Here are the articles that were published on the PS Magazine website the month of January 2022.
Category Archives: Leadership
Successful Sustainment
Logistics 101
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It’s Summer 2019 at the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Academy. I report to the 40-foot tower for my hollywood-style rappel. A Staff Sergeant affectionately known as “Air Assault Sergeant,” calls me forward to his line atop the tower. I sound off with a loud and thunderous “right hand brake hand,” and step forward. He inspects the stitching on my gloves and my rappel seat, finishing with the instructions of “hook in.” I get into position and while assessing me, he asks what I do. “I’m a logistician Air Assault Sergeant,” I say. He turns to the other instructor shouting, “this kid says he only eats vegetables.” They both laugh. From that day forward, I have continued to reflect on the unique relationship between logisticians and our customers of whom we support.
The United States Army and Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI-AD Indonesia Armed Forces) conduct a two-week joint exercise, Garuda Shield 21.
PS Magazine Monthly Roll-up
December 2021
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Here are the articles that were published on the PS Magazine website the month of December, 2021:
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade, maneuver as an Infantry Rifle Squad (By Patrick Albright, US Army)
New Books…Same Year?
2021 in Books
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In many ways, 2021 felt like a continuation of 2020. We entered with a deadly pandemic, national challenges, and a lot of personal struggles. As a nation, it might feel like we are exiting much the same. Individually, my hope is that you are not. Hopefully, you were able to accomplish some of your personal goals and professional development over the last year. I pray you found some mental and emotional peace. For me, part of that stillness comes through reading and reflecting. Below are the books I read in 2021, with a call-out of my top 10 books.
Missing the Forest for the Trees
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Professional journals, news articles and opinion blogs are rife with both praise and criticism for the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). While supporters laud the ACFT for its comprehensive assessment of multiple fitness domains and its foundation in the physical demands of combat, critics decry logistical and equipment challenges, controversial scoring standards, and the potential for increased injury rates. Broad consensus regarding the ACFT’s efficacy is further complicated by the congressional halt of full-scale implementation as the test undergoes a third-party review. Regardless of the merits and drawbacks of the ACFT, it is but a single piece in a much larger investment in how we understand, assess, and improve the health and fitness of the force. Specifically, this broader and more fundamental policy shift is the implementation of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system.
Army Spc. Kiana Malbas participates in an Army Combat Fitness Test at the University of California, Los Angeles, July 17, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Oposnow)
Steadfast Empathy
Leading Through the Vaccination Mandate
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“They don’t want the shot? F*ck ‘em, kick ‘em out.” This has been the literal, verbatim reaction from many leaders across the Department of Defense in recent weeks. These leaders, in their haste to achieve metrics, have lost sight of the “why” of the vaccination in the first place. The repercussions of this lack of empathy are likely to extend far beyond the vaccination and into many other areas of service life if not addressed immediately.
The fight against COVID-19 continues and vaccination of the force is a priority mission. Fort Bragg has engaged its soldiers through podcasts, town halls, and other mediums to address concerns and educate the formation.
Efficient Self-Development
How Leaders Can Develop the Best Version of Themselves
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Today is the day. Today I will put the phone on mute, sit down with a book, and dedicate my time to developing my personal attributes. Then I will take some time to reflect on my actions and formulate ways to improve and become more in-tuned to my growth. Today is the day that I put all of my responsibilities as a leader, father, husband, and friend aside and truly focus on my self-development. The time has come that I set aside this significant amount of time every single day to invest in a better me.
Also me: Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.
Self Development creates the best Soldier, Leader, and person that we can be
Reconnaissance Done Right
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The scout platoon’s fundamental role is to conduct forceful or stealthy reconnaissance that satisfies information requirements to set conditions for successful operations of the supported unit. Scout platoons are the primary collection asset in the cavalry troop, and the organic reconnaissance unit available to infantry and armor battalions. This article highlights a narrative of a concept developed to maximize success at NTC and the discussion of how to utilize scouts and snipers for future force designs, and a way to cut out redundancy that plagues our institutional courses within the Army.
Army Staff Sgt. Mathew Fox waits to engage a target in the live-fire stalk event during the 2012 International Sniper Competition at the U.S. Army Sniper School on Fort Benning, Ga., Nov. 3, 2012. Fox, a sniper, is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 69 Armor Regiment. (U.S. Army photo by Ashley Cross)
The Equipment Status Report
A Tool or Weapon?
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When I took the guidon of a company in an Armor Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), having only served in light units, my first battalion maintenance meeting was a culture shock. When the Battalion Maintenance Officer (BMO) handed out copies of our Equipment Status Report (ESR), I thought it looked like a book of hieroglyphics. After taking a few seconds to look it over, I scrambled to identify which tanks were mine and what faults existed. I was up at bat and I had to brief what actions I planned to take to fix my maintenance faults. My ESR was 26 pages long. I had no answers and stumbled through the brief with the help of my Executive Officer (XO). As I listened to the rest of the brief, it felt as though the ESR could only earn unwanted negative attention. After a few nights of review and reflection, my outlook on the ESR was decidedly different. I realized we shouldn’t dread the ESR. In fact, it was the key to getting the parts and support my company needed to get in the fight.
Soldier Assigned to 2/278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Raider performs preventive maintenance checks and services at Bemowo Piskie, Poland.The purpose of a PMCS is to improve the overall effectiveness of the equipment while reducing the number of failures and injuries during combat.
How to Run a Range
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It seems so simple, which is likely why we mess it up so often. Running a small arms range is a basic task for any new lieutenant or platoon leader. And yet, leaders often fail to maximize these training events. I recently had a former soldier of mine, turned green-to-gold lieutenant, reach out to ask for advice as he prepared to plan and execute his first small arms range. Below is a version of the thoughts I sent back to him.
U.S. Army photo retrieved from the 82nd Airborne Division Facebook Page, December 14, 2020.