One of the most illuminating experiences I had about “stepping away” was an OPD in which we had the senior MI leader on post, discuss work-life balance.  I definitely invite other officers, when tasked to do execute an OPD, to invite a senior leader to come discuss “work-life balance.”

That being said, I have found that leaving work at work, fi…[Read more]

Firing an NCOIC is not a small task nor is it easy.  Before you go down this road consider the following:

1) Is the lack of performance because of a lack or motivation or ability?  Do they have the tools and not want to do the job or do they lack the tools?  Collectively we want to “motivate” people to do the job but usually fail to assess if we…[Read more]

I kept the details to a minimum on my post, nonetheless I was quite thorough on my counseling for expectation on NCOIC duties and responsibilities. It seems like this SM is motivated however over the past couple of weeks there has been tasks that have come down and have been turned in late or not done at all. We get 1SG coming in asking for…[Read more]

As a new BN s1, it has been hard living work “on time”. I’ve had days where my husband has called and said “why you still there”…I’ve had other days that I’ve forgotten to eat lunch…

I do try not to bring work home (literally) however, my mind does not stop…I think of what I did not finish for the day, what I still have to do the next day,…[Read more]

Rose – what a great post! I wholeheartedly agree with your comments about disciplined initiative and being a jack of all trades. As an MI LT, one is expected to provide timely intelligence and demonstrate competence in their primary duties. However, junior officers also get “selected” to execute other responsibilities. I was lucky enough to plan…[Read more]

Great topic!

@vanezzaospina is absolutely correct. Seek out your counseling if you haven’t received it. In my experience it’s rarely been more than a check the block, “here’s where I think you should go next” sit down, and opportunity for the higher CDR to poor upon you some of the highlights of their own careers. With that said, it gets you…[Read more]

@cplenge,

Precisely. All too often we forget that there are two careers and lives at stake in one of these situations. Thankfully I have not had to deal with a sexual assault under my command or when I was a PL (knock on wood…), however being an MP for over a decade I have seen a couple of them. Over the course of my career, there have been 8…[Read more]

I get VERY clinical with things like this and suicidal ideations. Have a process or a battle-drill beforehand, something, and then practice it. When you’re done, put it in a drawer, pull it out every couple of months and practice it some more.  You have to KNOW how to react when it happens, before it happens. Because when it happens a lot of…[Read more]

@cplenge
Well, let’s take a look at your points.
“Is it really a leader’s responsibility to teach others to drink responsibly?” Is it my responsibility as a leader to ensure an SFC knows how to be a platoon sergeant and act in a manner that meets my expectations? SHOULD we have to…? No, probably not. However do we find ourselves in positions w…[Read more]

Hi George!

I can only give a small input on regards to this from my experience (although not in command)…while working at the BDE, I made it a point to get into my DCOs (SR) calendar for my initial, after receiving a “verbal counseling, the DCO PCSed  within 3 months. When I tried getting a new SR counseling with the new DCO, my boss said not…[Read more]

How about commanders of ARNG HRF, CASE, or QRF units? Are there any tips you have for those commanders of those specialized stateside missions? @cpth, you’re a commander of a CASE element, any thoughts?

I’ll provide a slightly different perspective. As a cadet, I served in reserve units for three years prior to commissioning and entering active duty. While I can’t speak specifically on the transition like brock.j.young did, I can say some things are different.  Unfortunately, there is somewhat of a perception of reserve units. However, like most…[Read more]