
#Hamas
committed another
#WarCrime
and now that bodies of hostages are being recovered it is clear that
#Hamas
committed another
#WarCrime
by murdering them
"The military strategy for Hamas' October 7 attack was to create the largest scale of atrocity possible and survive..."
My article with my
@WarInstitute
brother
@SpencerGuard
in
@Newsweek
considers
#Hamas
's strategy & the potential for a
#ceasefire
Real talk: It may be 0530 but
@Amtrak
really is the single best way to travel in the US. Friendly staff, easy boarding and seats bigger & more comfortable than most domestic first class on aircraft. I wish we would expand our train network so I could travel like this more often.
Fantastic
@SMH_Historians
#SMH2023
! I learned, caught up with great friends & mentors - made some new ones as well. I was really excited to see what some of the graduate students are working on - the future of the field looks good! As a last benefit - I picked up some good books!
There are tons of bad historical takes comparing the level of destruction in
#Gaza
to cities that were bombed in
#WW2
. This is a form of selection bias - bombing is often less destructive than
#urbanwarfare
. A better
#WW2
comparison would be cities like
#Manila
or
#Berlin
. 1/?
Hey
#urbanwarfare
peeps how would you breach this brick wall?
Answer: With difficulty. Like all
#Police
stations built in
#Manchester
#UK
in its era, the wall hides a 1in thick steel plate. Makes for an excellent strongpoint if you know what you're looking for -
#IPB
matters!
I may have been up for 21hrs straight, I may have had multiple delayed and canceled flights, my bag may be arriving on a different flight, but none of it matters because I have finally arrived in
#SanDiego
for
@SMH_Historians
#SMH2023
!
Last night I celebrated that I live in a place & time that I can practice
#Judaism
openly even on
#ChristmasEve
- historically a night of fear for many of my people. I hope everyone celebrating enjoys their holiday be it
#Christmas
or
#Shabbat
!
#ShabbatShalom
For
@us_sams
students studying the 1973 war next week - check out this awesome podcast from
@WarInstitute
by
@SpencerGuard
! He interviewed Yom Tov Tamir who command 9th BN, the only IDF
#Armor
in N. Sinai at the start of the war!
I love the idea of crew rest for planners. There is a ton of research out there that says rest and reflection time is critical to good thinking and good decisions. This would also fight the
#Army
's culture of unnecessary & false urgency and wrong belief that more hours = better.
I think it's unfair that pilots and operators get upper pills but planners don't. No one gives a shit about crew rest for the 5 shop; just pull multiple 24 HR ops day to get products for the boss and don't bitch about it.
I know it has fallen out of fashion in the
#USArmy
but
@SapperGeologist
from
@BritishArmy
is doing a great job reminding us why it critically important for Brigades and above to think about! He would be a great add as a guest speaker for the
#AMSP
curriculum
@us_sams
!
Yesterday
#ASLSP
@us_sams
was very lucky to host
@ElenaWicker
who led a fantastic discussion with our students on jargon, buzzwords, & terminology as part of the research & writing course! The students found it really beneficial (I learned a ton)! Thank you
@ElenaWicker
!!!!!!
This is your regularly scheduled reminder that "proportionality" means proportional to the objective not the type of equipment used against you. So yes, if they murder your people with axes and guns you can seek justice with planes.
As a
#Jewish
person the right to
#abortion
is a key aspect of my first amendment rights. If this is real, and we lose the right to abortion it will be a direct attack against my religon, how we understand and define life and our moral duties.
The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and obtained by POLITICO.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito writes.
Got to spend part of today with some rare old
#doctrine
& the original
#USArmy
report into the 1973 War! For those who recognize it, the hand scribbled name on the FMs is pretty awesome as well. Sometimes working for
@TRADOC
can be pretty darn cool....
#militaryhistory
#פידצבא
There has been a lot out there on
#tunnels
in
#Gaza
lately, especially about why they are hard to capture or destroy as well as how
#tunnels
help
#Hamas
smuggle across borders or hide their leadership instead let’s talk about the tactical uses of tunnels in defense. 1/6
Checklist for a great day
@UkNatArchives
Interesting material? ✔️
Finding material directly on topic for my research? ✔️
Meeting a colleague from
#Australian
#PME
to discuss setting up institutional cooperation? ✔️ ➕️
Bonus: Seeing
#swans
and cygnets! ✔️ ➕️ ➕️ 🙂
Did you know
@us_sams
is
#hiring
a position in
#militaryhistory
? Might be a fit for a member of
@SMH_Historians
. It is a short application window so if you are interested or just want to know more please reach out and I can talk to you about the position.
#SanDiego
here I come! It's been a crazy year since the last
@SMH_Historians
conference. I can't wait my way to catch up with some excellent folks & hear great news research!
#SMH2023
Done commenting on my first of two panels
@SMH_Historians
#SMH2023
and now learning about disease and military medical history - the ability to learn outside my expertise is one of the many reasons I love this conference!
