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Our articles are written by leaders from all walks of life on topics applicable to the development and success of junior officers in the Army.

Drive by Leadership

Chad Plenge

It was about 4:30 am and my Soldiers were showing up for their law enforcement shift. I was going to work in place of one of them, giving a lucky …

Making the Switch: What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Field Grade Officer

Don Gomez

Last week, the Army released the results of the 2021 Major Promotion Selection Board (PSB)......

Company-Grade to Field-Grade: Introducing “Making the Switch”

Don Gomez

Introducing our new series on "Making the Switch" from Company-Grade to Field-Grade.

Embarrassed? Or Wrong?

Ray Kimball

It's impossible to know, of course, but I have a hunch why. I was the Distinguished Guest Speaker, after all. Even though I was nominally junior to most of the …

Three Things to Make You Good at Any Job

Lucas Thoma

Wisdom can come from the most unexpected places — like a bar.

Planning/Running a Range

Charles Hood

One of the most common missions new junior leaders struggle to perform effectively is the qualification range. A range is a significant allocation of resources …

Perspectives on the AIM 2.0 Marketplace — A Peek Behind the Curtain

Mark Gnodle, Michael Brodka, & John Hermida

The AIM 2.0 Marketplace can be daunting even for those who have navigated its changing structure over several movement cycles. We look at the Marketplace from three perspectives: the mover, …

The Mindful Leader

Jonathan Silk

Have you ever been in the middle of an important conversation with your subordinate and while they are speaking your mind wanders, or you look down at your mobile device …

Emergencies, Mental Models, and You

Dan Dworkis, MD PhD

Mental models are the conceptual frameworks that we use to explain how parts of reality work.......

Daring Vulnerability: Strengthening Teams by Discussing Fear

Frances “Katie” Walter

Army Officers are called to lead courageously. But we don’t always associate courage with vulnerability.

Overcoming Fear as a New Leader

George Runkle

The purpose of these weeks was clear: To show me that I was an absolute disgrace who should not be listened to, and not worthy of the honor of leading …

Emotional Intelligence: A Step on the Path to Developing “People First” Leaders

Taylor Freitas

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one of the most vital assets available to Army leaders; however, its cultivation often takes a backburner to other elements like …

Why Junior Officers Should Volunteer

Clinton Grable

Volunteering, while no panacea, may be one of the best activities junior officers can do outside of duty hours. Let’s talk about how this often-unexplored …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 1)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

But what happens after your time as a PL is over? More often than not you might find yourself serving as a Company Executive Officer.

Tips to Prepare for the Captain’s Career Course

Cale Queen

The Captain’s Career Course is an amazing experience, and you can learn so much from it. To be successful you need to start preparing before you enter the door. Take …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 2)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

After all, this is your first real test as an Officer and what you have aspired to be up until this point right? But what happens after your time as …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 3)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

The purpose of this article is to help you understand the responsibilities as an XO, as well as actions you can take within the first 90 days in position for …

10 Hard Lessons Learned during Command of a Field Artillery Forward Support Company

Wade Cady

When faced with an extremely challenging adverse situation (civilian or military, personal or professional), how do you handle it? Do you knuckle down, and face it head on? Do you …

Property 101

Tyler McKinney

"Sign for this." A common phrase throughout one's Army career, usually associated with a gut drenching feeling of hesitance. So, what does this phrase actually …

Unit Training Management — A Primer for Company Leaders

Don Gomez and Joshua Peterson

Junior leaders across the Army have rich and deep experience participating in training events and in many cases designing, executing, and assessing them. This guide …

“I’m not your friend” — Understanding the XO-PL Relationship

Joo Chung

When my fellow platoon leaders and I first met our Company Executive Officer, he immediately told us, "I'm not your friend, and I'm not here to answer your stupid questions."

Championing an Inclusive Approach to Mentoring

Josh Bowen

Eventually, this incident and my reflections since have led me to consider the importance of inclusive mentoring. Inclusive mentoring means mentoring across demographics that are …

What does it mean to be “second-in-command”?

Christian Nattiel

The role of an executive officer has manifold dimensions. Some of them, like resourcing training, are easier to grasp than others, like property divestment......

Tips to Avoid Fraternization

John Plaziak

AR 600-20 addresses other issues between Soldiers of different grades, but social and dating scenarios are typically the riskiest and most likely to occur for …

A Soldier’s Death – A Leader’s Challenge

James Tollefson

I was a young Specialist standing guard in a small platoon outpost in Al-Karmah, Iraq in 2007 when time stopped. Dust particles froze mid-drift through the air.....

Got Discipline? A Practical Guide to Instilling Discipline

Beau Wasson

Was it Mel Gibson's portrayal of then LTC Hal Moore in We Were Soldiers or Bill Murray's performance in Stripes that most enticed you to join the service? How about …

What About our Junior Officers: An Examination of Mental Health in the Army

Gabrielle Alford and Kate Campbell

For the ones who have felt alone and the ones we lost.

People First, Winning Matters: The Tightrope of Leadership

Connor Toomey

Take care of your Soldiers. From the first push-up of basic training to the first operations order brief of Officer Candidate School, to my incoming interview with my battalion commander, …

Promote Now: The Officer Selection Board Process

Abdullah Clark

Have you ever wondered how the officer promotion process works? This article pulls back the curtain and demystifies that process.

A Practical Guide to Command Supply Discipline for Company Leadership

Trevor Corrigan

Property can be one of the biggest challenges a Company Grade officer faces on a daily basis....

How to Speak Doctrinally Without Putting Soldiers to Sleep

Chad Plenge

When Platoon Leaders brief Operations Orders (OPORD), their briefing styles typically fall into one of three categories: a doctrinal style, a layman's style or a teaching style...

Read More?

Jeremy Boeh

How do I read more this year?" Many people you know have probably set a goal that encompasses this; maybe you even set a goal like this yourself. However, have …

Should I Change My Name?

Mandi Rollinson

Dual military couples face many decisions. Changing names in the military has many considerations, whether in the military or not.

Lessons Learned from NTC – From a Platoon Leader and a Staff Officer

Bobby Norwood and Joo Chung

What follows are some lessons learned from a Rifle Platoon Leader in an Infantry Battalion and an Assistant Operations Officer/Battle ‘Captain’ in a Cavalry Squadron.

My Year as a Cavalry Troop Commander

Paul Guzman

Troop-level command, for me as a prior service NCO, has been the professional highlight of my 14 year Army career. I just want to share a few simple lessons after …

Functional Designation Part 1: Choosing a New Career Path

CoCMD & PLT LDR

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into three U.S. Army Functional Areas from three separate officers who recently assessed into them. The respondents answer some very basic …

What Junior Officers Should Know About Evaluations

Charles Hood and George Gurrola

How do you, as a junior officer, ensure you get an MQ, not an HQ? The reality is there is no way to guarantee a particular block -- but there …

Overcoming the First Deployment Jitters

George Runkle

No officer worth their weight wants to admit it. Being anxious or afraid prior to your first deployment is something you aren't dealing with -- it is something someone else …

Dual Military: How to be Successful

Kate & Nate Conkey

‘If the Army wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one.' But is that actually true?

The Leadership Question You Aren’t Answering

Cale Queen

Army leadership at the company level is usually about the how, as in "How I accomplish the mission." We tear through Paragraph Three and focus on Tasks to Subordinate Units …

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