Articles
What Life (and Books) Taught Me in 2024
By Joe Byerly Since 2017, I’ve been compiling an annual reading list of the books I’ve finished each year. As the year winds down, I take time to reflect on what I’ve learned. For me, reading isn’t about getting smarter—it’s about living better....
Turning Army Values into Habits
by Katie M. Smith, LMSW The American people trust the Army not only to fight and win the Nation’s wars, but to do so with integrity and honor. Combat is demanding–physically, mentally, and morally. With lives on the line, Soldiers must make...
The Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Special Operations Command Recommends these 5 books for your Christmas Stocking
By Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann I am busy. But every day, I make time to read. For me, my dedicated time is early morning before anything else competes for my attention. I also read on flights and on lazy weekends. Most nights, you...
Ep. 132 Rich McGuinnes- More Than a Game: Lessons on Character and Legacy
Send us a text The FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!Joe sits down with Rich McGuinness, the visionary founder of the U.S Army Bowl, to discuss how football is more than just a game—it’s a...
Doubtful Certitude
By Jerry E. Landrum I detest those “stupid people” bumper stickers. You probably have seen them before. A cursory internet browse reveals some uninspiring examples: “Stupid people suck!” “I hate...
Parental Leave: A Critical Investment for Families
by Jakob Hutter Balancing the demands of military service with raising a family has always been challenging, especially in a country where paid parental leave isn’t guaranteed nationwide. The United States is the only high-income nation that does...
Was Battalion Command Worth It?
By: Joe Byerly These days, I’m often asked two questions: First, was it worth staying in uniform for 20 years? And second, am I glad I chose battalion command, even when I could have taken an easier job to focus on retirement? In sharing my...
Strength in Solitude: My Journey From Latchkey Kid to Introverted Leader
By Albert D. Keever Jr. Leadership is often associated with bold, charismatic individuals who can electrify a room with their words or galvanize a team with their commanding presence. These figures typically seem larger than life, embodying...
What Are My Options? How to Speak Commander
By LTC Terron Wharton Five years ago, as a battalion S3, I watched a frustrated company commander struggle to brief my battalion commander. Unfortunately, this had become a trend for this particular company commander. Later that day, I brought him...
Ep 131: J. Furman Daniel III- Blood, Mud, and Oil Paint
Send us a text The FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!Joe Byerly sits down with Furman Daniel, author of Blood, Mud, and Oil Paint: The Remarkable Year That Made Winston Churchill. Together, they...
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Improve Your Reporting in Five Simple Steps
by Jacob Loftice Reporting drives military operations. It consists of developing and providing various information that guide leaders’ understanding of their formations’ capabilities, priorities, and assessed risk. Despite how common and important...
Welded Into a Fine Unit of Teamwork: The Role of Recreational Sports
By Shayne Harrell In December of 1946, my grandfather, Private First Class Peyton E. Harrell, received a letter of appreciation from Colonel Percy E. LeStourgeon, commander of the 349th Infantry Regiment. The letter recounts the outcome of the 88th...
Rowing Well, and Living Better: Leader Influence on Officer Retention
by M. Caleb Bloom The first time I heard the phrase, “Row well, and live,” I did not know what it meant. I was a First Lieutenant on a Battalion-level staff after finishing my time as a Platoon Leader. The Battalion was only a few months into a...
Security Force Assistance Brigades: In Competition, Crisis, and Conflict
by Brian M. Ducote, Jim Gallagher, and Jason Elmore The thought of U.S. Army advisors often conjures images of an American Soldier in a foreign land, standing side by side with an inexperienced recruit. The advisor demonstrates the finer points of...
Train Small to Win Big: Rethinking Our Training Plan for Lethality
By Jake Murphy It is all too easy to forget that higher echelons exist to set the conditions for small units, in both tactical and garrison environments. To combat this, it is critical to trust subordinate leaders to effectively lead their...
Operationalizing and Prioritizing Leader Development Programs
By Derek Prario Particularly in the time of preparation, modernization, and ‘culture reset’ that we find ourselves in, an effective military leader must develop others for future battles. The mandate to ‘develop leaders’ is essential and commonly...
The Army’s Purpose is NOT to “Deploy, Fight, and Win Our Nation’s Wars”
By Ben Ordiway I hope our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be. –Thomas Jefferson What is the Army’s purpose? The answer depends on where you look. Doctrine enthusiasts will point...
Good Leaders Ask Better Questions
by Ryan Cornell-d’Echert “Once you have learned how to ask questions – relevant and appropriate and substantial questions – you have learned how to learn, and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know.” -Neil Postman and...
Mission and Motherhood: Tools for Leading Pregnant and Postpartum Soldiers
By Katie Walter I was terrified when I discovered I was pregnant as a young Second Lieutenant in the Armor branch. Among the other stressors of pregnancy and raising a child, I was nervous my Squadron’s leaders might view me negatively for being...
What Junior Leaders Need to Understand About Their Field Grade Boss
By Quentin O’Neal Major Dave Leydet and Major Ryan Stephenson recently penned a phenomenal article detailing the importance of the relationship between a unit’s Executive Officer (XO) and its Operations Officer (S3). It also expounds upon those two...
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