My two cents: if you feel that you would benefit from having maneuver branch / tactical level experience as a way to gain an understanding to the audience that you will be supplying intelligence to later as an MI officer, then I would encourage you to branch detail so you can gain that experience. If being an infantry grunt doesn’t make your hair…[Read more]

Something else that you might find useful is perusing this Smartbook DA PAM 600-3. Select each branch, review emphasized qualities, jobs, timelines, etc.

https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/smartbook-da-pam-600-3

Generally speaking, 2 ways to do this:
1 – execute a branch detail upon commissioning. You’ll be in one branch as a LT, and then move into another branch basically in the same timeline you get promoted to CPT and go to CCC (around 5 year mark). If you want to try out Infantry or Armor for experience, but then dive into MI or AG for a longer…[Read more]

IMHO, something can be humorous, while maintaining professional and informational features. What did you have in mind?

Yes, this is the story I remember reading. I believe this articulates what it means to be a leader. If I may take it a step further I don’t pretend to be a great third generation leader. I do know that everything I did as a commander became a role model for my soldiers. If I didn’t make it a priority then my troops wouldn’t. I can’t expect them…[Read more]

This is what I view as some of the problem we as a profession have allowed to develop. NCOs are always leaders, if we are just allowing them to turn wrenches I have to ask if we as officers are not doing our jobs.

OPTEMPO is never an excuse to move move from the fundamentals of leadership at the NCO ranks. Without the time and expectation of…[Read more]

Training is everything and everything is training…  This was written on a wall in my basic training DFAC.  I’ve taken it on as a bit of a mantra in the years since.  So how did I as a commander handle it?

1.  Look at every training requirement you have deliberately.  What are the tasks, conditions and standards?  There are a lot of train…[Read more]

Training is everything and everything is training…  This was written on a wall in my basic training DFAC.  I’ve taken it on as a bit of a mantra in the years since.  So how did I as a commander handle it?

1.  Look at every training requirement you have deliberately.  What are the tasks, conditions and standards?  There are a lot of train…[Read more]

I took command of a brigade HHC that had similar issues.  The answer is surprisingly yet complicated to execute.  I brought every NCO in my formation into the room and had regular mentoring discussions.  First focus on the NCO identity, I began by having an NCO read the creed.  We then focused on what it meant to them.  While lavertym is righ…[Read more]

This was posted when I was a month out from PCS.  I’m quite sad that I’m seeing it over a month after my PCS.  I’ll have to dog-ear it for next time!

I’ve been using firefox for this site at work, because … well, Exploder tends to do that. For me, IE doesn’t load the page all the way, there aren’t any boarders, etc. Firefox has been significantly better and loads the interface all the way.

Apparently you can C+P after selecting the TEXT tab (in the text box that you write in to post). You can also write your notes out in WordPad/NotePad and should reduce issues. I see I’m not the only one who pre-writes out my posts!

Handwritten notes is a brilliant idea. My last BN commander wrote each of his staff members a quick note before our winter block leave, so about 6 months into his command. It was a few sentences, but I knew that multiplied times a few dozen people took him A LOT of time for him to handwrite each one. It was really just SO cool. After I got it,…[Read more]

I will preface that this is a very long response.Feel free to send me an email and I’d be willing to talk more over this if that would help.

The very short answer is that people are going to ‘routinely’ get weekend duty. I would expect to get 1-2 weekdays and 1 weekend monthly, depending on your population, mission, and exemptions

What follows i…[Read more]