Alan,

As a former troop commander I really appreciated reading your article. In our effort to regain proficiencies in security and reconnaissance tasks, we can’t ignore our ability to fight. I think your points about mastering actions on contact and battle drills are spot on. Hopefully as we continue to emphasize reconnaissance operations against…[Read more]

Alan,

As a former troop commander I really appreciated reading your article. In our effort to regain proficiencies in security and reconnaissance tasks, we can’t ignore our ability to fight. I think your points about mastering actions on contact and battle drills are spot on. Hopefully as we continue to emphasize reconnaissance operations against…[Read more]

Vanezza,

Ray and Brock both brought up excellent points. A fun/different way of approaching this question would be to ask your Senior Rater , using five single works, what qualities he/she expects of a junior officer. This is a unique way of asking about his/her expectations of you, IMHO. Good luck!

Micah

The biggest mistake I see people make with their PT is not teaching their Soldiers how to work out. One of the craziest things we do in the military is run PT programs for Soldiers with no education background in physical fitness, exercise science, or personal training. There is a reason musculoskeletal issues make up the biggest amount of…[Read more]

I love this story!! We plan, we train, we achieve! Isn’t that what our mission is all about? I love using fitness as a tool to watch growth happen across all facets- personally and professionally.

That’s so awesome to hear. I think there is a lot more personal responsibility that has to happen in the Guard. Kudos to you and your leadership for continously seeking out milestones to achieve together, on and off duty. We are better when we suffer together. Or when we exercise together- depending on how you want to look at that, haha!

I have started sharing this graphic with everyone I know, and I bring it up in meetings when I can. W.A.I.T.- Why am I Talking? It’s important to self reflect on what we want to say and why we want to say it. And usually, I can turn this into a point of humor because we all know that guy that talks to much and causes meetings to go waaaaayyy…[Read more]

I would argue that meetings at both levels exist to ensure units stays proactive, identify potential friction points, validate systems, and drive decision making. At the same time, we all have information requirements to our higher headquarters and meeting with subordinate units help facilitate that flow of data. Effective meetings encompass all…[Read more]

I would argue that meetings at both levels exist to ensure units stays proactive, identify potential friction points, and validate systems. At the same time, we all have information requirements to our higher headquarters and meeting with subordinate units help facilitate that flow of data. Effective meetings encompass all of the above.

At the…[Read more]

I would argue that meetings at both levels exist to ensure units stays proactive, identify potential friction points, and validate systems. At the same time, we all have information requirements to our higher headquarters and meeting with subordinate units help facilitate that flow of data. Effective meetings encompass all of the above.

At the…[Read more]

@vanezzaospina,

Absolutely great question. In addition to Ray’s advice, I would ask your SR what, in their eyes, is the difference between a Most Qualified versus a Highly Qualified officer.  What does that officer look like? Is it more additional duties? Is it taking part in MWR/community events? Is it mentoring peers and others?  Is it no…[Read more]

BLUF on briefing in general; “Be seen, be brief, be gone.”

I’m a staff guy currently, so when I put a meeting together the first thing I do is sit down and consider “is this meeting needed,” or can I deal with this one-on-one or via email? I’m a firm believer that 50-75% of the meetings we have aren’t required and are in fact a symptom of…[Read more]

BLUF on briefing in general; “Be seen, be brief, be gone.”

I’m a staff guy currently, so when I put a meeting together the first thing and sit down and consider “is this meeting needed,” or can I deal with this one on one or via email? I’m a firm believer that 50-75% of the meetings we have aren’t required and are in fact a symptom of something…[Read more]

@patrick-d-moore1, you bring up a great point about leaders modeling responsible on-line behavior. I couldn’t believe all the blatant and disrespectful posts made by some military leaders during the last election cycle. If we (leaders) are posting inappropriate or unprofessional content, how can we expect our Soldiers to act any differently? And I…[Read more]