Category Archives: Guest Post

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Paying it Forward

Serving as an ROTC APMS

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An assignment to US Army Cadet Command (USACC) as an Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) is personally and professionally rewarding. There are few assignments for officers where our primary role is leader development. In most assignments, we attend the occasional OPD/LPD and conduct counseling as directed by regulations. Serving in a role dedicated to developing ROTC cadets into junior officers provides the opportunity to impact the future of our organization, exercise mission command, and refine our leadership skills.

U.S. Army Image submitted by Author.
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Field Artillery – Beyond the Howizter

A #BranchSeries Piece

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The Field Artillery (FA) Branch is a great branch for junior officers to develop personally and professionally. The FA branch offers assignment diversity from the typical staff job or platoon leader position, as compared to other branches. It also offers lieutenants the ability to serve in positions that have effects at echelons above their peers. The FA branch is only growing as the U.S. Army focuses more on the importance of fires on the battlefield.

Soldiers conduct field artillery certifications at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Dec. 8, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Beggs)
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Ambulance Exchange Point (AXP) Ops in LSCO

Keys to Success at the CTCs and in Combat

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Ambulance Exchange Points (AXPs) are quintessential to the successful, expeditious evacuation of casualties from Point of Injury (POI) throughout the continuum of care during Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) and Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). With our near-peer/peer competitors possessing anti-air assets, air medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) may not always be available to the maneuver unit, especially between the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT) to the nearest Role of Care. Commanders must understand how to best utilize their ambulance squads, how to move AXPs throughout operations, and what tactical considerations to take when selecting AXP.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, both 3rd Infantry Division, participate in medical evacuation training near Ziemsko, Poland, June 6, 2020. Exercise Allied Spirit, a DEFENDER-Europe 20 linked exercise, originally scheduled for May, takes place at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, June 15-19, 2020.
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Read Effectively and Write Well

Practical Ways to Prepare for Academics at Any Level

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Maybe you’re heading to CGSC or SAMS. Perhaps you need to work through a reading list or write an argumentative essay. You might be preparing for civilian college or graduate school. Wherever you’re going, a little preparation now will save time and help you get the most out of your education. Show up with the keys to success: how to read effectively and write well.

USMA Cadets study in the West Point Library. (U.S. Army photo retrieved from USMA Library Facebook page)
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Recruiting in the AIM Marketplace

How to get Top Talent to your Organization through Planning, Active Recruiting, and Honesty

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During the Assignment Interactive Module (AIM) Marketplace in October, we wrote an article. The focus was how to be successful in the Marketplace to get your preferred duty assignment.  What we didn’t tell you was that we were serving as unit managers in the marketplace. We were looking to fill vacancies in our own organizations. We found success through extensive preparation, active recruiting, personal engagement, and honesty.  If you are serving as a unit manager in the AIM Marketplace, supporting your unit’s recruiting as an incumbent, or simply want to prepare for those eventualities, this guide will support you in bringing the right personnel to your organization.

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Near-Peer Employment of Snipers

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On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin authorized a “special military operation.” It initiated combat operations with Russia beginning coordinated strikes on Ukrainian cities. Throughout the history of military operations, it’s rare that a commanding general becomes a casualty of war. But, on March 2, 2022, Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky was the first high-ranking leader to be killed in action during the Russo-Ukraine conflict. A sniper delivered the fatal shot from 1.5 kilometers (.9 mile), as Ukraine forces were repelling a Russian attack. 

A Ukrainian sniper has killed one of the top generals of Russia (representative image). Photograph:( Reuters )
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How to Grow your “Chem-O”

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You’re a Maneuver Captain, fresh out the Career Course. After showing up to your new battalion/squadron, you meet the Commander, the field grades, and the staff primaries. In your initial counseling, the battalion commander tells you that you’ll be grinding in the 3-Shop (operations) while you wait out the queue for a company command. The Battalion Operations Officer briefs you on  expectations, and your roles and responsibilities. Then she drops a bomb on you; “Oh yeah, you’re also in charge of the Chemo.” You smile and nod while thinking, “what the hell does the Chemo do?”

Soldiers of the Chemical Reconnaissance Platoon , 29th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division conducts a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Academy for the Soldiers of 3IBCT in order to increase proficiency within the unit on CBRN capabilities and limitation with immediate and operational decontamination at the Kahuku Training Area, Hawaii on August 20, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Angelo Mejia)
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Leading with Empathy

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This past February, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Battalion Commanders Assessment Program (BCAP). While preparing for interviews, I found a major component of BCAP to be reflection. Could I describe the best and worst leaders I’ve worked for? As I reflected on 17 years of bosses and why they were great or not so great, it clicked for me: the great ones led with empathy.

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Deadly Force

A Primer on Use of Force

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The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have sparked a national wave of public protests. It has sparked, among other things, a national conversation around law enforcement response and deadly force. These incidents, at their core, involve an illegal and inappropriate use of force.  As America discusses how to handle policing, DoD leaders should also look critically at use of force within the military. 

Airmen from the 375th Security Forces Squadron participate in active shooter training Jan. 29, 2014 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The Airmen went through the hallways searching for the person who was acting out the role of an active shooter. Once the person was found, they disarmed and apprehended him. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman)
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Think, Ask, and Observe

Preparing for Command, Part I

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Company command is the pinnacle experience for a junior army officer. It gives officers the first true opportunity to take charge and implement a vision. There is a lot that goes into a successful command, but it starts with the right preparation. The best prepared commanders use the pre-command transition to think, ask questions, and observe. These short weeks make the difference between a running start and feeling lost three months into command.

A paratrooper from the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, performs the action of present arms on Fort Bragg, N.C., May 19, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dustin D. Biven)