REFLECT
The Walls We Build
By Joe Byerly About a year ago, I got into an argument with my wife that spiraled way beyond what we were actually talking about. It began with a question about where to go for breakfast, but escalated into a full-blown shouting match. She said one...
The Tone Range Fan: A Tool for Leaders at All Levels
By COL Ed Arntson and LTC Erik Miller “We must strive to become experts in the human dimension. Wars are fought on land, by humans, and we must always work to become better at how we interact with one another to build trust and cohesion.” – GEN...
What is Power?
By Joe Byerly Two Army officers stand across from each other. Both are in their mid-50s. One slightly older, but only by a few years. Both wear stars on their shoulders. Both have commanded thousands of troops—the elder, tens of thousands. The...
Representing the Uniform, Even When It’s Not On
By Noah Jager When we wake up in the morning and put on the uniform, sometimes freshly pressed or other times rumpled and grabbed from a rucksack, we are expected to uphold the standards that come with our service. With the American flag strapped...
My Commander Is Available 24/7: Is Yours?
By Mike Eads If military leadership is built on presence, experience, and decisiveness, then my commander is unmatched. He is always available—ready to provide guidance, review plans, refine decisions, and offer precise feedback at any hour of the...
Why ‘In the Meantime’ Is the Only Time
By Joe Byerly I’ve been thinking a lot about how we treat the present versus how we imagine the future We’re often too harsh on the present and too idealistic about the future. In the present, we don’t have enough time. We’re too busy. Too many...
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The [Re-iterated] Case for an Apolitical Military
by Brett Tinder We are not political pundits. Our service does not strip us of our rights to vote, but faithful adherence to American civil-military relations requires an ambivalence to political change. An apolitical military benefits the...
The Picture of Captain Dorian Gray
By Micah Ables There’s a portrait hidden in the closet of every company commander – one that bears every unspeakable thing they have to see, hear, and carry. To every young commander or first sergeant who’s seen more than any one person...
On Getting Humbled
By Joe Byerly The words escaped my mouth before my brain could catch up. I saw my commander lean back in his seat, eyes narrowing. His chair creaked like a spring under pressure—until it snapped forward. Then came the ass-chewing. My face...
What Three Hobbits Teach Us About Friendship, Virtue, and the Company We Keep
by Jay Carmody Since J.R.R. Tolkien first published The Lord of the Rings trilogy nearly 70 years ago, authors and fans have published a wealth of articles exploring Tolkien’s characters and universe. One topic worth revisiting for military leaders...
Is Your Superpower Actually Kryptonite?
By Mike Shekleton Many of us have seen a brand-new platoon leader, who is in peak physical condition, fall flat on their face during their first time leading platoon PT (physical training). Excited to lead and looking to impress their NCOs...
What Missing a Promotion Taught Me About Success
by Anthony Cannamela In early 2023, I was exactly where I wanted to be. My job was high-stakes, and it pushed my skills every day. When two four-star Admirals proposed an operation using what one described as the “crown jewel” of the U.S. Navy, my...
Find Your Power and Use it for Good: Why I Stayed for a Career
by Ryan Cornell-d’Echert “Are you getting what you want from what you do?” One of my colleagues asked that to his students and protégés; it’s a powerful question that has stuck with me. Because military service is an enormous commitment, it is...
It’s All Theory Until We Do It
By Joe Byerly We can have the best of plans. We can have the greatest of intentions. But until those plans and intentions collide with reality—it’s all just theory. Theories aren’t reality. They’re untested. They live in our minds—with plot lines...
Betting on Yourself
By Joe Byerly Before I had kids, I used to enjoy placing bets. I played blackjack at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas when I was stationed out on the west coast. I threw down friendly wagers on the game at Super Bowl parties. When I lived at Fort...
Don’t Let the Colors Touch
By Joe Byerly Wake upSlog down a cup of coffeeBrush teeth and shaveGranola barGrab my bagFlip the office light onEmailsPhysical trainingShowerMeetingsTrainingMore meetingsLast minute emergenciesEmergencies that shouldn’t be last minuteGrab my...
What’s the Cost of Greatness?
By Joe Byerly A dozen eggs costs about $3. A value meal at McDonald’s? Around $5. A Friday night movie ticket? $17. These prices are tangible. We know them before we walk into the store, pull into the drive-thru, or pick someone up for a night out....
How to Quit Climbing the Envy Ladder
By Joe Byerly One of the pitfalls of ambition, if we’re not careful, is that we start looking outward too much, always measuring our life against the lives of others. They have a nicer house. A cooler job. A better car. Even their vacations look...
Make the Best Decision for You: Why I Stayed in the Army
by Dave Leydet As I sat in my high school algebra class, the principal’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center,” he announced. I thought to myself, That’s odd; why are they telling us about a random...
