Popular Content - The Center for Junior Officers

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PSG Initial Counseling
This case study is about counseling, expectations, and the Officer-NCO relationship. The video features a lieutenant describing his approach to conducting initial counseling with the four platoon sergeants he has worked with.
Property Accountability – Command Supply Discipline Program (CSDP) Overview
This case study is about property accountability and the Command Supply Discipline Program (CSDP). The video features a lieutenant sharing his experience as a platoon leader with property accountability.
Essential Platoon Leader Characteristics
This case study is about what essential characteristics are needed to be a good platoon leader. The video features a captain sharing his opinion on the two most important characteristics a good platoon leader must possess.
My Most Challenging Experience as a Platoon Leader
This case study is about designing hard, realistic training and learning from those experiences to improve the unit's performance. The video features a lieutenant sharing her most challenging training experience which occurred at NTC.
Dealing with a Suicide
This case study is about how to deal with, and move on from, a suicide within your unit with the intent of learning from this Soldier's experience to improve the unit's performance. The video features a drill sergeant sharing her story about a Soldier committing suicide in her platoon.

Planning/Running a Range
One of the most common missions new junior leaders struggle to perform effectively is the qualification range. A range is a significant allocation of resources – time, personnel, equipment – treat them accordingly. One of the best ways to shine as a leader is to run an excellent range.
Simple Things, Executed Well
Some knowledge from the past... revisited
Wanna Be a General’s Aide? Here’s How (and what you can learn if not selected)
Service as a general's aide can be a profound broadening experience that provides insight into how senior leadership run the Army. The assignment can be a "strong predictor of success" and help officers secure competitive assignments while increasing promotion opportunities. However, to be a successful aide and to realize the ...
Student to Lieutenant Series – Part 7: Reporting to your First Unit.
Our 7 part series on how to successfully transition from a student to a LT. Part 7 -- Phase 4: Reporting to your First Unit.
Functional Designation Part 1: Choosing a New Career Path
The purpose of this article is to provide insight into three U.S. Army Functional Areas from three separate officers who recently assessed into them. The respondents answer some very basic questions about their career choices. Their responses reflect their own opinions, experiences, and biases, and are not meant to be ...

LC — Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)
A PL and his platoon are conducting BDA as part of a QRF and they come upon two IED emplacers that have been engaged by friendly forces. The two emplacers are likely to expire due to their injuries; the PL must decide whether to initiate CASEVAC or not.
LC – Butting Heads
An infantry platoon leader is having challenges with his platoon sergeant (PSG). When he first takes charge of the platoon, the PSG is reluctant to cede full authority over the platoon's actions in contact.
LC — This Round’s on Me
When my platoon leader over the platoon net called me saying "hey FDO we're having some beverages over by my Humvee." I kind of picked up what he was putting down with that but then immediately my junior enlisted subordinates in my FDC section looked at me and said "hey ...
LC — Reporting Loyalty
The company XO discovers that the monthly sensitive items inventory has come up short a few months in a row, however, his commander signs off on the inventories and sends them up to battalion anyway. The XO needs to decide what to do.
LC — Friendly Fire
A Platoon Leader is leading his platoon during a company-level live-fire exercise. The rehearsals and day-training iterations go well, however, during the night iteration there's a cease fire called for a real-world emergency...one of his Soldiers has been shot.