by Andrew Milburn

Every year across all services, a number of commanding officers are relieved of their duties due to a “loss of trust and confidence” — that singularly cryptic and unhelpful phrase. I can’t help thinking that at least some of these officers might have been saved if their subordinates had learned the responsibility to lead up, as effectively as they have learned to lead down. The more senior an officer gets in rank, and the closer he comes to the nexus between policy and strategy, the weightier that responsibility becomes. 

Many, maybe most, of us who have served in uniform have found ourselves working for a poor leader.  And yet, our professional education offers little guidance to deal with the burden of toxic leadership by mitigating its effect upon subordinates and organization.

by Brennan Randel

Taking command of a company can oftentimes feel bittersweet. There is so much to be excited about, yet equally so much to be apprehensive about. Beyond the immense responsibility that elicits this range of emotions, there is the fundamental anxiety of company command: future success and career advancement is highly dependent on an officer’s success as a commander.

by Summer Lancette

It’s no secret that the Army has a long lasting foundation of standards and regulations. These regulations are in place to ensure Soldiers are physically in shape, but also ensure they are presentable as members of the armed forces. In the United States Army, one method by which these standards are upheld are physical fitness and body composition tests, but at what expense? 

Simply stated, the DoD’s tape test to measure service members body fat composition no longer reflects what we are demanding of our Soldiers’ bodies. 

by Thomas Krasnican

If the military wants to retain the trust and confidence of the American people, its leaders – from the most junior to the most senior – will have to do something that might feel a little bit uncomfortable.

If we want to uphold the civil-military norms that have allowed the United States to build a powerful, professional military while maintaining a healthy democracy, our leaders must start thinking, learning, and talking about politics.