Kids, COAs, and Career Crossroads: the Coordinated Chaos of being Dual-Military
By CPT Alex Weisser “Until I get too old or too ugly; Uncle Sam will tell me when to leave.” That’s what I tell people when they ask me how long I plan to stay in the Army. To an extent, my tongue-in-cheek saying is heartfelt. I enjoy Soldiering....
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...
Fight The Tank! A Practical Lesson in Army Leadership
by Marc E. “Dewey” Boberg, Ed.D. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Shortly after commissioning and attending the Armor Officer Basic...
Lessons from Large Scale Combat Operations, Part III
by Larry Kay, Josh Cosmos, Dan DeNeve, Nicole Courtney, Jeremy Mounticure Editor’s Note: In this final article of our three-part series, the authors will describe the staff’s attempt to create “decision space” for the commanding general, while also...
Lessons from Large Scale Combat Operations, Part II
by Larry Kay, Josh Cosmos, Dan DeNeve, Nicole Courtney, Jeremy Mounticure Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part article, stay tuned for the final part tomorrow. In the previous article, the authors discussed the importance of aligning...
Lessons from Large Scale Combat Operations Part I
by Larry Kay, Josh Cosmos, Dan DeNeve, Nicole Courtney, Jeremy Mounticure Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part article, stay tuned for the next two parts over the coming days. The division is the Army’s principal tactical...
Planning to Win the Tactical Level Fights: How Simple Operations Products Enable Synchronized Success
by Sean Leary Battalion and brigade staffs operate somewhere in between the company tactical level and the operational machines that are division headquarters. In this area, it is essential for commanders and their supporting staffs to be...
Commander’s Focus Areas for Large Scale Combat Operations
by Ronald Sprang Commanders are critical to an organization’s success. Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) stress a unit’s leaders, systems and processes, which require unremitting focus and leadership. Commanders must train their organizations to...
The Field Grade Leader and Domestic Operations: A Primer
by Rick Chersicla ...
The SFAB: A Lieutenants Experience
by Christopher Wilson Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article was published in the Spring 2022 issue of Infantry magazine and has been reproduced with permission. As I in-processed to the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade...
Faithful and True: Lessons Learned at Combined Resolve XVI
by Samuel “Joe” Nirenberg During the past nine months, I was fortunate to command 1-5 FA while it served as a part of the rotational ABCT in support of Atlantic Resolve. Up front, I will say that the Atlantic Resolve mission allows...
Silent Sacrifices, Powerful Impact: The Truth About Military Spouses
Albert D. Keever Jr. In the military, the term “dependent” usually refers to someone who relies on a service member for financial and medical support, such as a spouse or a child. It’s a label that, on the surface, appears...
Rev Up Readiness: How Auto Skills Centers Drive Military Excellence
by Mike Murray Being a service member in the United States military comes with a lot of little-known benefits. Most people are familiar with the big benefits, like healthcare, dental, access to commissaries and exchanges, and legal or financial...
Leading, Following, and Influencing in a NATO Headquarters
by Jared Nichols “Leading and following in NATO is an art, and it is as much political negotiation as it is military leadership.” – Unnamed NATO Officer In 2021, on very short notice, I began a three-year NATO assignment at Multinational Corps...
Was this preventable? A new perspective on accidents
By John Geracitano In the 1930s, a crane in a Philadelphia railyard dropped a steel track onto my grandfather’s leg, injuring it so badly it had to be amputated. Accidents happen, especially in dangerous occupations. But after reading Jessie...
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...
Lessons in Efficiency from a Literal Gatekeeper
David Greggs I recently visited a major amusement park with my daughter and received a lesson in efficiency while we waited in line for a ride on a hot day. The park was not very crowded, so we had the place to ourselves for the most part. We made...
Weaponize the Neurodivergent
by Dr. Katy Davis, Lt. Col. Erik Davis, and Lt. Col. Nick Frazier. While the US Army hit its recruiting goal for 2024, the target is much lower than previous years, and following a deficit of 25,000 recruits from the previous two years One...
Revitalizing Resilience Training to Prevent Army Suicides
by Major General Windsor S. Buzza Since 2009, the U.S. Army’s suicide rates among all soldiers have exceeded age-adjusted national norms by an average of 20%. In my current role as the Chief of Staff for U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), I have...
Cultivate Workplace Creativity With These 3 Methods
by Tommy Miller At the core of ever-changing warfare, human curiosity demands that we uncover new problem-solving approaches to create effective solutions. Just think about how much the Army and its warfighting tactics have changed from the...
CrowdStrike, COVID, and System Fragility: Takeaways for Today’s Leaders
By John Geracitano On July 18th, a software patch from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike tore through Microsoft operating systems, exposing the fragility of our technological networks. This incident didn’t just crash Windows computers; it required...
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