I started this blog in 2013 as a captain in the US Army. It was a hobby and a way for me to think through topics that interested me. I never imagined that I would still get the opportunity to share ideas here as a lieutenant colonel seven years later.
As I look back on 370 posts we’ve published, it occurred to me that it is no longer MY blog- it belongs to the Profession of Arms. The majority of the posts on the site aren’t mine, they are yours. We’ve posted lessons from cadets, NCOs, junior officers, and general officers. And what’s even cooler is that several of the articles are from outside the US; they are from military leaders representing the UK, Australia, Belgium, Germany, and France.
And this site is definitely a team sport! I get to work with a talented team of volunteers who keep the site running. They are fathers, husbands, mothers, wives, and full-time military officers. They edit, publish, tweet, and share the posts in their extremely limited free time.
So, we hope FTGN has been helpful to you and you’ve learned as much reading it as we have working behind the scenes.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few additional efforts that we’ve launched and one that is coming soon. Make sure you click on the links to sign up.
The Monthly Reading List Email
Towards the end of each month I send out a newsletter with a list of 3-5 books that I’m reading. The email includes brief descriptions of the books and why I’m recommending them. This practice has forced me to read a wider variety of books so that I can keep it interesting. My favorite part of the newsletter is what happens after we send it. Each month, we select people at random and send them free copies of the books from the list. It’s our way of spreading a practice we are passionate about. This year, we’ve mailed out over 30 copies of books since January.
The Sunday Email
Call it a weird quirk, but I’m always interested in what people highlight and mark-up in their books. So, we created a separate mailing list where each Sunday I will share a passage or quote from a book and some insights gained from that quote. Every email will be about a one minute read -very short!
What’s cool about this newsletter is that it will include highlights and insights from other members of the team, senior military leaders, and popular authors.
COMING SOON
In a month, we will release Season 1 of FTGN’s The Podcast. My buddy Jacob will be the host, and the show will be a mix of audio versions of some of our most popular posts and interviews with leaders from all walks of life. If you sign up for one or both of our newsletters we will make an announcement about the release of the podcast!
Thanks again for the tremendous support we’ve received over the years. We hope to continue to be a platform for sharing the ideas and lessons from ALL OF OUR green notebooks.
