By: Anonymous & James Watson An old boss of mine recently took command of a battalion at Fort Lewis, and he’s been assessing the state of his LTs and sending me feedback on where they’ve been struggling. I thought his email was a wonderful piece; short, simple, and to the…

By: Don Gomez This is Part 3 of a Series, view the series intro here and Part 2 here. Note: Quotes and feedback have been anonymized and modified for clarity. It has been a few months since the release of the 2021 Major Promotion Selection Board (PSB) results. The exciting…

By: Andrew Lightsey During my OER outbrief for my first evaluation as a Captain, my Senior Rater began with words that shook me: “CPT Lightsey, the Army isn’t interested in how fast you run or if you are the best shooter in your company.” I was immediately taken aback, as…

By: Pat Serrato So there you are at the Maneuver Captains Career Course (MCCC), a newly minted Infantry Captain whose career has consisted of serving either within an IBCT or SBCT formation. You’re halfway complete with the course and you’re anxious to find out what’s next. Then one morning while in your seminar…

By: Matthew Pelletier I commissioned as a college-option OCS officer, which meant the early years of my career path felt like they were experienced in fast-forward. I joined the Army through the Reserves, but I went to Basic Training and OCS at Fort Benning, home of the infantry. I was…

By: Christian Nattiel The role of an executive officer has manifold dimensions. Some of them, like resourcing training, are easier to grasp than others, like property divestment. The purpose of this article is to discuss the challenges of what I will contend is the most challenging dimension of the role…

By: Chevy Cook In The Pentagon’s Virtuous Insurgency, the authors state that “the military neither recognizes nor leverages junior enlisted talent.” Adding to the problem, the military often reserves the right to craft ideas in the more senior ranks, comprised of people who are creations of the not-so-crafty establishment they…

By: Taylor Freitas What does a “People First” Army look like? Senior leadership envision it as “investing resources in our people… An organization that is truly inclusive where everyone feels like a valued member of the team.”[1] Our duty as leaders requires us to find ways to translate that guidance…

Army Aviation: Alternatives to the 10-year Service Obligation By: Patrick Hoffinger The US Army is losing pilots at an alarming rate. About 10% of its active force per year exits the service for other opportunities, far beyond what it can hope to replace with new Aviators.[1] Army Aviation leaders have…