#military excellence

[anastasiiaosypova]

Took me some time to finish this project. Chiss Military Ranks insignias designs

[moteldogs]

also I got a lot of thoughts on how eliot having that fight with his dad and then immediately shipping to basic training meant he ended up isolated in a way that made him highly motivated, highly trainable, and also extremely easy to fuck in the head in useful ways. which worked out great for the US military and later on, for moreau.

[lokisasylum]

Shippers (especially Taekookers) obsession with Jimin and his family is getting worrisome. Like WDYM you're STALKING his dad and trying to find out if his brother is online like ya'll did with jk's brother tagging him in shipping stuff or asking personal info?

What do you mean you're stalking his dad's café on IG 24/7, getting on his DMs, trying to police what he should or shouldn't post or USING what he chooses to post as validation for your ship? When ya'll are the weirdos setting up Jimin with your equally weirdo shipping gifts (and FUCK that joker HAG, Lupita).

Leave their families ALONE.

Its one thing to visit the place and post about it, but downright STALKING his dad? That's messed up.

And Jokers need to stop with the weirdo posts, taunting Taekookers with their BS shipping wars too. 'Cause none of ya'll are out here having to clean up the mess hours later and now we got (USELESS) little 7s thinking PJMS are jokers too or that we condone the shit you pull.

Man I hope that prediction comes true about Jimin coming back from the military completely changed, saying fuck everyone and just focusing on HIMSELF.

[afriblaq]

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Revered abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war, was posthumously awarded the rank of general on Monday. Dozens gathered on Veterans Day at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Maryland’s Dorchester County for a formal ceremony making Tubman a one-star brigadier general in the state’s National Guard. Gov. Wes Moore called the occasion not just a great day for Tubman’s home state but for all of the U.S. “Today, we celebrate a soldier and a person who earned the title of veteran,” Moore said. “Today we celebrate one of the greatest authors of the American story.” Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849, settling in Philadelphia in 1849. Intent on helping others achieve freedom, she established the Underground Railroad network and led other enslaved Black women and men to freedom. She then channeled those experiences as a scout, spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War, helping guide 150 Black soldiers on a gunboat raid in South Carolina. Nobody would have judged Tubman had she chosen to remain in and coordinate abolitionist efforts from there, Moore said. Read more at theGrio.com.1d

[mimi-0007]

Frances Eliza Wills (married name: Frances Thorpe; 12 July 1910 – 18 January 1998) was an American naval officer and one of the first two African American female officers commissioned by the United States Navy. After her years with the WAVES, she worked as secretary to Langston Hughes.

[hiddenincommand]

The Cold Metal of Medals: Markers of Achievement and Superiority

The gleam of medals on a uniform is more than a mere decoration—it is a testament to a man’s authority, his accomplishments, and the respect he commands. For the Alpha male, medals are not just tokens of recognition but symbols of his unyielding dominance and superiority. Each medal tells a story, a chapter in the life of a man who has mastered himself, his environment, and those under his command.

This essay delves into the symbolism of medals, their historical significance, and their role in reinforcing the authority and legacy of the Alpha male.

The Historical Legacy of Medals

The tradition of awarding medals dates back to ancient civilizations, where rulers and warriors were recognized for their bravery, leadership, and service. From the Roman Empire’s golden phalerae to the chivalric orders of medieval Europe, medals have always served as tangible representations of excellence and status. In the military traditions of the 19th and 20th centuries, they evolved into formalized symbols of merit, earned through acts of valor, service, and discipline.

For the Alpha male, medals are the modern embodiment of this ancient tradition. Worn proudly on his chest, they speak to his mastery over the challenges he has faced and the victories he has achieved. Each one is a visual declaration of his worthiness to lead.

The Role of Medals in the Alpha’s Command

An Alpha’s uniform is incomplete without the glint of medals on his chest. These awards are not merely ornamental—they are assertions of his dominance, achievements, and unwavering commitment to excellence. For subordinates and observers alike, they are a powerful reminder of the Alpha’s authority.

The Symbolism of Medals:

1. Authority: Medals signify the Alpha’s right to command, earned through proven success and dedication.

2. Superiority: The sheer weight of medals distinguishes the Alpha from his subordinates, marking him as a figure of higher rank and capability.

3. Legacy: Each medal contributes to the Alpha’s enduring legacy, a visual record of his impact and influence.

Medals serve as a bridge between the Alpha’s past achievements and his present authority, cementing his position at the top of the hierarchy.

