Team,

We talk a lot about the art of leadership, and less about the science. There are many good books covering the attributes of a good leader, but very few that describe the what you’re actually supposed to do, and how best to do it. This is especially true for staff officers, who are often just trying to get to the next KD as quickly as possible.

Attached is an excel document I have used for the last five years in various forms, serving as an Assistant Operations Officer at the Detachment, Battalion, and Brigade level, as well as during Company command. It does not use any macros or VBA programming, and includes an instruction tab that explains how it works.

It may seem like overkill in some places, but it has been key to my current assignment as the AS3 for 2BN, 1SFAB at Fort Benning, where the Operations Sergeant Major and I synchronize daily operations for 13 subordinate units, as well as the staff. I hope you find it as useful as I have. The document has been scrubbed of current information; send me an email from a .mil address and I’ll send you a copy of what it looks like right now.

Feel free to reach out with suggestions, questions on adapting this to your own needs, or if you have interest in an assignment to a Security Force Assistance Brigade.

DAVID C. MILLIKAN

CPT, IN

120 SFAB

david.c.millikan.mil@mail.mil