@logisticus – we had a maintenance CW4 in BOLC give us small group walkthroughs on ways the Soldiers would try to get over on us. I wish I’d taken more detailed notes, but I didn’t get the chance to use that as a 2LT as we didn’t really use vehicles (i.e. quick deploying unit, fell in on different model vehicles than we had in garrison, etc).

@logisticus

Thanks for the knowledge and great advice on talking how at the company level, pulling on a lever that wasn’t forecasted against in planning has unforeseen consequences along the entire supply chain.

@logisticus,

Maybe you can tell us a little bit more about logistics and deception. The Army relies on multiple forward, prepositioned supplies and staging areas such as Kuwait, Germany, and Korea to project combat power abroad (I don’t have the knowledge about any Army maritime prepositioning force (MPF) for the purpose of sustainment, feel…[Read more]

@logisticus Plain and simple I totally agree and think you are on to something. This is exactly what I did as a CPT and plan to do the same as a field grade.  Unfortunately, I don’t think our system, personnel and culture specifically, are set up that way. For one, branch managers and senior leaders are always pushing to “knock out” KD early.…[Read more]

Logisticus – thank you for the great input. You mentioned some golden nuggets in here that I forgot to mention that I wish I would have done prior to taking the guidon.

1. An organized property book, hand-receipts  etc are definitely critical. Do this to save yourself pain and time in the long run folks! I could have done better.

2. Company S…[Read more]

Like Patrick, I’ve seen the dark side of loyalty first hand. Officers who should be drummed out of the service, instead being promoted because they have the right friends (above 1 star…). The transgressions of a squad of SGMs overlooked simply because the CG didn’t want the organization as a whole to look bad. The SPC who falsified a report when…[Read more]

@logisticus Thanks for sharing. You raise a lot of great points.

To help current and upcoming leaders, I’d like to follow-up by asking:

1. How did you facilitate this discussion as a commander?

More specifically…

2.What was the venue and who were you communicating with?

3. Was this an all hands-on-deck type event or more targeted to leaders…[Read more]

Well, @logisticus, @celineoh, @adam.szczpka, @captaink2008, and all of the others who’ve taken the time to respond and or read this post, I’ve had the opportunity to try out my own personal actions on contact yet again.

Last night I received a cryptic message from one of my new Soldiers (I just inherited a detachment of 80, located 100+ miles…[Read more]

Things such as military bearing, decent APFT score and working well with others play into having a good OER.
The best advice that was ever given to me was from an O-6 who said “Don’t worry about it, if you’re doing the right thing your OER will write itself.” I live by it and it hasn’t failed me yet. I absolutely agree with @brock it is fair to as…[Read more]

Things such as military bearing, decent APFT score and working well with others play into having a good OER.
The best advice that was ever given to me was from an O-6 who said “Don’t worry about it, if you’re doing the right thing your OER will write itself.” I live by it and it hasn’t failed me yet. I absolutely agree with @brock.j.young it is fa…[Read more]

The fact you’re asking here and now already puts you ahead of your peers. To caveat off a couple of things @logisticus mentioned.

Standout by knowing and doing your job – doing it to standard, efficiently, and effectively. If you don’t know, ask. If you want to know a better way to do something, look for it. The NG is full of young officers who…[Read more]

The fact you’re asking here and now already puts you ahead of your peers. To caveat off a couple of things @logisticus mentioned.

Standout by knowing and doing your job – doing it to standard, efficiently, and effectively. If you don’t know, ask. If you want to know a better way to do something, look for it. The NG is full of young officers who…[Read more]

@asiegel12, I’ll second @brock.j.young on this one. As I approached BOLC graduation I had the same question in mind, and decided just to type a nice MFR type letter to my Battalion Commander (Senior Rater) thru my Company Commander as an introduction, using the AR 25-50 writing bible as my guide. Their response was, in short, that they certainly…[Read more]

As @logisticus said, be yourself.

I actually provided a similar answer to a similar question: https://juniorofficer.army.mil/discussion/relationships-with-enlisted-personnel/#post-928

Read books to get to understand more of the science of leadership, watch your leaders to assess their performance, and pay close attention to your own performance…[Read more]

All good advice. I would add that counseling someone with so much more experience seems a bit overwhelming, but good NCOs want to be counseled. @logisticus, @michael-brodka, and @brock.j.young gave great advice about forming the counseling as a discussion instead of a formal event. I would also recommend asking your PSG what they think your…[Read more]

All good advice. I would add that counseling someone with so much more experience seems a bit overwhelming, but good NCOs want to be counseled. @logisticus, @michael-brodka, and @brock.j.young gave great advice about forming the counseling as a discussion instead of a formal event. I would also recommend asking your PSG what they think your…[Read more]

This topic was actually the one that drove me to the forums originally. Though I was a PSG at one point, I was never counseled as one. So when I was about to take a platoon, I wanted to do it right.

Like @logisticus mentioned, I would come at it like a two way conversation. Not only should you lay out your expectations and specify any areas of sp…[Read more]