Category Archives: Lessons Learned

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The Brigade Battle Captain

An Informal Guide to an Informal Role

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Few officers arrive prepared to be a  battle captain and the Army doesn’t provide formal training for the position.  Although the role is typically an additional duty, the performance and experience of this single officer can have outsized impacts on unit effectiveness. A unit that invests even a little time in the selection and preparation of their battle captains will experience asymmetric returns. They will gain benefits in the immediate, upcoming operations as well as in the development of a future organizational leader. A well-trained and well-informed battle captain provides organizational flexibility, enables greater coordination among subordinate units, and empowers leaders to make better decisions.  

1-12 IN conducts Squad Situational Training Exercises (STX). U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Chelsea Hall.
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“Where’s Your Tab” and other Sad Lieutenant Stories

A Scrutinizing Look at Tab Culture

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Four months into being a platoon leader, I earned my Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB). I became, in the eyes of many, a “complete” infantry lieutenant. I was Airborne-, Air Assault-, and Ranger-qualified…and an expert. Never mind that the next day I returned to the same job that my “not-as-complete” peers were probably doing better. 

Students in Ranger Class 5-21 conduct graded patrols during Darby Phase of Ranger School. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Jaerett Engeseth)
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Lest the Guns Fall Silent

Ammunition Management in the Field Artillery

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It’s difficult to admit, but field artillery (FA) battalions in brigade combat teams (BCT) are struggling to manage their ammo. As observers at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), we witnessed units fight to supply their gunlines with rounds. While no operation ever goes perfectly, ammunition management is a fight BCTs cannot afford to lose.

Paratroopers from 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, position 105mm munitions to be loaded into an M119A3 Howitzer during exercise “Iron Triangle 20,” at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, May 27, 2020. The battalion-wide exercise is part of an annual certification of the artillery battalion’s capabilities and competencies. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Stewart)
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The Fresh Failure of Platoon Leadership

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Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down…by joining a combat support Military Police platoon as a new officer with the correct mindset, drive, and determination and then slowly snowballing into failure. I held no punches in my self-assessment, and tossed self-preservation out of the window. The following three lessons stem from my critical failures. 

A GREYWOLF Trooper, 3rd ABCT, 1st CAV DIV prepares his M1A2 SEPV3 for a gunnery live fire exercise, Fort Hood, Tx. (US Army Photo by Sgt. Caleb Franklin)
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5 Ways to Succeed as a New Staff Officer

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Every year the Army produces hundreds of young infantry lieutenants ready to fight and win our Nation’s wars. After leaving Fort Benning upon completing Infantry Basic Officer Leader’s Course, and most likely Ranger and Airborne School, they leave with one goal in mind: to lead an infantry platoon. However, most lieutenants will find themselves serving on battalion staff for around 6 months prior to taking over a platoon with an infantry company. 

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jarrett Engeseth)
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Reflections During Quarantine

How Leaders Adapt and Develop

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Quarantine. It disrupts our sanity and results in day drinking, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, and TikTok challenges. For me, a mandatory quarantine in the desert provided an opportunity for self-development. While COVID-19 became a global pandemic, I watched as novel obstacles confounded long-established systems. Yet despite the surprising fragility of our societal constructs, people and organizations adjusted to our “new normal.” By observing this resiliency, I solidified a core belief: the leader who adapts earns the opportunity to develop.

Soldiers stand in formation while wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing during reception before entering basic combat training May 14, 2020, on Fort Sill, Okla. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dustin D. Biven)
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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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Leader Development in Contact

Introduction

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At the National Training Center, we spend time assisting units to build their understanding of doctrine, the operations process, the science of control, and the fundamentals our units must execute on the modern battlefield.  While critical to our success on future battlefields, some rotational units overlook the most critical element of combat power:  leadership.  

Lightning Forge 20 Night Air Assault. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Sarah Sangster.
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Battlefield Leadership – From the Fort to the Front

The Power of Leadership at the Point of Contact

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If you’re an Army professional, you’ve probably experienced this scenario:  You’ve subscribed to a litany of military social media outlets and other mediums that perpetuate a nearly constant stream of leadership focused articles.  Each time one pops up, you open it…wondering what you can learn to become a better leader.  While many are helpful and provide niche comments on ways to improve, they often miss the primary point of Army leadership:  To inspire others to risk their lives to accomplish missions of importance to the Nation.

Lightning Forge 20 Night Air Assault. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Sarah Sangster
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Moments that Matter

Leading in Crucial Moments at the National Training Center

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During the crucible of training for Large Scale Combat Operations at the National Training Center (NTC), leaders face conditions that are impossible to replicate at home station. Time, distance, the pace of operations, the desert environment, and a ruthless, thinking opposing force combine to challenge the Brigade Combat Teams in unforeseen ways. 

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 2-136 Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard, engage simulated enemy forces during Decisive Action Rotation 20-08.5 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., July 25, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Brooke Davis, Operations Group, National Training Center.)