Leaders at all levels, from privates to generals, are ultimately responsible for success or failure on the battlefield. A huge part of preparing for combat is making sure the myriad of equipment, vehicles and weapons used by soldiers can perform when needed. That also extends to supply and logistics functions, the lifeblood of all combat operations.
Professional journals, news articles and opinion blogs are rife with both praise and criticism for the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). While supporters laud the ACFT for its comprehensive assessment of multiple fitness domains and its foundation in the physical demands of combat, critics decry logistical and equipment challenges, controversial scoring standards, and the potential for increased injury rates. Broad consensus regarding the ACFT’s efficacy is further complicated by the congressional halt of full-scale implementation as the test undergoes a third-party review. Regardless of the merits and drawbacks of the ACFT, it is but a single piece in a much larger investment in how we understand, assess, and improve the health and fitness of the force. Specifically, this broader and more fundamental policy shift is the implementation of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system.
The Assignment Interactive Module (AIM) Marketplace opened up on 23 September, meaning the race has begun for each of us in the 22-02 Movement Cycle to find and secure our next assignment before it closes on 03 November. This is the second marketplace in which I have participated and I have learned a lot since then about how it functions. Since literally forgetting my first Marketplace was occurring four years ago to winning in the Special Marketplace that followed, I have spoken many times with Military Intelligence (MI) Branch personnel at Human Resources Command (HRC) about the process while both receiving and giving several Leader Professional Development (LPD) sessions about it. This guide will support you in successfully navigating and winning in the AIM Marketplace.
The term “Sniper” became popular during WWI and the mystic appeal has grown since. A single shot can be more devastating than a burst from a machine gun or artillery fire. ATP 3-21.20 Infantry Battalion describes the sniper squad as the most tactically and technically proficient Infantry soldiers. They are especially valuable when fighting an enemy that tries to blend in with the local population. Snipers are most effective when leaders in the supported unit understand sniper teams’ capabilities, limitations, and tactical employment. Unfortunately, many leaders don’t fully understand the benefits of using snipers to their fullest potential. But this isn’t just the fault of commanders…we – the sniper squad leaders and community – own some of that blame.
In December 2017, as part of the 3BCT, 101st ABN (AASLT) Brigade Field Training Exercise, my Dismounted Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and (CBRN) Reconnaissance (RECCE) Platoon received a mission to support an infantry battalion task force air assault operation to seize an objective with an underground storage facility for chemical weapons. In planning and executing this training mission, we validated many aspects of our individual and team collective training leading up to this BCT collective training exercise. We also identified many of the challenges and gaps in our training both internal to the CBRN RECCE Platoon and ways the Brigade Engineer Battalion and the BCT could facilitate better training.
“They don’t want the shot? F*ck ‘em, kick ‘em out.” This has been the literal, verbatim reaction from many leaders across the Department of Defense in recent weeks. These leaders, in their haste to achieve metrics, have lost sight of the “why” of the vaccination in the first place. The repercussions of this lack of empathy are likely to extend far beyond the vaccination and into many other areas of service life if not addressed immediately.
Today is the day. Today I will put the phone on mute, sit down with a book, and dedicate my time to developing my personal attributes. Then I will take some time to reflect on my actions and formulate ways to improve and become more in-tuned to my growth. Today is the day that I put all of my responsibilities as a leader, father, husband, and friend aside and truly focus on my self-development. The time has come that I set aside this significant amount of time every single day to invest in a better me.
Also me: Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.
Take a deep breath and put your mind in neutral. Yes – Afghanistan has fallen and we left a lot of blood there. No – you and our combat casualties did not serve in vain. You shined a light in some of the darkest places on the globe.
The scout platoon’s fundamental role is to conduct forceful or stealthy reconnaissance that satisfies information requirements to set conditions for successful operations of the supported unit. Scout platoons are the primary collection asset in the cavalry troop, and the organic reconnaissance unit available to infantry and armor battalions. This article highlights a narrative of a concept developed to maximize success at NTC and the discussion of how to utilize scouts and snipers for future force designs, and a way to cut out redundancy that plagues our institutional courses within the Army.
When I took the guidon of a company in an Armor Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), having only served in light units, my first battalion maintenance meeting was a culture shock. When the Battalion Maintenance Officer (BMO) handed out copies of our Equipment Status Report (ESR), I thought it looked like a book of hieroglyphics. After taking a few seconds to look it over, I scrambled to identify which tanks were mine and what faults existed. I was up at bat and I had to brief what actions I planned to take to fix my maintenance faults. My ESR was 26 pages long. I had no answers and stumbled through the brief with the help of my Executive Officer (XO). As I listened to the rest of the brief, it felt as though the ESR could only earn unwanted negative attention. After a few nights of review and reflection, my outlook on the ESR was decidedly different. I realized we shouldn’t dread the ESR. In fact, it was the key to getting the parts and support my company needed to get in the fight.