The Arrangement of Medals: Precision and Order

For the Alpha male, the display of medals on his uniform must reflect the discipline and refinement that define him. Each medal must be polished to perfection, arranged with meticulous precision, and displayed in a manner that amplifies his commanding presence.

The Alpha’s Medal Display:

1. Placement: Medals must be positioned on the left breast of the uniform, arranged in strict order of precedence.

2. Symmetry: The arrangement must be symmetrical, creating a sense of balance and order that mirrors the Alpha’s disciplined character.

3. Polish: Each medal must gleam under the light, a testament to the Alpha’s attention to detail and the respect he commands.

The proper arrangement of medals is not merely a matter of protocol—it is a reflection of the Alpha’s mastery over every aspect of his appearance and demeanor.

The Psychological Impact of Medals

The sight of a chest adorned with medals has a profound psychological effect on both subordinates and observers. It evokes feelings of admiration, respect, and, in some cases, intimidation. For the Alpha, this impact is a crucial aspect of his ability to lead and command.

Psychological Effects:

1. Inspiration: Medals inspire admiration and loyalty among subordinates, serving as a reminder of what is possible under the Alpha’s leadership.

2. Intimidation: The sheer number and prominence of medals can instill a sense of awe and submission in those who stand before the Alpha.

3. Reinforcement of Hierarchy: Medals visually reinforce the structure of authority, leaving no doubt as to who holds the highest rank.

The psychological power of medals lies in their ability to communicate the Alpha’s dominance without the need for words.

Medals as a Reflection of the Alpha’s Legacy

Each medal on an Alpha’s chest is a chapter in the story of his life—a story of challenges faced, victories won, and the unwavering pursuit of excellence. Together, they form a legacy that will endure long after the Alpha has left the field of battle or the halls of power.

Sir Cedric’s Reflections:

“As I pin each medal to my chest, I am reminded of the trials I have faced and the victories I have claimed. These are not mere tokens—they are the marks of a life lived with purpose, discipline, and unyielding authority.

Each medal tells a story, not just of my accomplishments, but of the men and women who have stood with me, who have learned under my command, and who have felt the weight of my gaze. They are reminders of the standards I uphold and the legacy I leave behind.

To those who see these medals, know this: They are not just decorations. They are the proof of my superiority, the evidence of my mastery, and the symbols of my right to lead. Ask yourself—what marks have you earned? What legacy will you leave behind?”

Medals are more than pieces of metal—they are the embodiment of the Alpha’s achievements, authority, and legacy. Worn with pride and precision, they proclaim to the world that this man is not just a leader but a master of his domain. Through these symbols, the Alpha leaves an indelible mark on all who stand in his presence, a mark that will endure for generations to come.

[lunarw0rks]

gaz gives the vibes of someone who grew up well off and i can’t pinpoint why. he gives off old money vibes

[fictionisthebetterreality]

sometimes you go months without writing, sometimes you hear one specific song you've never heard before and write 1500 words of mass effect fic without even trying when you should be doing other things

[nickysfacts]

Yasuke, the black samurai who helped the Demon King unify Japan!

🧑🏾‍🦱🇯🇵

[loveletternoir]

1/1 Patchwork Jacket by Melanatedwithlove (Mekhi McKenzie)

https://www.instagram.com/melanatedwithlove?igsh=dzAwazJyejFkaXVk

[vignetted]

only one month until i'm in another 8:30-11:30AM early modern europe course with the history dept's notoriously trad, reactionary conservative boomer prof who doesn't know i'm transgender & thinks i'm really smart

[shallowseeker]

the fundamental thing about cas is he doesnt just need the win for dean

he “needs to come back with a win for himself”

his self worth is wrapped up in victory

[mimi-0007]

[fatehbaz]

There was a line in the sand - a border, or rather the idea of one. This idea described a frontier, delineated a boundary. In 1852 transgression of this idea and the sovereignty it represented angered Bey Ahmad of Tunis. [...] [T]he government of [French] Algeria accelerated plans to undertake a tour of the frontier [...], to define the spatial limits of French power. [...] [T]he bey wrote a letter to the French consul [...]. The two powers had to work together, each having representatives present [...]. The response came from Paris. The prince-president (Napoleon III), the minister of foreign affairs, and the minister of war all agreed with the bey [...]. The barrier was real, the border inviolable, the idea held. So the bey and the president understood each other. [...] [But] [a]n internal letter [among French officials] explained the thinking behind the military's territorial violation: [...] it was necessary to "display clearly [the French military's] position on the frontier and to act to take possession of the country that we have claimed." This was important even if the act itself exposed the border's unreality. [...]

