Skip to content
DUFFEL BLOG

Free military brief. No CAC required.

For more than a decade, we've deployed pitch perfect satire to service members around the world.

Join thousands of troops, veterans, and defense insiders who read Duffel Blog before breakfast.

“A must-read for national security nerds.”

—The Daily Beast
Subscribe form

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

14years publishing
4,200+dispatches filed
17,000+readers briefed

The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 132 · Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Pentagon

Pentagon confident U.S. will be ready for 2027 war with China by 2035

Officials cite historically proven American strategy of entering wars completely unprepared

Hegseth wears Eisenhower's globe as Halloween costume

Spirit Halloween store to become pop-up ICE detention center

Three editions a week, paid for by our subscribers

Vol. 15 · No. 132

Worldwide edition

Reader supported

Delivered 3× weekly

America's most trusted military news source

Duffel Blog

Established 2012 · Deployed worldwide

Vol. 15 · No. 132 · Deployed worldwide

Wednesday

4 November 2026

2032 Zulu

Next edition Friday

← Front page
· Page 2

Point/Counterpoint: Sergeant Major

Filed · 1542

The following is a Point/Counterpoint concerning whether the rank of Sergeant Major should be continued to be utilized in the United States Armed Forces. 2nd Lt. Matthew McGobbel will be presenting the point and Sgt. Maj. John Gibbons will be authoring the counterpoint.

POINT: Hey Sergeant Major, you have a second? I'm here to tell you all the things that your first sergeants are apparently afraid to.

Yeah it's cool, you can stand at ease. I know it's tough being a balding, middle-aged man with destroyed knees from too many combat jumps and a weird, froggy voice somewhere between Mr. Toad and a half-assed impersonation of R. Lee Ermey. I know that you hate coming home every day to a 400-pound wife, teenage kids that hate you and a dog that pees on the rug. And I certainly know how much you love motorcycle safety and swimming in designated areas, because you keep us past 1800 with a no-kidding 60 minute safety brief! And on the Thursday of a four-day weekend no less!

Heck, just this morning you walked past my platoon doing kettle-bell PT and said with self-satisfied sarcasm: "Well I don't remember reading that in the battalion physical fitness plan." You know what also isn't in the battalion physical fitness plan? Me with your daughter, doin' the dirty. Hey-O!

Also on this page

Your Cart

Your cart is empty

Browse the shop to find something you like.

Continue Shopping →
Subtotal

Add more for free shipping.

✓ You qualify for free shipping!