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Where America’s Pilots Begin: What Two Days at Vance Air Force Base Taught Me
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I just spent two days at Vance Air Force Base as part of my role as a Civic Leader with Air Mobility Command. I went expecting to learn about pilot training. I left thinking about something very different. I left thinking about the young men and women who are carrying far more responsibility than…
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Honoring Heroes: The Crew of the USS St. Louis Visits Stone Ledge Distillery
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There are moments when a place, a name, and a mission all come together in a way that reminds us what service, sacrifice, and community truly mean. The recent visit of the crew of the USS St. Louis (LCS-19) to Stone Ledge Distillery was exactly that kind of moment—one filled with pride, gratitude, and…
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The UK–US Alliance in the Iran Conflict: A Quiet Partnership Delivering Real Results
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At a glance, recent headlines might suggest strain in the UK–US relationship during the Iran conflict—hesitation, disagreement, even divergence. It’s a compelling narrative. It’s also incomplete. What is actually unfolding is something far more consequential: a mature alliance operating with clarity of purpose, division of responsibility, and a shared commitment to long-term stability. Not…
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From Britain to the Ozark Highlands: Why Missouri Should Be on Every UK Traveller’s List
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I was born in Scotland and grew up in England, and like many Britons my early impressions of America were shaped by films, music, and the romance of the open road–specifically Dallas, the A-Team and the Dukes of Hazzard. Yet when I first arrived in Missouri, I discovered a side of America that felt…
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The One Place Every England Football Fan Should Visit When Coming to Missouri
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When supporters of the England national football team travel abroad, they carry more than scarves, chants, and matchday traditions. They carry with them the story of a nation — one that has endured great trials and risen to meet them with resilience, determination, and courage. For fans traveling to the United States during the…
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From Fulton to the Commonwealth: Churchill’s Words Still Guide Us
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This past weekend I had the privilege of gathering with friends, scholars, and leaders at America’s National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri — the very place where Sir Winston Churchill delivered his historic “Sinews of Peace” address eighty years ago. Standing in that place always brings history into sharp focus. Churchill’s words in 1946…
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From Scott to Whiteman: The Midwest Backbone of American Airpower
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When Americans think about military power, they often picture distant oceans, aircraft carriers cutting through the Pacific, or fighter jets screaming off coastal runways. But some of the most important missions protecting the United States begin far from the coasts — in the calm fields, quiet towns, and open skies of the American Midwest.…
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License Reciprocity, Talent Mobility, and the Next Chapter in UK–US Economic Partnership
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At its core, the economic relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States has always been about more than goods and services. It is about people. Capital moves where talent is confident. Investment follows opportunity. And opportunity flourishes when barriers are lowered. In that context, license reciprocity is not a technical regulatory tweak.…
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“The Sinews of Peace” at 80: Missouri, Britain, and the Enduring Call to Courage
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On 5 March 1946, in the quiet town of Fulton, at Westminster College, Sir Winston Churchill delivered words that would echo across the decades: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” Eighty years on, we gather not merely to remember a speech, but…
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Three Lions in the Heartland: England’s Kansas City World Cup Story
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When the FIFA World Cup returns to North America in 2026, one of the most exciting stories won’t just be about the action on the pitch — it will be about the global community that gathers to celebrate the world’s game. England’s decision to base in Kansas City for the tournament isn’t just a…