@adam.szczypka – all great points. I agree with @ae_rollinson that I think the point (I think) you are trying to make is that our officer/enlisted system is successful and contributes to winning wars,  I feel like some of the Soldiers might take the “Officers win wars” point the wrong way, as if diminishing the enlisted and warrant…[Read more]

Adam,

I think a good way to approach this problem is to list all of the tasks that are required to achieve X. Start breaking out the collective tasks and the individuals tasks, and have your group start assigning individuals to those tasks. As all those individuals are executing task Y, who is left to coordinate those efforts towards a broader…[Read more]

My Platoon Sergeant was the person I gave the power to pull me aside and give me the gut check on my performance, professional and private, and how that reflected on the platoon. These conversations served as the bedrock for our relationship. Even when he was mad about a decision or an issue, instead of ‘defending’ my choices – I always took out a…[Read more]

@mrice14,

I have put out some feelers in my peer group.  I’ve never served in a weapons platoon or even seen one (all SBCT and ABCT experience here). However, the Marine Corps has a Heavy Weapons Platoon and Heavy Weapons Companies in all of their Infantry formations. I will send you whatever I get back, shoot me your @mail.mil address. Ignore…[Read more]

@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]

Armorhoody,

Great points. I am hoping we can open the spectrum of how we look at deception and how it is employed. For your point about mechanized/armor formations and deception difficulties, I think we need to conversely look at the fact that the need to deceive is even greater for our mechanized forces. This re-iterates Chief of Staff Gen.…[Read more]

Personal relationship. I’ve had this adage thrown at me over 1,000 times.

“It’s not just about relationships, it’s all about relationships”.

Mandi,

There are a lot of great blogs and professional writing that are starting to point out the Army may be placing over-development preparing officers to Command, a small sliver of an officers career, while providing little leader development in the arena of the staff officer in which they will spend the majority of their time in. I hope you…[Read more]

Michael,

Grab ADP 5-0 (The Operations Process),  FM 3-0 (Operations) and ADP 4-0 (Sustainment) IOT understand the battalion planning process which will help you develop your questions. This will also help form the foundational underpinnings of where you need to place yourself into the staff planning process.

I also recommend you head over…[Read more]

Elliot,

I would not focus on attending Infantry Mortar Leader Course, as it trains you to run a fire direction center for a mortar unit. I went to an infantry unit as a rifle platoon leader and then later attended IMLC prior to deploying as a mortar platoon leader. Most of the training or certifications I received at IMLC were not applicable…[Read more]

Kenny,

I always had my PSG watch my back on this one, I actively asked him to pull me aside during our deployment if he felt like I was crossing the line with the guys. Long story short, the PSG provided critical feedback to me in almost all areas of leader development. I would like to stress the importance of a trusted individual within your…[Read more]

Cadets,

First – know that the discussion about professional reading and its place in professional officer discussion is one that is still had at the captain level. However, professional reading is critical to your development. As an Army student at a Marine Corps school, I have seen that the USMC is leaps and bounds ahead of us in regards to…[Read more]