Ray, I keep re-reading your comment because I can’t decide where to start, it’s so helpful!

To continue your thoughts on communicating, here’s a piece of advice / thought experiment from my pre-wedding marriage counseling. Mileage may vary, but it really helped me get my head around wedding vows. If someone in a relationship is withholding…[Read more]

Hi Chris!

I spent a few short stints at Fort Bliss our the past few years. I found life at Fort Bliss to be enjoyable. like many things in life, they are what you make of it. It’s warm, of course, but there’s plenty of things to do in the area. The food options in the area are top notch, there are a bunch of outdoor places to hike, explore and…[Read more]

Hi, Kate! Great question.  I can’t answer for Benning, but I think this will still give you a good general idea.

While not nearly as aggressive as Basic, yes, you will jump right in.  For AG school house, the first week is a urinalysis and APFT, along with ~1 day of intro briefs with chain of command, and the rest is baseline informal testing f…[Read more]

Loving the different take here, Steve! I agree, reflection on something like a deployment can feel like pressure to use buzzwords and.give a cookie cutter answer, or be brutally honest and judged for a different perspective.

Great question, George! Can’t wait to hear how others adapted to one of these first but ongoing challenges of command.

@george.l.gurrola – you’re so, so right about not only delivering “bad news” (whether it be training, taskings, or otherwise).   I had a HQ CC who did that, just always delivering the news of something that was late or hot, basically that I’d have to 180 at least a handful of folks.  It became a conditioned response after awhile. Anyway, after h…[Read more]

Does one mode make a difference over another?

Yes, I agree that person or in face is always best!  I usually like to have an face-to-face conversation and will follow-up with an email if the situation warrants it.  I caution to junior officers that you do not always want to deliver “bad news.” Remember, leaders are human beings too and they sho…[Read more]