Category Archives: Company Command

Posted on

Protect & Defend

#BranchSeries - Military Police

by

Back and forth, I paced the floor of my dorm room at Boston College. I was a senior and facing down branching. Finally, when the phone call came in, I was overwhelmed with joy. I was going to be a part of the greatest branch in the Army. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer. Then when September 11, 2001 happened, my dreams shifted towards something larger. I still loved law enforcement, but I wanted to serve in the military as well. What separates the Military Police from every other branch is that we serve those who chose to serve. We embody our motto, “Of the Troops, For the Troops”. Military Police enable other units’ commanders to conduct their missions. We preserve their fighting force and secure their installations or other critical areas.  

Posted on

Essayons!

#BranchSeries - Engineer

by

Why the Engineer Corps?

The U.S. Army Engineer Regimental motto is Essayons! It is French for, “Let us try”. This isn’t a sympathetic, half-hearted try. It’s a statement of confidence as almost if to say, where others failed, we will succeed. I wanted to be an Engineer because I wanted to succeed where others hadn’t yet. I wanted a diverse mission set that required me to be physically fit and mentally sharp. The Engineer Corps offered it all.

Posted on

First to Fire

#BranchSeries - Air Defense Artillery

by

Everyone that was of age in 2001 has their “9/11 Story”. Mine took place while attending the West Point Prep School, back when it was located on Fort Monmouth, NJ, just across the Hudson River from New York City. I wasn’t even an actual cadet yet, but a “cadet candidate” as we were called as prep students. “Cadet” was a title reserved for actual West Point students. I was just 18 years old with a brand new cell phone; a Sprint flip-phone that was state of the art! If only then I knew the kind of technology and mission I would have years later as a leader in the Army’s Air Defense Artillery Branch.

Posted on

The Best Job I Ever Had

#BranchSeries - Armor

by

I knew from the moment that I joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) that I wanted to branch Armor. I can vividly remember the branch counseling session with my Professor of Military Science (PMS). He counseled the assessing cadets on filling out the branch and duty station preference sheets. He asked me for my first choice and I told him Armor, without hesitation. I was competitive across the branches and my PMS encouraged me to consider all options, including Aviation. He was trying to ensure I thought through all my options, but I was undeterred. In my mind, as a young and brash 22-year-old Cadet, my mentality was set. There was no other choice but Armor Branch.

Posted on

Introducing #BranchSeries

A Partnered Series with Colonel Eric Lopez

by

In the Fall of 2017, a former Battalion Commander and current mentor of mine connected me with Colonel Eric Lopez. Col. Lopez, a War College Student and a future Brigade Commander, launched a leadership initiative through YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Titled Lopez on Leadership, his movement connects leaders of all ranks to the type of mentorship and coaching available through senior leaders in the Army. Thanks to our mutual friend, our connection led us to take on this project we are calling #BranchSeries.

Posted on

Humility and Shared Understanding

A Division Commander's Take on Leadership

by

Leaders, at every echelon and in every organization, are in the business of creating and communicating shared understanding. I was recently afforded the opportunity to sit down with Maj. Gen. Bill Burleson, the Division Commander of 7th Infantry Division, for a dialogue on leadership and its scope and scalability to the tactical level of war. By the very nature of it being a closely held personal virtue of his, he would not openly describe himself this way – but I will. Maj. Gen. Burleson is perhaps one of the most humble leaders I have met in my career. It was clear that humility and the philosophy of Mission Command are deeply rooted in his leadership style. Below are his thoughts on leadership, Mission Command (MC), and self-development.

Posted on

Show Me Where You Are Ranger

A Guide to your Map Board

by

About 10 years ago there was a joke video circulating with the song “Whatcha Gonna Do PL?”. It made light of the stress simulated at U.S. Army Ranger School, including the stress that comes from being tired, hungry, and worst of all – lost. We laugh at this now, but being lost is no laughing matter – especially when in combat. In the “light” community, where you are traveling walking distances in a single movement, folding up your map and putting it in your cargo pocket is a tenable option. But, what if you are moving operational distances from 30 to 60 kilometers in a single movement? A folded up map won’t cut it. Here is your guide to making a map board that will aid you in mounted movements (Stryker, Bradley, MATV, MAXPRO, HMMWV, Abrams, etc.).

Posted on

It Can Be Done

Lessons from an HHC TOC Defense Live Fire

by

As the company commander of a Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC), I was given a tremendous opportunity to conduct a company live fire (LFX) for the first time in the unit’s memorable history. The company had minimal experience in the tactical arena. We struggled with the little things like qualifying on our machine guns and carrying our weapons at the low ready. Leading up to the LFX, we focused on building soldier familiarity with basic skills and the ability to operate tactically in a deployed environment. We knew the experience of conducting a live fire exercise would be beneficial, but we didn’t realize how much we would learn from the process.

The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker – an HHC LFX is rarely “sexy”. It is hard to plan and even more difficult to pack into an already full training schedule focused on preparing lethal squads and platoons. But…it can be done!
Posted on

Your OPORD Briefing Board

New Product to The Rucksack

by

Use Mission Orders – a tenant of Mission Command that we exercise almost daily. But, in garrison, we have become overly reliant on Microsoft Office to present our Operations Orders. The Maneuver Captains Career Course (MCCC) and the ARSOF CCC thrust you back into the analog world for developing and briefing your tactical orders. For those of us practiced in creating orders on Word or PowerPoint, this is a rude awakening. You pour over document protectors, overlays, 1:50000 maps, and map markers strewn across your desk as you try to remember how you ever did this without a keyboard and mouse. Having a system and a good briefing board will pay dividends not only in the schoolhouse, but also when you get back to the tactical force. Here is one way to make a great Briefing Board that remains applicable when you get to your unit.

Posted on

When Change is Values-Deep

Leading Change Series - Part III

by

In every competitive environment, organizations evolve to survive and thrive. Society, Markets, and Warfare are ever-changing and so must those who want to succeed in them. Changing systems is a fight in and of itself. But, what if the change required is deeper than spreadsheets and efficiency reports? What if the organization’s values and behaviors aren’t aligned? I used the word “fight” intentionally. Make no mistake, when change is values-based, you are fighting for the heart and soul of your organization. To create a values-centered change, leaders steer the individual to driving the organization, communicate a clear and collective vision, model and steward the change, and empower their team.

Changing Values Requires Clear and Shared Vision