I wish I had gotten more education / exposure to working with both NCOs and junior Enlisted. Looking back, it is something that is really best understood through experience, but I think I only was introduced to a few NCOs my whole time at West Point (and their job was to be in charge of me, less working with me). A really helpful experience that…[Read more]

I am getting ready to do my first annual training event with a brand new unit. 25% of my unit is in a REP-63 status, guardsmen who have enlisted but not attended basic and AIT yet. While they are in 63 status they drill with another unit designed to get them ready and keep them ready, I won’t see them for two years in some cases. Why is this…[Read more]

I had a young troop who was being less than stellar. His NCOs tried to handle it but he was unreceptive. So they brought it to me.

I took a different approach. Rather than the usual, fire and brimstone approach which had failed, I looked at the young man and told him this. You have all the power right now. I am not going to go out of my…[Read more]

My questions:

What is the reporting mechanism for standards met? Does DTMS become the system of record? As viewed at which echelon for review? Does the DTMS reported training readiness then influence the patch chart? resourcing/manning guidance?

Which Army units are the test bed for OBJ-T and what are some of the best practices coming from that…[Read more]

Tools. Tools. Tools. (and a story)

At one point, I had six FRGs simultaneously. They were kick@$$. The spouses did events. They were self-sufficient and even, when needed, self-policing. With the support of a FRSA all the admin was seamless and easy…

Then, I had one FRG, it was a struggle. Participation was low. There were really weird admin…[Read more]

Can you turn the “P” in LPD into “Personal” and do the dog-tag exercise, or perhaps the Great Teams exercise?  This would help with team building and personal connections.  Just a thought.

You may or may not be aware, but the Army has published TC 4-11.46 Sustainment Unit Gunnery and Live Fire Exercise Strategy. This a relatively new TC (DEC 2016). Chapter 7 goes through crew evaluations. I hope this helps.

Logisticus, what do you wish you had learned? If you could reach out and ask for help what would it be?

to beat deadhorse – communication is glue.

training and certification shouldn’t be two different things but sometimes are by virtue of many factors. I favor training, that builds muscle-memory, confidence, competence, familiarity. I commanded in a time when there was no time to train. This realized, its improving, tools being given to JOs.

I say…[Read more]