Category Archives: The Azimuth Check

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Success at BOLC

Pulling back the curtain

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If you’ve recently commissioned, or intend to commission in the next 4 (or 5) years, you likely have some curiosity about the next step in your Army career.  The Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC-B) is the first stop for newly-commissioned officers.  Because BOLC-B is branch specific, the courses vary in duration and program of instruction.  Regardless of branch, however, keys for success at BOLC are more-or-less universal.  The recommendations found in this article are based on survey responses by Engineer BOLC instructors and administrators.

The leadership attributes and competencies that you learned and developed at your commissioning source are no less applicable at BOLC.  If you were successful at West Point, ROTC, or OCS, you likely already possess most of the skills required to succeed at BOLC.  The difference is that you are now a professional Army officer, and expected to conduct yourself accordingly.  Furthermore, you are now working with peers from all walks of life- the homogeneity of your commissioning source is a thing of the past.

BOLC is an opportunity for immense professional growth. Make the most of it.
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I’m Not Sure What to do with my Hands

A Message to Cadets and Recent Commissionees in Quarantine

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So you’re a cadet without summer training and might not be going back to campus in the fall. Or, maybe, you are a 2nd Lieutenant who just commissioned and is waiting for BOLC in quarantine. I bet you feel like Ricky Bobby in his post-race interview from Talladega Nights.  “I’m not sure what to do with my hands.” A lot of cadets and junior leaders have expressed this frustration to me recently, and here is what I tell them.

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Expectations of a New Lieutenant

A Panel Discussion

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Our first “panel discussion” seeks to address a common but perplexing question on the minds of many soon-to-be officers.  “What is expected of me?”  The most straight forward and objective answer to this question is found in the Army Leadership Requirements Model (ALRM).  ADP 6-22 Army Leadership and the Profession explains the ALRM and details each of the leader attributes and competencies.  We highly recommend that cadets familiarize themselves with these concepts early in their development.  The Company Leader has built a concise and easy-to-digest product that breaks down the attributes and competencies- check it out HERE.

In order to give a sense of the personal and practical application of these concepts, we have sought to provide a diverse set of opinions on the topic.  Leaders from five different branches, both officers and senior non-commissioned officers have weighed in.  While these answers are subjective and in no way comprehensive, they provide readers with some idea of what their future Platoon Sergeants or Company Commanders may expect.  In collecting the feedback from our panel, we found that the content (and formats) of their submissions varied, but definitive themes emerged.  It is our hope that this discussion will diminish ambiguity for emerging leaders and provide focus for individual personal development.

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More Than Equal Opportunity

Building Trust and Leading Change for Cadets

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“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” – Colin Powell

The following are a few questions that leaders and cadets should be asking themselves candidly and critically. We owe it to the Army, its soldiers, and the nation to be introspective, especially considering that we are looked to as examples of American virtue. This is particularly true at times of high social tension, specifically regarding today’s discussions about race.

Will you allow a lack of trust to undermine your team?
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Objective Argon (Ambush)

A Tactical Decision Game for Cadets

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The Scenario

A week ago, when the last of the Arianan conventional forces withdrew from southern Atropia, your Battalion was tasked with clearing a AO Dagger in Northwestern Kurdamir province of remaining irregular forces.  Intelligence suggests that these irregular forces, consisting of approximately a company-sized element of the South Atropian People’s Army (SAPA), seek to disrupt US operations in the AO to prevent a massing of combat power while Arianan forces reconsolidate and prepare to defend or counterattack.  Their task organization as team-sized elements, and marked skill at avoiding decisive engagement make them a particularly frustrating opponent.

Though they have been attrited by approximately a third, identifying and maintaining contact with their elements continues to prove difficult.  Every opportunity to close with the SAPA brings the mission closer to completion.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Army Doctrine

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The task of familiarizing oneself with Army doctrine can be both daunting and confusing.  With the information being so readily accessible, becoming doctrinally fluent should be as simple as firing up ArmyPubs for some leisurely reading.  But with the high rate of change in publication and the breadth of publications available (ADPs, FMs, ATPs, ARs, etc…) it is no surprise that many young leaders have difficulty understanding where to begin their studies.

This article serves to demystify Army’s official body of knowledge and provide a foundation of understanding to foster self-study.  We examine four different categories of Army publications and provide recommended readings for each.  While the focus of the piece is specifically doctrine (defined in the following paragraph), it also introduces other publications that are of critical importance to aspiring leaders.*  Study and application of regulations, doctrine, and other publications is an ongoing endeavor that must be sustained throughout the span of a career.  As in all professions, the earlier and more broadly one immerses them self in their professional body of knowledge, the more successfully they will access and apply it.

*Suggested readings selected primarily based on their applicability to the primary audience (cadets and new lieutenants).

A fine setting for studying doctrine. photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Crisp
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Priorities

Suggestions and Lessons Learned

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Upon assuming his role as the Army Chief of Staff, General Milley’s speech included many of the expected platitudes. What set his remarks apart, however, was the unquestionable declaration on how the Army would remain the most elite fighting force in the world. It was then that General Milley announced with absolute certainty the words that would shape every subordinate command for the next four years: “readiness is the Army’s number one priority.”

Regardless of the level of leadership, the three critical principles of Mission Command are fundamentally impossible without leaders clearly dictating the priorities of the organization. Those principles are communicating commander’s intent, establishing shared understanding, and exercising disciplined initiative (ADP 6-0, Ch. 1, p. 26). This primer outlines how to best establish your organization’s priorities, and when it’s appropriate to change them.

Clearly defined and consistently communicated intent enable mission command throughout the organization. photo by Staff Sgt. Michael J MacLeos
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So, your summer training is cancelled…

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Perhaps you had the impression that you would be attending institutional Army training this summer.  Be it Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT), Individual Academic Development, Cadet Summer Training, Airborne or Air Assault School, or any of the myriad other training opportunities afforded to Cadets, the unfortunate fact is that many of these opportunities are being curtailed or all-together cancelled due to the effects of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.  Fortunately, there are other opportunities available to you to aid you in becoming the best leader you can be.

Curl up by the fire with some professional reading. Photo by CPT John Landry