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First to Fire

#BranchSeries - Air Defense Artillery

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Everyone that was of age in 2001 has their “9/11 Story”. Mine took place while attending the West Point Prep School, back when it was located on Fort Monmouth, NJ, just across the Hudson River from New York City. I wasn’t even an actual cadet yet, but a “cadet candidate” as we were called as prep students. “Cadet” was a title reserved for actual West Point students. I was just 18 years old with a brand new cell phone; a Sprint flip-phone that was state of the art! If only then I knew the kind of technology and mission I would have years later as a leader in the Army’s Air Defense Artillery Branch.

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Artillery – A Precision Art Form

#BranchSeries - Artillery

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In the summer of 2008, I was waiting on the bleachers at LDAC (now Advanced Camp) in Fort Lewis, Washington for an event called “U.S. Weapons Day”. At that point, I still wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in the Army. I had some ideas, but no clear first choice. The announcer began describing the systems in front of us, and then an M198 Howitzer fired a 98 lbs projectile, 2 km downrange with a thunderous detonation that reached all the way back to the bleachers. It was absolutely a marketing ploy on the Army’s part, and it absolutely worked on me.

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The Best Job I Ever Had

#BranchSeries - Armor

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I knew from the moment that I joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) that I wanted to branch Armor. I can vividly remember the branch counseling session with my Professor of Military Science (PMS). He counseled the assessing cadets on filling out the branch and duty station preference sheets. He asked me for my first choice and I told him Armor, without hesitation. I was competitive across the branches and my PMS encouraged me to consider all options, including Aviation. He was trying to ensure I thought through all my options, but I was undeterred. In my mind, as a young and brash 22-year-old Cadet, my mentality was set. There was no other choice but Armor Branch.

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Ordering Salad at Ruth’s Chris

#BranchSeries - Infantry

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Sitting in my barracks room as a Senior at Norwich University, I stared at my preference sheet numbered 1 to 16. The United States Army ultimately decides Branch assignments for ROTC commissionees, but we get to submit a preference list. All branches are critical to the mission and we truly are ONE team that couldn’t do it without the whole. I contemplated the order of choices between numbers 2 and 16. But, selecting #1 on my list was a simple choice. To me, joining the Army and not choosing Infantry Branch was like going to a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and ordering just a salad.

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Introducing #BranchSeries

A Partnered Series with Colonel Eric Lopez

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In the Fall of 2017, a former Battalion Commander and current mentor of mine connected me with Colonel Eric Lopez. Col. Lopez, a War College Student and a future Brigade Commander, launched a leadership initiative through YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Titled Lopez on Leadership, his movement connects leaders of all ranks to the type of mentorship and coaching available through senior leaders in the Army. Thanks to our mutual friend, our connection led us to take on this project we are calling #BranchSeries.

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Humility and Shared Understanding

A Division Commander's Take on Leadership

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Leaders, at every echelon and in every organization, are in the business of creating and communicating shared understanding. I was recently afforded the opportunity to sit down with Maj. Gen. Bill Burleson, the Division Commander of 7th Infantry Division, for a dialogue on leadership and its scope and scalability to the tactical level of war. By the very nature of it being a closely held personal virtue of his, he would not openly describe himself this way – but I will. Maj. Gen. Burleson is perhaps one of the most humble leaders I have met in my career. It was clear that humility and the philosophy of Mission Command are deeply rooted in his leadership style. Below are his thoughts on leadership, Mission Command (MC), and self-development.

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SLLS – Fine Tune Your Senses

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Pine needles were softly crunching under our feet in an unfamiliar portion of “Pineland” (the fictional training environment used by the U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School). This recon was no different than previous missions. I “knew” where we were, but had no idea what or who was around. The experienced Green Beret Team Leader took a knee in the silence. He turned his internal spider-sense receptors on full-power – Stop, Look, Listen, and Smell (SLLS). We all imitated, and continued to do so every few hundred meters.  We secretly hoped to be the first to detect the enemy. Armies and hunting parties have used versions of SLLS for centuries. They use it to gain a better understanding and awareness of their surroundings before making their next decisions. I had no idea at the time how profoundly SLLS could transfer to my daily life at work and at home.

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Show Me Where You Are Ranger

A Guide to your Map Board

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About 10 years ago there was a joke video circulating with the song “Whatcha Gonna Do PL?”. It made light of the stress simulated at U.S. Army Ranger School, including the stress that comes from being tired, hungry, and worst of all – lost. We laugh at this now, but being lost is no laughing matter – especially when in combat. In the “light” community, where you are traveling walking distances in a single movement, folding up your map and putting it in your cargo pocket is a tenable option. But, what if you are moving operational distances from 30 to 60 kilometers in a single movement? A folded up map won’t cut it. Here is your guide to making a map board that will aid you in mounted movements (Stryker, Bradley, MATV, MAXPRO, HMMWV, Abrams, etc.).

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It Can Be Done

Lessons from an HHC TOC Defense Live Fire

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As the company commander of a Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC), I was given a tremendous opportunity to conduct a company live fire (LFX) for the first time in the unit’s memorable history. The company had minimal experience in the tactical arena. We struggled with the little things like qualifying on our machine guns and carrying our weapons at the low ready. Leading up to the LFX, we focused on building soldier familiarity with basic skills and the ability to operate tactically in a deployed environment. We knew the experience of conducting a live fire exercise would be beneficial, but we didn’t realize how much we would learn from the process.

The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker – an HHC LFX is rarely “sexy”. It is hard to plan and even more difficult to pack into an already full training schedule focused on preparing lethal squads and platoons. But…it can be done!
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From Fight to FLEP

The Army's Legal Education Program

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It might seem odd to have an article about law school on a site dedicated to technical and tactical excellence. But, success at the company level directly correlates to a civilian legal education. While applying to the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP), I couldn’t find helpful resources. I wrote this to give other company-grade officers considering the program some perspective on the decision. These lessons will be just as applicable for anyone considering law school as part of their transition to civilian life.