Donna McAleer | Porcelain On Steel

The Blog

Fifteen years of writing on leadership, character, and country.

Leadership is a transformational journey — one of refinement and distillation. Donna’s eclectic background as a soldier, athlete, and civic leader informs her exploration of leadership in all its facets.

  • Character and Composition Matter

    In the month of August, both Forbes Magazine and US News & World Report ranked West Point as American’s Best College in each of…

  • There is only one first day of Kindergarten

    The first day of kindergarten is a momentous day for both child and parent.   The weeks and days leading up to the first day…

  • “Women in Combat: An American Story” NY Times August 19, 2009

    This letter to the Editor of the New York Times appeared in both the on-line and print versions of the New York Times on August 19,…

  • They told, They’re out!

    1st Lt. Dan Choi, 2002 West Point graduate, Arabic linguist and Iraq War veteran, is being fired from the United States Army for publicly…

  • Substance and Style

    January 20, 2009 dawned as a day filled with anticipation, excitement, hope and celebration as Barack Obama was sworn into office as our 44th…

  • The Moment of the Oath

    I am at a loss of words for the momentous and seismic shift we witnessed today with the inauguration of Barack H. Obama as…

  • A Few Good Women

    Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line was borne out of my experience as a high school volleyball coach in 2004. …

  • Women in Combat — Just Doing Her Job

    The topic of women in combat remains controversial.  Conventional wisdom and current law prevent women, no matter how able, from serving in units with…