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Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Suicide Prevention at the Company Level

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The military has a suicide problem. The Department of Defense reported a 41% increase in suicide rates between 2015 and 2020, with 580 deaths in 2020 alone. This pace has continued over the course of the past two years, showing little sign of letting up. Leaders at all levels must be ready to deal with this crisis, along with the impacts of a 20-year conflict, a global pandemic, and record levels of inflation. The fight against suicide starts at the lowest levels, where the rubber meets the road. It is imperative that company command teams establish suicide prevention programs tailored to their units.

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Servant Leadership

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As an Army, we praise leaders who put their needs behind the needs of an organization. We encourage the “Leaders Eat Last” mentality in which good leaders give all they have for the betterment of the team. We reinforce the notion that good leaders are the last to go to bed and the first to wake up. They are the first in the office and the last to leave. They sacrifice their time, energy, and resources for the team. In Simon Sinek’s book, he explains that great leaders “understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.” However, can a leader take that too far? When does a servant leader become a liability to the team?

CPT Danielle Ayer conducts initial orientation for the U.S. Army Denali Expedition 2021

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Recruiting in the AIM Marketplace

How to get Top Talent to your Organization through Planning, Active Recruiting, and Honesty

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During the Assignment Interactive Module (AIM) Marketplace in October, we wrote an article. The focus was how to be successful in the Marketplace to get your preferred duty assignment.  What we didn’t tell you was that we were serving as unit managers in the marketplace. We were looking to fill vacancies in our own organizations. We found success through extensive preparation, active recruiting, personal engagement, and honesty.  If you are serving as a unit manager in the AIM Marketplace, supporting your unit’s recruiting as an incumbent, or simply want to prepare for those eventualities, this guide will support you in bringing the right personnel to your organization.

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On Technology, Military History and the “Actualities of War”

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War, by its very nature, pits one society’s – one culture’s – mechanical machinery against another in a contest of wills. In 2022, we are told that this is happening at an ever-accelerating pace with the coming of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For warfare, this age has brought about the harnessing of cutting-edge technology for the purpose of making war; most prevalent today are the utilization of drones and other unmanned systems, with more innovation on the horizon.

Soldiers don the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) technology while mounted in a Stryker in Joint Base Lewis-McCord, WA. (Photo Credit: Courtney Bacon)
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Near-Peer Employment of Snipers

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On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin authorized a “special military operation.” It initiated combat operations with Russia beginning coordinated strikes on Ukrainian cities. Throughout the history of military operations, it’s rare that a commanding general becomes a casualty of war. But, on March 2, 2022, Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky was the first high-ranking leader to be killed in action during the Russo-Ukraine conflict. A sniper delivered the fatal shot from 1.5 kilometers (.9 mile), as Ukraine forces were repelling a Russian attack. 

A Ukrainian sniper has killed one of the top generals of Russia (representative image). Photograph:( Reuters )
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TRADOC Company Command

Lessons Learned from the Military Intelligence Career Course

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Few Army captains imagine themselves commanding fellow captains, but that’s exactly where I found myself beginning in 2019. That year I received orders to the United States Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE) in Fort Huachuca, Arizona to teach, develop, and mentor the next generation of Military Intelligence (MI) Officers at the Captains Career Course (CCC). Being assigned to your center of excellence provides a unique and priceless opportunity to expand your personal and professional network. Prior to serving in USAICoE, I worked with a small community of intelligence leaders. After serving two years as a MICCC Small Group Leader (SGL) and instructor, I was introduced to dozens of my peers and a few more senior MI professionals who I continue to work with and hope to serve alongside in the future.

Commanding one’s peers in TRADOC is both an opportunity and a challenge.

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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.