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Talk About Fighting

A Company Grade Letter to New Field Grades

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The Field Grade Leader recently ran a series of articles to Field Grade Leaders just graduating CGSC/ILE. The entire series is great, and I highly recommend you check it out. But, I took specific notice of a post written by Lt. Col. Teddy Kleisner. It is titled “Middle Management in the Trenches” and it is spot on. It is gritty, it is honest, and it is specific. As I am in the transition from Company Grade to Field Grade, this article inspired me to write a letter to my future self – the Field Grade version of me. This is in no way all inclusive or comprehensive as I have pages upon pages of notes from green notebook pages to Evernotes. But, it focuses on Lt. Col. Kleisner’s message specifically.

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CSM Don Purdy’s Rules to Live By

Repost from Open Source

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A few weeks back, a mentor of mine shared a post from Colonel (Retired) Keith Nightingale. The post was titled “Don Purdy’s Rules to Live By (Don’t Forget Nuthin’)”. Col. Nightingale served with CSM Purdy in the original 1st Ranger Battalion (now 1/75th RGR). I asked Col. Nightingale for permission to repost and he shared that it is open source and has been posted multiple places before. This advice should be reposted as many times as possible and read by every warfighter.

CSM Don Purdy served in Ranger Companies in Vietnam and in the first activated Ranger Battalion, 1/75 RGR. He also served in the 101st ABN DIV (AASLT), 4th RTB, and other units.
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Process….Not Program

Leader Development is a Process

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Leader development “programs” in our profession require a comprehensive approach to building competent and capable leaders in both tactics and character. Building character without competence is negligent; enabling competence without character is dangerous. Developing “leaders” who aren’t technically and tactically sound is self-defeating. Conversely, a program that focuses solely on the execution of war and neglects the development of the whole person and the effects of war on the human condition is lacking. For this reason, leader development should be viewed as a journey rather than a program. It is a process and not a “check-the-box.”

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Live the Fundamentals

A Brigade Commander’s Reflections on Company Command 15 Years Later

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As a Brigade Commander, I shared a document with my crop of company commanders here in the Ghost Brigade (1-2 SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). I discovered the old document, while searching for lessons learned from a previous CTC rotation, and thought it was worth sharing. The document contained my continuity notes for the next company commander of the “Deathmasters”, B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (SBCT) at JBLM from late 2002 and early 2003. The notes are included in the post below (with a few edits for language; I was less mature in the way I wrote).

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Purpose, Passion, and Competition

Why We Serve Series

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Why I decided to serve, why I continue to serve, and how it fits into the greater purpose of my life, all differ. Military service was not a given path when I was growing up. There is minimal history of military service in my family. Nonetheless, my father raised my brothers and me to have a deep reverence of the ideals that create the American identity. With that came an appreciation of those who served. While this belief in America, appreciation for the Armed Forces, and – by nature of my age when it happened – the effects of 9/11, played a large role in my deciding to serve, they are not why I stay. The reasons for my continued service are deeper, perhaps more complex, and more matured from time and experience.

There’s always time for one of America’s favorite past-times. Sgt. Peter Scanlon, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, swings an improvised bat during a game of baseball near the Iraqi-Syrian border, June 23, 2018. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anthony Zendejas IV.
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Why I (Can) Serve

Why We Serve Series

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I joined the Army National Guard in 2002. My recruiter met me in the student union of my college, and by the end of spring break I had enlisted as a supply clerk with a ship date that winter. The long wait time to get into basic training aside, the decision to serve came quickly and the decision was all mine. Now, mostly through my work as a historian, I understand that the decision to join was mine, but the pathway to that decision was very far outside of my creation. My ability to walk into recruiting station and join any branch of service I liked was an effect, not a cause. I saw the top layer of sediment on a riverbed that had been meandering since 1636.

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Leaving It Better

Why We Serve Series

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As a child, I loved the back corner of the library where the World War II books were kept. I have long forgotten the exact Dewey decimal for that area, but I devoured every book there. In fourth grade, I was able to put my knowledge to use, giving a report on Admiral Chester A. Nimitz. My interest waned in high school, and like most of my close friends, I chose to go to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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Past, Present, and Future

Why We Serve Series

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The memory is clear in comparison to others that have faded over the years. The early morning Ohio air seemed crisp even though it was the middle of summer, somewhere around the end of July I suppose. I stood by, waiting for Grandpa as I did every morning and evening, during every visit to Ohio throughout my childhood. Grandpa emerged from the garage with his American flag, rolled neatly from the previous evening. The flag was slightly weathered from daily use, but still in good condition. Every so often, during road trips, Grandpa would stop and complain to a business owner who flew a tattered flag. Each morning he carried the colors at a modified port arms, calling me to attention and then present arms, singing a fine rendition of To The Colors while unrolling his flag. I’d watch the flag sway in the breeze, maintaining the best salute a seven year old could render until Grandpa completed the tune and slid the staff into the bracket on the garage. My Grandpa taught me what it means to be an American. He taught me about ideals and traits that I now observe in our Army’s Soldiers, and that I hope I embodythrough service to our Nation and these Soldiers.

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Discovering My Passion for Leadership

Why We Serve Series

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I cannot quantify how challenging it has been for me to write this post. It’s a topic I am passionate about, but I’ve greatly struggled in articulating my deep emotions over what keeps me committed to my Army service day-in and day-out. I want to offer some grand, moving story that pulls at the heart strings, but that’s just not me, unfortunately. What I have to share regarding “why I serve” all comes after I joined the service and the incredible experiences I’ve had thus far in my career. Further, my passion for service and why I do what I do all centers around one thing: leadership.

Post-PT with one of my squads while a platoon leader at Fort Bragg. It is these moments that drive my service.
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Why We Serve

Series Introduction

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A brief review of the Merriam-Webster definition(s) for “serve” provides the many uses, tenses, and applications of the word. The word – as a verb, to serve – is packed with so much more than a simple definition could provide. Sometimes we see the word “selfless” or “selflessly” thrown in front of it. There is also a theory of leadership called “servant leadership”. In terms of our community, we are familiar with the term “the service” to describe the profession of arms. The historical origins of the phrase are deep and even routed in conscription. But, in a post-Vietnam U.S. Military, we are an all volunteer force. So, if not required, why do we serve?