REFLECT
Lessons Learned from a Company XO in EUCOM
by Chard Phebe Being an Executive Officer (XO) as a First Lieutenant (1LT) has been described as “unglamorous” and “thankless.” I knew that entering the role back in August 2021, when previous Battalion Commander encouraged me to take the position....
Maintenance Tips from the Field for Junior Leaders
By Victor Littleton The best professionals in any given field have a deep understanding of their profession, and they use that to mentor and lead the next generation of professionals. The best doctors seek out teaching positions and help create...
Strengthening the Ranks: Strategies for Improving Retention
by Jakob Hutter Amidst the backdrop of the United States flag, rows of uniformed soldiers stand at attention. The commanding officer addresses the formation as today is an opportunity filled with a time-honored tradition of reaffirmation, loyalty,...
The XO and S3 Relationship is a Force Multiplier
By Dave Leydet and Ryan Stephenson The transition from company grade to field grade leadership is met with numerous maxims, such as “moving from direct to organizational leadership,” “Iron Majors run the organization,” and “relationships matter.”...
It’s Not About the Money: Retaining Through Inspiring
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash by Terron Wharton It is no secret the Army is having recruiting and retention challenges. The Army’s primary response has been a tried and true one: money. Big bonuses to sign up and re-up are proven methods that have...
Quit Turning the Bubbles Green
Photo: Army Times, “Report: Army officers admit to (and defend) their lying” by Jim Jimenez and Chris Slininger Every leadership book we’ve ever read would agree: lying is not a hallmark of a good leader. Yet in the Army we lie...
Negative Capability: The One Skill Military Leaders Need
Photo Courtesy of Lucasfilm By Joe Byerly In the early 1970s, a young George Lucas had an idea to create a movie the likes of which no one had seen (or experienced) before. It would be a mix of science fiction and mythology. But there were...
Rise to the Level of Creativity: Assessments from Large-Scale Combat Operations
by Daniel R. DeNeve, Kevin J. Quigley, & Larry Kay Army units at every echelon struggle to meet mission and training requirements due to lack of creativity, critical thought, and disciplined initiative. While repetition and trauma facilitate...
The Man in the Stands
By Joe Byerly It’s the critic who counts; the man who points out when we stumble, or where we could have done better. It’s the one in the stands, who’s well above the dusty floor with a beer in one hand and a warm hot dog in the other, not having...
AI for the Win: Four Game-Changing Resources for Your Organization
by Joshua Caballero The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. -Alvin Toffler Innovation is no longer a choice but a necessity in today’s constantly...
Recognizing Great Leaders in Our Lives
By Steven Arango Leaders are abundant; good leaders are scarce; great leaders are even rarer. There are countless works dedicated to the study of leadership, providing examples of some of the greatest leaders in history, contrasted with some of...
Why Military Leaders Need to Think Like a Roman Emperor
By Joe Byerly One of my favorite books from the past couple of years is How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. My copy is marked up, tabbed out, and I’ve referenced it a lot. It helped me through my reintegration after my recent deployment to...
More Leaders Need to Get Punched in the Face
By Michael S. Burke “Kick his ass!” was one of the multiple jeers I heard through the litany of booing as I stepped on the mat at Dragoon Fight Night, the 2d Cavalry Regiment’s combative showcase. A few weeks prior, I had posted a video on...
The Army Coaching Program: Why I Opted in and You Should Too
By Cassie Crosby After participating in the Army’s Battalion Commander Assessment Program (BCAP) in January 2020, I received a mass email to all BCAP participants from Major General Joseph P. McGee, the Director of the Army’s Talent Management Task...
How President Eisenhower Made Decisions
I recently finished How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions by Susan Eisenhower. The book examines who Eisenhower was as a person and a leader through the decisions he made beginning with his time as Supreme Allied...
