Not a MEDO, but some general advice..

JRTC is meant to be a stressful exercise, but also a developmental one where you can make some mistakes without a real life on the line.  Be prepared and operate with the sense of urgency you’d have on a real deployment.  Ask A LOT of questions.

A few questions/ comments here…

(1) What are you trying to accomplish with your initial counseling?  Personally, my initial counseling have evolved over time.  My focus now is really to outline expectations in critical-areas, and how I envision the relationship structure.  With this approach there is really no need to wait.  The more you get…[Read more]

@tiarawalz – Congrats on getting selected for a PhD program.  I’m finishing up my dissertation this year and can say that while it is a huge commitment, it is also very rewarding.

If I could offer one piece of advise it would be to not worry about “losing touch”.  I shared this same fear, but thankfully had some great mentors that encouraged me t…[Read more]

Great post.  Two comments:

– One thing you might think of including is how do you operationalize self-development?  A lot of people “don’t have the time” to read… or so the excuse goes.  Recommending people carry a book around to read for even a few minute while waiting in line is very helpful.  There are also a ton of free apps (OverDrive is…[Read more]

There are a lot of “important” reports, but the UFCR really is one of them.  You get a quick snapshot of what is happening across your unit.  If you read between the lines, you can tell A LOT about your unit.  For example, is one particular group not taking leave?  Did something funky happen with a Soldiers pay and they got a $0 pay due?  Is some…[Read more]