Just a quick read at that…why is this a “capable” instead of an “unsatisfactory”.  Requiring supervision/mentoring/coaching=capable.  Leader that shirks responsibility=unsat.

Yes, I’ve given 2 capable, and 1 unsatisfactory OER to LTs under my command.

I would talk to the senior rater on this one. Discuss the background, what counseling (…[Read more]

As much as I would like to believe that some of the sexier options like a cool new weapon, or a buzzword laden tome that supersedes a previously buzzword laden tome that describes the way we think we should fight today, much of my distraction, effort, and time as a commander was directed towards working distractions out of the way of my Soldiers,…[Read more]

A couple things I do/have done:

Visit posts at off hours to have time to just talk to my Soldiers, and do same with my attachments.

Buy ice cream and take it to posts (always bring enough for the local nationals, though!!!)

Develop competitions at the individual/team/squad/platoon level and purchase some unit and individual awards to go along…[Read more]

Brock, I tackle each of these based on who is offering the opinion.  Sometimes it’s a flat “you’re wrong, and here’s why”, sometimes a “thank you” where I just move on smartly, and at others I work to change the system (most often when it is someone in my rating chain offering the opinion).

I had a battalion commander recommend that I maneuver…[Read more]

Oh…where do I start?

So much will be covered with leveraging your AGRs, and standard command stuff like inventories and readiness, so I will give my opinions on what I believe helped me succeed:

Command.  Don’t let the full time force run things.  Stay involved.  Don’t buy a rubber signature stamp so they can sign things and not “bother yo…[Read more]

Answer to your final question: both.

Two thoughts: they volunteered and know the commitment, but we need to lessen the disruption in the name of readiness when we can. I’m in a period of 3 ATs in May/June in a row, all starting in or crossing over finals. When we sell the reserve and guard components, especially in a state like NJ where you have…[Read more]

Responsibilities would include informing all of DOD and local policies formally (even make it part of the onboarding process), and actively enforcing the policy as every other. Due to host nation sensitivities to posting, geotagging, and content, I would check common hashtags and pull the Soldier in when there were violations of the policy. Some…[Read more]

I just came out of the Simulation Operations Course at Belvoir. You want to talk about advocating for branch? We could all take a lesson from how close that community is and how they advocate for their branch (57A). From the chief through the proponent officer and assignment officer, everyone spoke not only of their love of the branch and it’s…[Read more]

I’ve got a JAG NCO in my state that publishes so much that it almost seems like spam with the LinkedIn article links…

I think we are seeing a sea change in NCO publication opportunity as we see upper level PME open to senior NCOs and the ease of publication mass market with Army University Press, LinkedIn, Task&Purpose, etc.

So how we…[Read more]

Hmm…advice on this one is tough. Opinion is easy, however.

My experience is that politics plays a huge part of what we see in the guard, however, I will temper that with generally the politics are “fair” when you know the dynamic. Example: 2 middle of the road LTs, all things being equal if one is AGR and the rater/senior is bumping up against…[Read more]