Own Your Development
By Joe Byerly There’s a great fictional scene from Steven Pressfield’s Virtues of War. A young Alexander III of Macedon (“The Great” would be added much later) arrives at the royal riding school and observes another boy riding a horse. He stands in...
4 keys to Achieving your Goals from People who Made History
By Joe Byerly (first appeared at We Are the Mighty) Every single one of us has potential, but sometimes we suck at life. Have you ever set a goal for yourself and an hour later talked yourself out of it? Or, tried to break a bad habit and fell back...
Major Smith Goes to Washington: Your Guide to Moving to the NCR
By Casey Dean and Aaron Childers Your Exception to Policy is in hand, your packers are scheduled, and your family is ready to move. COVID-19 delayed PCS season a bit, but it’s still coming. As a field grade officer or senior NCO, you may have the...
What is a Fort but the Soldiers? Steps to surviving and thriving as an Army Garrison Commander
By COL Scott Halter William Shakespeare wrote in Coriolanus, “What is a city but the people?” In the same vein, what is a Fort but the Soldiers? “We are the Army’s Home,” the tagline for the Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM),...
What I learned in ROTC: Important Advice for New Lieutenants
By: LTC Joshua Trimble The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) commissions the majority of officers each year (nearly five thousand) into the Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserves. More brand-new platoon leaders, fresh to the Army,...
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Lessons Learned on Maintenance and Supply from Pegasus 6
By MG Jeffery Broadwater, COL Kevin Capra, and MAJ Allen Trujillo Managing property and maintaining equipment is challenging, especially when you’re in an Armored Division with a high operations tempo (OPTEMPO). The impacts of COVID-19 on 1st...
What is a Tiger Team and Why is the Opportunity Valuable?
By Brian Thorson and Zachary Rozar When first approached about participating on a tiger team, we were unsure if our boss was trying to be funny and make a Tiger King joke at our expense or if we were being given another task. With the benefit of...
Committing to Gender Integration: Get Rid of the Female Tent
By Captain Ashley Barber Over the past decade, the U.S. Army has taken steps to fully integrate women into all positions in its formations. Last month, the Army announced female infantry and armor Soldiers will integrate into the last nine...
How to Quit Fighting with Your Higher HQ
By: Michael S. Burke “What is headquarters thinking? Don’t they know we have training calendars and are short personnel? When I’m at that level I will make sure this doesn’t happen!” At some point in your Army career, the headquarters blame game...
How to Build an SFAB: Lessons Learned from the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade
By Gerard Spinney Maneuver Advisor Teams (MATs) from the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) are creating their own legacy. As one of the first U.S. Army units purposefully built for advising, our MAT helped prove the advisor force...
Organizing for Chaos: COVID, Complexity, and Command
By Larry Kay The COVID19 pandemic remains a powerfully instructive lesson in understanding “complex problems,” devising practical solutions. At this time, a vaccine for COVID19 remains elusive, and many experts anticipate, like the flu, seasonal...
Addressing Modern Cavalry Capability Gaps and Risks
By Josh Suthoff As military planning, prioritization, and resources comes back to Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) there must be a professional discussion on modern cavalry operations and capability gaps. The US Cavalry needs light weight,...
So You Need a Leader Professional Development Program?
By Thang Tran Change of command season is approaching and commanders at every echelon across the force will implement leader professional development (LPD) programs meant to develop leaders and subordinates. Several articles highlight the...
What is a Fort but the Soldiers? Steps to surviving and thriving as an Army Garrison Commander
By COL Scott Halter William Shakespeare wrote in Coriolanus, “What is a city but the people?” In the same vein, what is a Fort but the Soldiers? “We are the Army’s Home,” the tagline for the Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM),...
Let Them Walk on the Grass: The Role of Senior NCOs
By CSM Michael S. Burke At the qualification range, a group of Soldiers congregate during the lunch break. Unexpectedly, a Sergeant Major descends upon them In his growling voice he barks about their uniform deficiencies and how the range is not...
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