Tag Archives: Cadet

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Paying it Forward

Serving as an ROTC APMS

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An assignment to US Army Cadet Command (USACC) as an Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) is personally and professionally rewarding. There are few assignments for officers where our primary role is leader development. In most assignments, we attend the occasional OPD/LPD and conduct counseling as directed by regulations. Serving in a role dedicated to developing ROTC cadets into junior officers provides the opportunity to impact the future of our organization, exercise mission command, and refine our leadership skills.

U.S. Army Image submitted by Author.
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Confessions of an Indecisive Cadet

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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)
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I’m Not Sure What to do with my Hands

A Message to Cadets and Recent Commissionees in Quarantine

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So you’re a cadet without summer training and might not be going back to campus in the fall. Or, maybe, you are a 2nd Lieutenant who just commissioned and is waiting for BOLC in quarantine. I bet you feel like Ricky Bobby in his post-race interview from Talladega Nights.  “I’m not sure what to do with my hands.” A lot of cadets and junior leaders have expressed this frustration to me recently, and here is what I tell them.

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More Than Equal Opportunity

Building Trust and Leading Change for Cadets

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“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” – Colin Powell

The following are a few questions that leaders and cadets should be asking themselves candidly and critically. We owe it to the Army, its soldiers, and the nation to be introspective, especially considering that we are looked to as examples of American virtue. This is particularly true at times of high social tension, specifically regarding today’s discussions about race.

Will you allow a lack of trust to undermine your team?
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Objective Argon (Ambush)

A Tactical Decision Game for Cadets

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The Scenario

A week ago, when the last of the Arianan conventional forces withdrew from southern Atropia, your Battalion was tasked with clearing a AO Dagger in Northwestern Kurdamir province of remaining irregular forces.  Intelligence suggests that these irregular forces, consisting of approximately a company-sized element of the South Atropian People’s Army (SAPA), seek to disrupt US operations in the AO to prevent a massing of combat power while Arianan forces reconsolidate and prepare to defend or counterattack.  Their task organization as team-sized elements, and marked skill at avoiding decisive engagement make them a particularly frustrating opponent.

Though they have been attrited by approximately a third, identifying and maintaining contact with their elements continues to prove difficult.  Every opportunity to close with the SAPA brings the mission closer to completion.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Army Doctrine

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The task of familiarizing oneself with Army doctrine can be both daunting and confusing.  With the information being so readily accessible, becoming doctrinally fluent should be as simple as firing up ArmyPubs for some leisurely reading.  But with the high rate of change in publication and the breadth of publications available (ADPs, FMs, ATPs, ARs, etc…) it is no surprise that many young leaders have difficulty understanding where to begin their studies.

This article serves to demystify Army’s official body of knowledge and provide a foundation of understanding to foster self-study.  We examine four different categories of Army publications and provide recommended readings for each.  While the focus of the piece is specifically doctrine (defined in the following paragraph), it also introduces other publications that are of critical importance to aspiring leaders.*  Study and application of regulations, doctrine, and other publications is an ongoing endeavor that must be sustained throughout the span of a career.  As in all professions, the earlier and more broadly one immerses them self in their professional body of knowledge, the more successfully they will access and apply it.

*Suggested readings selected primarily based on their applicability to the primary audience (cadets and new lieutenants).

A fine setting for studying doctrine. photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Crisp