Category Archives: Case Study

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Athena Thriving II

A Unit Guide to Leading Pregnant and Postpartum Soldiers

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The United States Army has come a long way since the days of the Women’s Army Corps, an era when regulations mandated involuntary separation for pregnant women, while reporting them as having a “sickness; not in the line of duty.” While progress has been encouraging since World War II, we can continue to do better. Frustrating incidents of ignorance, stigmatization, discrimination, and substandard leadership and care of pregnant and postpartum soldiers still occur. These incidents occur despite the success and grit of numerous Army women who have sacrificed for our nation and excelled in their duties while carrying and raising children. 

Photo courtesy of Julie Edler Photography
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Athena Thriving

A Unit Guide to Combating Gender Discrimination in the Army

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A groundbreaking policy in 2016 opened every job, unit, and location in the Army to women. However, despite clear guidance from Army Senior Leadership, patterns of frustratingly pervasive sexism and gender discrimination remain within our ranks. A Government Accountability Office study earlier this year found that female soldiers, who make up 15% of the Army, are 28% more likely to leave service than their male counterparts. The similarly disproportionally high rates of sexual harassment and assault military women experience speak for themselves. The brutal murder of Specialist Vanessa Guillen earlier this spring at Fort Hood resulted in a flood of personal stories shared under the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen. This was a tipping point that reinforced the need for unit level leaders to drive significant cultural change for our Army to be more inclusive of women. It pushed us beyond ignoring longstanding problems of gender discrimination.

Our Army’s success depends on bringing talented soldiers together in teams built on competence, resilience, discipline, and trust; to ensure every soldier can say with confidence and pride, “This is My Squad.”-GEN James McConville, The 40th CSA, 14 October 2020

U.S. Army Spc. Tynina Williams applies face paint prior to mission during the U.S. Army Europe European Best Warrior Competition at U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, July 29, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Austin Riel)
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Oblique Victory

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt IV

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The opening years of the Second Punic War were disastrous for Rome. Hannibal rampaged undeterred throughout Italy, capturing cities and laying waste to every army that challenged him. It came to the point that the Romans brought a massive force to bear. This army, despite outnumbering him nearly 2:1, was annihilated near the small town of Cannae. The war, started to ensure Carthaginian supremacy, seemed to be nearing its conclusion. Rather than admitting defeat, Rome fought on for years. They eventually defeated Carthage and became the undisputed rulers of the Mediterranean world. How were they able to win a war against such an unstoppable opponent? They were never able to stop Hannibal in Italy, so what hope did they have of winning the war? 

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Heroes and Symbols

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt III

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David was between 16 and 20 years old. He was still very much a young man. The wilds of Palestine were not safe, leaving him to  defend his flock of sheep from lions, bears, and wolves with the very same sling he now readied. Moving forward, he gathered some stones from a nearby creek and considered his opponent. There was no wild animal here. A towering giant stood before him, his armor weighing almost as much as the young man himself. Closing the distance, David let loose his stone and struck Goliath down. As he cut his head off, Goliath’s Philistine army, previously so defiant, fled as they were cut down by David’s countrymen. How does the death of one man, and the triumph of another, have the power to move armies and determine battles?

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The Role of Leadership

The Nightingale Series

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What is leadership? It is the role of inspiring, helping and guiding people. It can be direct or indirect and its effect may be largely unknown and unseen by the leader as the true impact lies within the led. It is distinct from management in that it deals directly with people, not issues. The ability to combine both true quality leadership and intelligent effective management is a rare skill and should be nurtured and supported whenever it occurs.

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Adapt and Innovate

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt II

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With only 40,000 men, Alexander the Great invaded the kingdom of Persia. One after another, larger Persian armies fell before him.. Alexander’s army seized Anatolia, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Bactria, and even to the edge of India. As king of Macedon, he conquered the ancient world, campaigning outside of Greece for nearly 13 years. Prior to Alexander, Macedon was merely a backwater territory north of Greece. Warring neighbors to the south, and internal strife and raids, left them weak. All of this made their rise to power, ability to subdue and unite the Greek city states, and conquest of Persia all the more incredible. What changed in so short a time to fully upset the balance of power?

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More than One Weekend a Month

OC/T Opportunities for Reserve Component Leaders

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A rotation at one of the Army’s Combat Training Centers (CTCs) is an incredible development opportunity for Army leaders at the brigade combat team (BCT) level and below. For the three weeks from reception, staging, and onward integration (RSOI) through the rotation’s culmination upon the announcement of “change of mission,” every soldier in a rotational training unit (RTU) experiences tactical and logistical challenges. These experiences push the RTU  to the limits of human, mechanical, and systemic endurance and capacity. In the reserve component (RC), these invaluable opportunities are limited. Observer Coach/Trainer (OC/T) augmentee opportunities at the CTCs multiply development opportunities for RC leaders. Expanding these opportunities will broaden RC leaders’ doctrinal foundations while strengthening the RC and active components alike.

A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to Second Squadron, Third Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Wa., pulls security while breaching an objective during Decisive Action Rotation 20-05 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, March 18, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Khari Bridges, Operations Group, National Training Center.)
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Training in the time of COVID-19

A Line Platoon's Experience

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As I worked the last few days of my short stint as an assistant S3, I could hardly contain the enthusiasm for the plans I had envisioned for my platoon. On the training calendar were numerous Live Fire Exercises (LFX) and Field Training Exercises (FTX) lined up to support mentoring and development of the young soldiers in 1st Platoon, Assault Company, 1-8th Infantry Regiment, 3ABCT, 4ID. COVID-19 had other plans.

Members of 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, patrol in the woods during a day of training at the gas chamber on Fort Sill, Oklahoma, May 14, 2020. Soldiers were required to wear face coverings when not wearing their gas masks. (Sgt. Amanda Hunt/Army)
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Hannibal’s Failure

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt I

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With the thunder of elephants, Hannibal Barca descended out of the Italian Alps to wage his war on the Roman Republic early in the winter of 218 BC. Behind his elephants marched an army of African mercenaries, Spanish tribesmen, and Gaelic warriors. His assault caught the world off guard, as the Alps were seen as an impenetrable barrier, especially during the winter. The unexpected assault caught the Romans off-guard and would lead to a series of terrible Roman defeats. Yet Hannibal, who remain undefeated for the next 16 years, ultimately loses his war. The question at hand is “why?”

An 18th-century print of Hannibal’s forces in 210 BC. (Hulton)

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JMRC MASCAL Lessons Learned for LSCO

Exercise Saber Strike 2018

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During one of the annual Saber Strike rotations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), a medic team brought a soldier onto a trauma table in the Role 2 with his casualty card attached. The doctor took a look at the injuries listed on the card, examined the interventions in place, and studied the line of Soldiers waiting for treatment. Satisfied, the doctor shouted, “We can’t save him, send me someone else!”

A simulated casualty is prepared for evacuation during Saber Strike in Bemowo Piskie, Poland (photo by SPC Robert Douglass)