Posted on

Athena Thriving

A Unit Guide to Combating Gender Discrimination in the Army

by

A groundbreaking policy in 2016 opened every job, unit, and location in the Army to women. However, despite clear guidance from Army Senior Leadership, patterns of frustratingly pervasive sexism and gender discrimination remain within our ranks. A Government Accountability Office study earlier this year found that female soldiers, who make up 15% of the Army, are 28% more likely to leave service than their male counterparts. The similarly disproportionally high rates of sexual harassment and assault military women experience speak for themselves. The brutal murder of Specialist Vanessa Guillen earlier this spring at Fort Hood resulted in a flood of personal stories shared under the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen. This was a tipping point that reinforced the need for unit level leaders to drive significant cultural change for our Army to be more inclusive of women. It pushed us beyond ignoring longstanding problems of gender discrimination.

Our Army’s success depends on bringing talented soldiers together in teams built on competence, resilience, discipline, and trust; to ensure every soldier can say with confidence and pride, “This is My Squad.”-GEN James McConville, The 40th CSA, 14 October 2020

U.S. Army Spc. Tynina Williams applies face paint prior to mission during the U.S. Army Europe European Best Warrior Competition at U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, July 29, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Austin Riel)
Posted on

Ranger is not a Leadership School

An Education in Self Discovery

by

Junior Army Leaders considering going to Ranger School expecting to be taught how to be better leaders ought to know something: Ranger School is NOT a place the Army will formally instruct them in new ways to be a better leader.  That may be surprising to many, but factually, Ranger School never introduces any new, advanced troop-leading methods.  The Ranger Handbook I carried in 1982 isn’t very different from one my father carried in 1958, or that carried by Ranger students today.  Almost every task Ranger Students perform should already be familiar to them.

Ranger School Candidates conduct combatives training
Posted on

How to Grow your “Chem-O”

by

You’re a Maneuver Captain, fresh out the Career Course. After showing up to your new battalion/squadron, you meet the Commander, the field grades, and the staff primaries. In your initial counseling, the battalion commander tells you that you’ll be grinding in the 3-Shop (operations) while you wait out the queue for a company command. The Battalion Operations Officer briefs you on  expectations, and your roles and responsibilities. Then she drops a bomb on you; “Oh yeah, you’re also in charge of the Chemo.” You smile and nod while thinking, “what the hell does the Chemo do?”

Soldiers of the Chemical Reconnaissance Platoon , 29th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division conducts a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Academy for the Soldiers of 3IBCT in order to increase proficiency within the unit on CBRN capabilities and limitation with immediate and operational decontamination at the Kahuku Training Area, Hawaii on August 20, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Angelo Mejia)
Posted on

Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F)

Developing and Maintaining the Whole Soldier

by

As of February 2019, approximately 56 thousand soldiers were non-deployable. This is equivalent to 13 Brigade Combat Teams (BCT). Approximately 21 thousand soldiers were on temporary profile and nearly 15.5K on Permanent Profile. In 2018, 56% of soldiers were injured per year. 71% of these soldiers suffered lower extremity micro-traumatic musculoskeletal “overuse” injuries. Injury is a significant contributor to the Army’s healthcare burden. It impacts medical readiness and soldier health. Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for approximately $557 million in inpatient care costs among active duty soldiers. In addition, the current force suffers from obesity and sleep deprivation. The Army continues to modernize its approach to fitness and health to shape a more ready and resilient force. One initiative nearing the end of its pilot phase is the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program.

Soldiers conduct a foot march to a weapons qualification range May 6, 2020, on Fort Sill, Okla. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dustin D. Biven)
Posted on

Leaders and Likers

by

Former Sergeant Major of the Army Van Autreve, who served as the 4th SMA from 1973-1975, spoke of an environment focused on empathy for soldiers centered around servant leadership, This was ahead of its time and long before those terms and concepts became mainstream. The former SMA also understood that the future of the NCO Corps would be shaped by their surroundings.  

Posted on

Reflections During Quarantine

How Leaders Adapt and Develop

by

Quarantine. It disrupts our sanity and results in day drinking, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, and TikTok challenges. For me, a mandatory quarantine in the desert provided an opportunity for self-development. While COVID-19 became a global pandemic, I watched as novel obstacles confounded long-established systems. Yet despite the surprising fragility of our societal constructs, people and organizations adjusted to our “new normal.” By observing this resiliency, I solidified a core belief: the leader who adapts earns the opportunity to develop.

Soldiers stand in formation while wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing during reception before entering basic combat training May 14, 2020, on Fort Sill, Okla. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dustin D. Biven)
Posted on

So You Have a Sniper Problem?

by

Months after leaving Battalion Command, a former sniper of ours reached out to me for advice. He had just PCSd to a new unit and joined the their reconnaissance platoon. In his assessment, the battalion’s sniper section was non-existent and the unit’s advanced marksmanship program was uninspired. To make matters worse, the unit was deploying in about a year. He saw an opportunity in that the unit was about to receive the Army’s newly fielded M2010s, which he had already mastered in our unit. What follows is the advice I gave him over the course of a few emails. I have added additional ideas recently provided by my coauthor, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Moran who has been my trusted advisor for years on this topic.

U.S. Army photo by Cav Scout and NTC O/C/T Master Sgt. Luis Coriano at luis-coriano.pixel.com and on IG @coris_fine_photography
Posted on

Confessions of an Indecisive Cadet

by

Branching is a ridiculously difficult decision for any cadet. As a rising senior in Army ROTC combatting an admittedly limited point of view, I am conflicted. So, I tweeted a thread of thoughts to better understand my own thinking and perhaps receive some feedback. The response from #MilTwitter was fantastic. 

Able Company, 1-506 ‘Red Currahee’ finished Company STX strong and went right into Platoon Live Fire. (U.S. Army Photo)
Posted on

Leading with Empathy

by

This past February, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Battalion Commanders Assessment Program (BCAP). While preparing for interviews, I found a major component of BCAP to be reflection. Could I describe the best and worst leaders I’ve worked for? As I reflected on 17 years of bosses and why they were great or not so great, it clicked for me: the great ones led with empathy.

Posted on

Oblique Victory

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt IV

by

The opening years of the Second Punic War were disastrous for Rome. Hannibal rampaged undeterred throughout Italy, capturing cities and laying waste to every army that challenged him. It came to the point that the Romans brought a massive force to bear. This army, despite outnumbering him nearly 2:1, was annihilated near the small town of Cannae. The war, started to ensure Carthaginian supremacy, seemed to be nearing its conclusion. Rather than admitting defeat, Rome fought on for years. They eventually defeated Carthage and became the undisputed rulers of the Mediterranean world. How were they able to win a war against such an unstoppable opponent? They were never able to stop Hannibal in Italy, so what hope did they have of winning the war?