“Ryan, you will be moving to the S4 in 90 days,” my Battalion CDR said to me as we met in Afghanistan for the first time.  I was an Executive Officer in the Forward Support Company (FSC) and deployed advanced echelon (ADVON) for the battalion.  “What did I do wrong”, I thought.  This was my second deployment with the FSC, and I had been part of the year-long train up to this deployment.  I wanted to be with our company, not sitting on battalion staff.  It turned out to be a great learning experience and set me up for future success.  As you come out of a leade ..read more

AIM 2.0 In 2019 the Army introduced a new system to improve talent management and retention rates among officers. The new system, “Army Interactive Module” (AIM), is a web-based application that empowers officers by allowing them to preference assignments and take a more active role in career management. This system is a powerful tool for officers seeking new assignments and career growth but may mislead junior company-grade officers who do not understand the subtle differences of Army units. Domains of Leader Development “Institutional, Operational, and Self-Development,” are the three do ..read more

So, you’re a lieutenant who has finished their Platoon Leader time. Whether OCS, ROTC, or USMA, your commissioning source likely focused mostly on your PL time when preparing you for your junior officer years. The majority of your unit’s field grade officers will likely refer to this as the best time in their career. You might feel a bit unenthusiastic or lost about whatever comes next. For some, it will be staff time. For others, Executive Officer in a line Battery or Company. For still others, including myself, you will be an HHB or HHC XO. That exists? I wasn’t aware of it either. I tra ..read more

It is tempting for a junior officer to view their commissioning day as a graduation or an endpoint. The learning is over. On the contrary, however, commissioning day is really the beginning for that young 2LT, where a continuous learning mindset is vital for success within the profession of arms. As a young officer, I (Bo) remember disliking even the thought of my commander giving me something to read. “I have too much going on here that you have asked me to do,” I wanted to say. At the time, I did not know just how valuable that professional development would be. In hindsight, I can now r ..read more

Leaders have many responsibilities, but none as important as having the clarity to make good decisions. Effective leadership begins with managing one’s mental energy and intentionally using their time and attention to enable good judgment and decision-making. In an ever-connected modern world and the relentless flow of information, however, has made this much more difficult. This article aims to share some research behind the topic as well as offer some considerations for managing your own mental energy. Our relationship with technology, especially internet-enabled tools like e-mail and sm ..read more

“Welcome to the leaf eaters!” That was how my tactical officer greeted me the day he found out I branched Ordnance. Over the last decade, multiple deployments, time in a litany of different sustainment units at every echelon, and more lost sleep than we care to admit, we have learned a few things along the way. A great mentor once told us “Don’t repeat my mistakes, make new ones.” In that spirit, here are eight things we wish we had known prior to entering the logistics field. The best leaders are good at PT. Except when they aren’t. Physical training is always the first event scheduled an ..read more

“The irony here is that trust is often criticized by managers as ‘soft’ and seemingly intractable concept, yet it may be a necessary condition for attaining the competitive advantage associated with strategic and structural innovations.” (Ellen Whitener) The Decline of Trust One could argue we live in an age of distrust. Ian Ward used the term “National Divorce” to frame America’s current political crisis and broader symptoms of eroding social trust. A recent Gallup survey found favorable opinions in U.S. institutions such as the military, church/organized religion, news, medical systems ..read more

Whether we like them or not, meetings are an essential part of our profession. Officers are responsible for planning and resourcing events, which inevitably involves bringing people together for, yes, a meeting. As a junior officer, you will lead sync meetings with 3-4 people for a few minutes, or meetings with a whole platoon, staff section, or company leadership team for a longer duration. Over the past 18 years, both in the military and civilian positions, I’ve sat through my share of meetings. From the motor pool at Fort Hood, Texas, to volunteering with Team RWB, to staffing a politic ..read more

     As of July 24th, the conflict in Ukraine has roiled without stopping. Important lessons that junior officers stand to gain insight from continue to emerge. Many of these lessons reinforce key doctrine and expectations of U.S. leadership. Dr. Jan Kallberg, a non-resident senior fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis and Army Cyber Institute, recently wrote “Junior Officers on the Battlefields of Ukraine,” a piece important to the analysis in this article that showcases how Junior officers’ critical leade ..read more

“Show up fit.” For many, it’s the first leadership gem Junior Officers are exposed to when they begin their journey to commissioning. From mentors, guest speakers, instructors, branch Commandants, and everyone in between, the need to “show up fit” is highlighted from the moment you take your first oath to when you receive your initial counseling from your battalion commander. From a leadership perspective, physical fitness is not something you’ll often see written about in journals of psychology or leadership books picked up from the civilian side. So why is there such a large emphasis? Th ..read more