I am proud to fly this as I light
#Shabbat
candles & remember the massacre at
#TreeOfLife
& think of those fighting tonight to prevent the
#genocide
of my people. I wish for a true
#ShabbatShalom
that can only come when we can be free to gather as a people without fear.
I am on my way to services. I was not planning on going but this way anyone who wants to kill me for being
#Jewish
knows where to find me. I am angry, unbowed, and unafraid. Nobody will turn me around. Those who hate us will lose.
#amyisraelchai
#Poway
My hannukiah originally belonged to my cousin Lazare as did the
#WW2
issue prayerbook I used. Lazare fought in the
#French
resistance. It felt fitting to use both for
#Hanukkah
- a holiday commemorating an armed struggle against those who tried to end
#Judaism
.
#HappyHanukkah
Sad to hear of the death of Sir Michael Howard. Beyond being a brilliant historian who literally invented the modern version of my discipline - he was also mentor who had time and stories to share with evryone from undergrads up. His memory will be as a blessing.
Sometimes you find a vision of heaven in unexpected place...in my case I found a slice (or 6) of paradise this weekend in
#Birmingham
#Alabama
!
#pielife
#pie
So what's the problem with bad historical comparisons? It makes
#Gaza
look exceptional rather than normal for this type of combat & the
#Israel
look like it is being more destructive than most rather than less destructive than many in similar operations. 4/5
Always great to hear the OG of Urban Warfare
@SpencerGuard
- I learn something everytime! This time had the bonus of a seminar atmosphere with officers and NCOs from a range of warfighting functions! Can't wait to bring some of this new knowledge into teaching
@us_sams
German security forces claim to have disrupted a cell of Prussian monarchists.
They accuse the cell of plotting to overthrow Democray and restore the Kaiser.
This monument in Ludlow
#Colorado
is for the men, women, & children killed by the
#NationalGuard
& corporate militia in 1914 for striking for better working conditions. On
#LaborDay
we should take a moment to remember the many that gave their lives for the rights we now enjoy.
In any city defense, you always continue to prepare, even when fighting, continue to improve your position. Don't sit around, don't stand in the open. Build bunkers near the checkpoints. Dig tunnels! The underground is always strong protection from rockets, artillery and rockets!
Great meetings today with a number of organizations including
@maarachot_idf
! I'm excited for the potential of collaboration that could benefit
#TRADOC
&
@us_sams
. I also gained some great knowledge to bring into my next teaching block & a shiny new coin for the collection!
Regardless of politics, as someone who grew up with a learning disability I am beyond impressed with the bravery of the
#BraydonHarrington
speaking with a stutter on national TV at the
#DemConvention2020
Tell me you work
@us_sams
without telling me you work at
#SAMS
:
"My wife bought a mini magnetic white board, magnetic markers, and a magnetic eraser and I am far more excited than I have any rational right to be!"
#institutionalized
#Armylife
#PME
Praying for my brothers & sisters in danger right now in
#Texas
- assaulted in
#synagogue
by another vile
#antisemite
.
אחינו כל בית ישראל הנתונים בצרה ובשביה, העומדים בין בים ובין ביבשה המקום ירחם עליהם ויוציאם מצרה לרווחה, ומאפלה לאורה, ומשעבוד לגאולה, השתא בעגלה ובזמן קריב
Came into work this week to find this slipped under my door. Thank you
@PANationalGuard
@28thId
for the kind words. It was great working with you! Having the chance to support the operational force is one of the best parts of my job!
#IronDivision
#RollOn
!
I have to give a big
#shoutout
to
@MUCVM
#KansasCity
emergency clinic! My
#Dog
was attacked by another dog and was bitten multiple times. The clinic was efficient & effective while charging a reasonable price! Thank you!
P.S.
#Doggo
recovering well!
Just got back from San Diego and found myself pondering, what would it take to get the Army to move its PME to some place with a beach? Or at least within in a day's drive from a beach?
Yesterday I toured some ruins from the Battle of Manila in 1945. This under studied case in the
#history
of
#urbanwarfare
.
#Manila
was one of the most destroyed cities in
#WW2
& studying it can set expectations for what large conventional operations in a city look like. 1/2
Let's talk about why so far
#Israel
is terming this phase of the
#GazaWar
an expanded ground operation and how the relates to the geography of North
#Gaza
1/?
Combined combat forces of armor, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in northern Gaza since early Friday evening.
As part of the operation IDF soldiers:
🔴Identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck
Great spending a day with
@40thID
! In my experience it's a division with an excellent staff and leadership. Always a pleasure to get out of
@us_sams
to get back in contact with the operational force working on real world problems and get into planning with such a great team!
If you like
#Tanks
and cheesy dancing this tweet is for you. I'm not sure how many of you there are but here you go!
@jr_liscano
can our home of
#Armor
top these dance moves?