In such a way, belief in the border exposes a kind of irrationality at the heart of modern state power: the very basis of modern sovereign claims - territoriality - was an abstraction that only distance from the influence of local events could make appear real. The idea of the frontier that the French president and the Tunisian bey shared was the modern belief in the reality of borders, of their existence as barriers. That these two shared this idea tells us something about the appearance of modernity in the Maghrib in the late nineteenth century. [...]

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Anxiety about the situation along the frontier was manifested not only in French military sorties and "inspection tours": we can also see it in the positioning in the colonial imaginary of migratory and transhumant populations as anti-modern. Seemingly unconcerned with national boundaries [...], these populations were cast as mere violent holdovers of the "traditional" practices of the Maghrib, soon to disappear before the progress of modern social organization and governmentality. [...] The [French] minister of war held that the government of Algeria should secure the border because unrest was "hampering the industrial development of the La Calle region and slowing the normalization of our authority among the tribes [...]." His reasoning did not necessarily reflect that of the cultivators who were accustomed to moving to lands on either side of the line drawn by Randon or moving their flocks within a generally elastic space. The dictates of imperial economics (i.e., mineral exploitation) were here locked into a territorially-bound sense [...].

The government of Algeria - which was at that point, legally in any case, the French government - [...] based claims to sovereignty on the ability to control violence [...]. This [French military] officer led soldiers across the northern Algerian-Tunisian border, stopping to talk with all the groups [...]. The minister of war wrote that, while this action was indeed problematic on the diplomatic scale, it was necessary and right on the local scale. "Our administrative interests cannot be left outstanding - our dignity itself is at stake in giving to the tribes evidence of our [power] [...]" and "this operation is necessary to tranquilize our tribes and organize the means of repression." [...] In effect, the local scale necessitated a processional display of state power [and literal physical violence] to ensure its claims, while the international scale necessitated the abstraction of fixed and territorialized power. [...]

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[I]n the winter of 1876 [...], [t]he territorialized nation-state was finally achieved. This rosy picture did not last. Even after the French occupation of Tunis [...] in 1881, belief in the border failed to spread to the scale of local life and governance. [...] Certainly the border, even a border that had largely been agreed upon and understood at the level of high politics for nearly three centuries, was a problematic and vexed ides. Only those removed from its immediate reality seemed to believe in it.

Despite the continued efforts of those apostles of modernity on the Algerian side of the border, the border was never as fixed as they thought it should be. Concerned reports about it continued [...] to fill the saddlebags of imperial postmen well after the establishment of the protectorate in Tunisia. The “realness” of the border was a matter of both material reality and socio-juridical imagination. The border between the Regency’s tribes and those of the dey in Constantine, for instance, had existed (more or less) since the 1500s. But these were obviously different conceptions of what made the border. [...] The border would be “real” for these French officials when groups on either side stopped transgressing the imaginary barrier the Regency and France had erected. Vexing to the French imperial imagination was the apparent breakdown of the concept of state power based on maintaining the monopoly of violence in a certain region: “We reserve to ourselves the right to penetrate into the territory of neighboring tribes that breach the interests of our tribes or territory and to punish them emphatically.” [...] Beyond informing people of their legibility to the state vis-à-vis taxes, the point of the multiple tours, meetings, raids, and trades [...] was thus to show off the power of the French war-making apparatus in order to claim for it sole legitimacy. [...] [T]he land claimed by the French becomes practical, modern territory only when the people living there accept the claims to sovereign authority of the French - not before. There is effectively no border until the people believe there is and act on that belief. [...]

That this type of thinking was not the special purview of the “recalcitrant” tribes themselves is reflected in a letter a French advisor to the Tunisian army wrote to the French minister of war in 1862: “Some have wanted to have a frontier delimination between the Regency [of Tunis] and Algeria; it is necessary, as Your Excellency has recognized, that the frontier remain vague. Let us not commit the present, let us reserve for ourselves the future, and let us not raise barriers between the rich valley of the Medjerdah, and the metallurgic deposits and the cork forests of the Tabarka mountains, [and Algeria].” From his vantage point on the ground, this officer saw a different relationship between the border and the territorial position of sovereignty than did the president or bey. The importance of the imperial project was better reflected in not securing a border. But this understanding did not make its way up the chain of command. There a "real" border was necessary.

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All text above by: Brock Cutler. "Believe in the Border, or, How to Make Modernity in the Nineteenth-Century Maghrib". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 60. 2017. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]