Reading over responses, the two themes that resonated with me and my time in a combined arms battalion were motivation and regulation. Soldiers do not want regulations to be hashed upon them to the point that they feel that they are liabilities. They should see regulations are present as benchmarks for success and opportunities to excel.

Junior…[Read more]

@vanezzaospina – Great work on filling in systems gaps in your shop. This work will go a LONG WAY towards stabilizing processes and creating predicability for folks. Keep in mind that with systems creation, it is a steep learning curve, but the outcome is worth it, every single time. So keep at (with this or other projects)!

BLUF: TCS orders…[Read more]

@chris_s , this is the second time I’ve stumbled upon you on the Forum here and not recognized you! Ha! Your road trip and partner-in-crime sound awesome! Happy listening.

I just saw your original post included ‘listening to news’. Recommend NYT “The Daily” for 20-30 min deep dives on a single topic, and then a 1 min recap on ‘here’s what else…[Read more]

@adam.szcypka – ahh, I think I understand now. So you’re using “it wins wars” as the can-opener to get people riled up and engaged in the topic. Yes?

I’m finding this a challenging topic, for sure. Hopefully that means you will get a great discussion out of the LPD! I admit that I’m not following your arguments very well. I’m guessing these are…[Read more]

@chris_s – Here’s my 2 cents. For me, leadership isn’t strictly the military aspects of the Army, but how we interact with people, why things are so, and applying lessons others (mil and civ) have learned in their own experiences. So, for me, it’s a very wide lens to try to pick up TTPs. That in mind, here’s my list of pods that I keep coming…[Read more]

Thank you for your great input.I’d like some trends you mentioned.

1- It sounds simple but to do well immediately taking the guidon, you have to adequately preparing and having a tentative plan. Some implied tasks are having administrative requirements complete, asking the outgoing commander for priorities / upcoming events, and asking the state…[Read more]

“Leadership must be positive.” I believe that LT McDonough was getting at the deeper truth when the going gets tough, the tough get going. As my grandmother used to say to me, “If you have nothing good to say, don’t say it.” When the village was destroyed, one could ask what was the purpose of it all? As the platoon leader, he did not ponder the…[Read more]

I believe if LT McDonough had gone to beach, he could have prevented disaster. His decision was logical and could have benefited Soldiers’ hygiene. As LT McDonough recounts his duty as pay officer where a jeep is flipped and its four occupants drowned, Vietnam was a very dangerous place. I am not surprised by the lack of consequences for his…[Read more]

While LT McDonough expresses his quote in Chapter 16 in regards to threatening a farmer, I believe the more remarkable case study within the chapter is of the platoon using the buddhist sanctuary as a kill zone. Tactically, LT McDonough understood that the Temple’s light system acted as key terrain. Whoever controlled the signaling within the…[Read more]

@chris_s – have you listened to our very own Leaders Huddle?

Leaders Huddle is on iTunes and also on the Google Play podcast platform.

I’ll second that about iPERMS! Brock, I’d say it’s a great Army practice, regardless of COMPO. Between boards and continuty of service and, eventually, records compilaiton for future generations, I’d suggest records of the like are very important to file as soon as you can. It’s always easier to do a little bit of work at a time instead of doing…[Read more]

This is a fascinating idea, good question! In short, I would say that officers have the role of “planners” and enlisted have the role of “doers”. Now disclaimer – that is a gross oversimplification (even if stereotypes are mental shortcuts) and very watered down. It’s kind of a rephrasing of @spatelis – if you’re constantly trying to plan into the…[Read more]

@bmcgarry,
Very good point about the 1059s. As a former BN S1, I always told the unit’s to PERM the doc as soon as the SM gets back, but then that is also an ARNG thing.

Late to the fight, here. #lostRanger

For those who can’t attend (I went twice… long story… always worth it), find the person who organizes the course, or a battle buddy who previously attended and get a DVD or the shareportal link with the resources provided at your installation’s CFSPCC. Dump all that golden wisdom in a folder on your…[Read more]

AHRGH! This post is TOO awesome. I don’t know where to start!

#dat1st90days

Nailed it with question #2. Quick wins, quick wins, quick wins. Ask your predecessor, “if you stayed the Commander/Platoon Leader for another 3-months what would you make your top-5 priorities?” “What are the things you had hoped to accomplish while you were in-charge…[Read more]