We never had an “SOP,” but I used common sense factor TTPs as well previous military experience, to decide on how to develop them further.

Year 1/2 SMPs with no/little military experience; I would attach them to a team leader and then squad leader. Let them learn the ropes at the team and squad levels and see down and dirty, tactical level…[Read more]

Whew!! ~10 miles on a the bike w/ resistance, ~4 mile row, or 3/4 mile swim. Yeeehaw! That’s kicking it for 25 mins (or less).

@copp – agreed, it’s such a great series! Do you have a favorite episode or scene?

These are great, Tiara! I’ve heard these so many times I had forgotten they were all Colin Powell. Which one resonates with you?

Where can you personally learn in your organization right now?

My “organization” looks a bit different right now since I am in graduate studies. What’s been a great learning experience for me has been encountering many of my peers who are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.  I had not encountered many diverse gender identities or sexual expressions in…[Read more]

I come at motivating my subordinates from a side angle – I forbid then from using the word “just”. “I’m just a LT #pull the LT card”, “I’m just a SPC #ShameShield”.   Frequently when in a position of Staff OIC (and I’d say as officers in general), we’re the newbies in the room.  The NCOS and Soldiers have been there sometimes years ahead of us.  …[Read more]

Should you want to be “missed” from your organization after you leave?  Why or why not?

BLUF:  I’d like to be missed on both the personal and professional side, but I don’t want to be missed functionally.

Everybody wants to be liked, appreciated, and missed when they aren’t there (right?).  On the personal side, I’m no different.  I’d lik…[Read more]

From what I’ve seen (in the ARNG at least), LTs and CPTs don’t know enough about the bigger picture. The “why” behind the things they are required to do at the company level. Why things are formatted the way they are; done the way they are; where they need to go to find information, etc. I’ve seen officers fail miserably when they go from PL to XO…[Read more]

Also,  Arianna, think about packing beyond the official unit packing list. Look at what is either very very generalized (‘hygiene kit’… “you know what you need, Soldier”) or not listed / implied (weather- / season-based gear).

To speak directly of the hygiene kit for a moment, female Soldiers need to be prepared with 1-2 months of menstrual…[Read more]

@arianna_howard : a small skill (implied most times), but a very important one, is radio etiquette.  It increases efficiency and clarity of comms, and (especially for both OC’s who don’t know you and the CC/1SG and fellow BN staff who is getting to know working with you) shows you know how to navigate the conversations. Quite simply, it shows y…[Read more]