I think Management was my biggest gap as a junior Officer. As a senior CPT, we are expected to be proficient in our leadership style and how we manage teams. I think we could do a much better job to ensure that senior CPTs and junior field grades do feel more confident in their management style. I’ve been in the military over 8 years now and still…[Read more]

I have found that Soldiers and even myself are more appreciative of small gestures of appreciations.

I took to writing personal notes after I was wowed by a General officer doing the same for me. It was one of the first times I had Soldiers come up to me and personally tell me how much that gesture meant to them.

Pizza!  I’ve used food a lot o…[Read more]

As a junior officer in the National Guard, Mission Planning seemed to be the most difficult to be successful at with the limited time and resources I had available.  When I studied the choices, I realized that I had full-time staff to help with the others, but Mission Planning was something that I was left to my own devices to figure out.

I found that I understood the things I needed to do, I just couldn’t figure out an optimal battle rhythm in which to get them all accomplished.  My lack of knowledge on how to manage my time was a huge distractor for me.

Justin! As I logged into JO I was sending out my first appointment letter to one of my 2LTs. Talk about coincidence!

Resources. Your main resource will be your legal representative/JAG. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about procedures, processes, etc. Another great resource are other officers who’ve done this before. Things like here (JO), M…[Read more]

Eli,

Thanks for your post and thoughtful effort in shaping the next generation of military leaders!

A number one book pick from several bosses is “The Road to Character” by David Brooks- he filmed a great 5 min TED talk as a thought provoking prep.

For more military applications- John McCain’s book on “Why Courage Matters” offers many examples…[Read more]

Some of the best advice I can offer are the following:

1) Get an example of what the approving authority is looking for. Some BDE CDRs accept 4 achievements on an ARCOM written as simply as “Joe did X, X helped the unit Y amount.” Then again, some BN CDRs want full, multi-sentence write-ups in each achievement block to justify an AAM. Know what…[Read more]

Hello!  My best recommendation is to get the templates for each level of award from your higher headquarters so that you have a correct “shell” to work from.  Admin data is usually standardized by the S1/G1 and you can easily ensure that fonts, spacing, signature blocks, etc. are right to cut down on the correction cycle.  Many units also have sta…[Read more]

Hello!  My best recommendation is to get the templates for each level of award from your higher headquarters so that you have a correct “shell” to work from.  Admin data is usually standardized by the S1/G1 and you can easily ensure that fonts, spacing, signature blocks, etc. are correct to cut down on the correction cycle.  Many units also ha…[Read more]

What type of award and what the circumstances regarding that award? For example, an ARCOM for an E-7 for PCS would be an example. There are many different awards and requirements for each.

The more information I have the more I can help you with what you need.

~ Joe

Coins are awesome.

This is cool too though 🙂

Giving people something to invest in and be proud of is also valuable to camaraderie and mission success.

Jkramer0309- I would not underestimate your platoon meal celebrations or see them as a small gesture. That is HUGE for people. Bringing in lunch speaks volumes because you’re showing your Soldiers that you care about them. And food speaks to everyone’s hearts. You wouldn’t believe how many people stop me in the hospital and ask where I’m going…[Read more]

Sully,

I had to command an HHC as a 1LT for three months when I was an XO (my commander got fired), so I completely understand your worry about people out-ranking you. Do not worry about your rank, you are the commander. If you find staff officers and NCOs that are not being cooperative, let your BN XO know. She/he is your best friend in making…[Read more]

Me? Because I was once an Aide, I hate coins. I mean like, vehemently, HATE coins. However I understand their value as far as morale. Sometimes there just isn’t time or justification to write up an award or positive counseling. So what I did was come up with my own “ata-boy” type device, a velcro backed patch. Like a coin, it can be given right…[Read more]

Me? Because I was once an Aide, I hate coins. I mean like, vehemently, HATE coins. However I understand their value as far as morale. Sometimes there just isn’t time or justification to write up an award or positive counseling. So what I did was come up with my own “ata-boy” type device, a velcro backed patch. Like a coin, it can be given right…[Read more]

Nate,

To be honest, I try to prepare with everything we do. An important mentor of mine once said “everything is training,” so I look at it just like that. I stress every opportunity to learn to grow and to correlate what we (my unit) are doing to our war time mission. We are currently preparing to move out to Fort Lewis to train and assist…[Read more]

Nate,

To be honest, I try to prepare with everything we do. An important mentor of mine once said “everything is training,” so I look at it just like that. I stress every opportunity to learn to grow and to correlate what we (my unit) are doing to our war time mission. We are currently preparing to move out to Fort Lewis to train and assist…[Read more]

Nate,

To be honest, I try to prepare with everything we do. An important mentor of mine once said “everything is training,” so I look at it just like that. I stress every opportunity to learn to grow and to correlate what we (my unit) are doing to our war time mission. We are currently preparing to move out to Fort Lewis to train and assist…[Read more]