by David J. Vowell
A few years ago, I worked in the operations center (S3) of the Air Traffic Control organization in the Aviation Center of Excellence in Fort Novosel, AL. This organization manages 21 air traffic control facilities at Fort Novosel and covers 32,000 square miles of airspace. My boss at the time had amassed a collection of notebooks from his entire career. I had asked him on more than one occasion why he kept them–he always said that he might need the information later. I didn’t understand his answer, however, because I never saw him use his notes. It didn’t seem to be an effective way to remember things. Now, years later, I finally understand. My notebooks have become as important to me as his were to him.
Every time I would in-process into a new unit, I visited the Company supply room to ask for the “standard green notebook.” Though I did not treasure my notebooks as I do now, I carried one with me because I never wanted to be the leader without one. Many of us have sat in a briefing and had the instructor or leader say, “If you’re not writing this down, you are wrong.” That statement is usually followed by nervous looks and the ominous tearing of paper as leaders shared notebooks and pens.
In every sensing session I attend, communication seems to be the number one issue for our units. As leaders, we understand the importance of obtaining the information, but many of us struggle to communicate that information to our Soldiers. I have found that serving as a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) offers a unique opportunity to provide information to people when they lack clear guidance.
For example, while I was a CSM, a civilian worker was making racist statements and threats to one of our Soldiers. As our Troop Commander informed me of this incident, I busted out my notebook and started taking notes. Anything involving sexual harassment or discrimination is important. I could not afford to miss any information. I included the date, the name of the Soldier, the location, and even the vulgar things that the civilian said. After that, the Troop Commander and I called our Brigade Equal Opportunity Representative and made a formal report to DPW, who fired the worker. At the time, I thought that was mission complete; but one month later, the incident came up again.
The Soldier who experienced the slurs came to me to report the incident again, believing his Troop Commander had not handled the issue. Even though the Commander had told the Soldier he reported it, the Soldier was adamant that the Commander had not told him the truth.
Taken aback, I immediately started flipping through my notebook. I read aloud every single thing that I had written down from the day of the Commander’s report: the date, the time, the location, and even the vulgar thing that had been said. After I read everything, I asked him if anything was missing, and he was extremely surprised that I knew any of that. Not only was I able to reassure the Soldier that the issue was resolved, but I also ensured him that his Commander cared about him and every other person in the organization–all because I wrote that information into my notebook. This experience reinforced how poor our communication to our Soldiers actually was. I learned that retaining facts was important, but also that I was equally responsible for sharing relevant information with my Soldiers.
Writing in my notebook has proven vital in other ways . When I went to the pre-command course, I took copious notes, jotting down things I was not even sure I would use. Sure enough, a month into my CSM position, and I ran into an issue with an evaluation that had been submitted with significant errors. I remembered that during the pre-command course, I had written down the number for the Evaluations Branch at Human Resources Command (HRC). They had given us their contact information, saying, “If you ever have any issues and need to recall an evaluation rapidly, call this number, e-mail me, or use teams.” After digging through my notebook, I found the entry. I sent an e-mail to the exact same person who gave the briefing. The next day, I received a reply that the evaluation had been recalled and we began fixing it.
My written notes have helped me more times than I can count.
There’s no need to write things that you will remember easily–write the things that might prove important in the future. Learn the difference between daily notes that keep the organization running smoothly, and notes that dictate critical information. I have at least six notebooks on the back of my desk that I have saved since 2020. Almost monthly, someone, from a young Soldier to Senior Officers, will ask me a question that requires me to go through my notebooks. If more of us write stuff down, rather than rely only on our memories, we’ll be more equipped to retain important information and communicate it to our soldiers. Then we’ll be moving in the right direction to increase lethality, readiness, and our personal effectiveness as leaders.
Command Sergeant Major Vowell has 23 years of service in the United States Army, specializing in Army Aviation and leadership. With extensive experiences across multiple types of units, he mentored Soldiers, managed complex missions, and prioritized resilience and adaptability in challenging environments across the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. A champion of Soldier development, he’s equally skilled at fostering growth at all levels and navigating uncertainty—whether on the battlefield or in a spirited game of chess with his kids. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
