It’s been two years since I completed my Field Grade Key and Developmental (KD) time. Since then, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to gather my thoughts and reflect on my time as a Battalion and Brigade S3. By no means does my experience make me an expert. If anything, it’s an opportunity to think. My intent is to reinforce common fundamentals with personally unique thoughts. Much of it is directed at the man in the mirror.
There I was…It was 2013, I was an aviation battalion S-3 in Afghanistan, and my boss had just given me less than 24 hours to write an argumentative essay. Someone at a higher headquarters wanted to redeploy one of our aerial medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter companies without replacing it. My boss believed this decision would severely impede MEDEVAC in our area of operations and the division commander agreed. He said he would take the issue to his boss and asked us to provide a short paper summarizing our analysis and recommendation. The writing fell to me. I had thought I’d left the argumentative essay behind two years earlier when I graduated from the Command and General Staff College (CGSC). But once again, I found myself crafting a thesis, gathering evidence, and writing an argument.
Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.
This article will review the authors observed trends of new field grades reintroduced back into their respective formations following their year of study at Command and General Staff College (CGSC). It will provide a synopsis of four areas that new field grades inquire about the most before they take on a staff position and considerations on how the environment has changed due to COVID19 since their last position prior to CGSC.
Today marks a bitter day in the fight against Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the disease caused by the virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Army lost a good leader today, a friend to many across the Army Reserve and Joint communities. He will remain nameless here. His cause of death is still not disclosed, though COVID-19 symptoms appear to have contributed to his death. And by the time you read this, his death will be in the past. The Army will have moved on in a positive direction, with new ways to organize its command and control systems (C2) in the age of COVID. These innovative ways are driven by the mission command approach and by the management of people, processes, networks, and the organization (command post). This leader’s death strikes a lot of America’s front–line warriors personally, as do all deaths and sicknesses caused by this disease. But we Soldier on.
When asked by a peer and fellow field grade officer, Major Josh Powers, to discuss my thoughts that would best prepare the recent graduates of Command and Staff as they transition back to the operating forces, many themes and ideas came to mind. One idea stood alone…
It was Romania, and four feet of snow had fallen the night before. Nearly all functions base-wide had been shut down for two days, but my Detachment still had a mission to do. With limited support, to include an impassable three-mile stretch to our office, my Detachment Sergeant and I were literally frozen in time. As we walked through a dug out tunnel of snow to our dining facility, we war-gamed what was important, what could wait, and what just didn’t matter anymore. We knew that we had to decide how and when to put our soldiers in harm’s way to complete the essential aspects of our mission. Even considering the Army’s prescribed Mission Essential Tasks (METs), our definition of essential had changed.
For those who have met me in real life or follow me on Twitter, you have probably noticed I have a minor obsession with the fictional BBC character Dr. Who. Gifs, memes, and quotes from various regenerations of The Doctor litter my timeline. I’ve even suggested more than once that he can serve as a model of military leadership ideals; an idea beyond the scope of this piece.
The old man slowly walks out to speak for the first time to a crowd of battle-weary and disillusioned soldiers. There is little adornment on his ill-fitting uniform, and he clearly does not have the upright walk of a younger man. None the less, there is something about his bearing that catches the crowd’s eye. He appears confident and sure of himself, even if he clearly fails to meet the physical standards expected of a man leading warriors.
A leader who demands perfection is bound to end up disappointed. This is not to say that leaders should accept sub-par performance, but they should see this as a chance to develop an imperfect subordinate, not to dismiss them altogether. A zero-failure leader is one who will not tolerate a lapse in performance or ability, and who treats all transgressions, regardless of severity or impact, as being equally intolerable. This in itself may seem like a sound approach, but it is in reality idealistic. A leader may aim for a zero-failure organisation, but if that is their expectation and if it forms a part of their leadership philosophy, they are setting themselves up for failure.
How could I turn down an opportunity to publish in The Field Grade Leader’s most recent challenge to find the best quote in Donald Robertson’s How to think like a Roman Emperor? It is a simple challenge to find the most memorable quote and how it could help us be better leaders in the profession of arms. The quote I offer cannot be found in this book nor any of Robertson’s other works. Don’t get me wrong; Donald Robertson is an exceptional author and an amazing communicator of Stoic philosophy. In the book, “How to Think Like a Roman Emperor,” he brought to life the story and history of Marcus Aurelius in a way that inspires both the general public and military leaders. It is the desire for greater understanding of philosophy that I hope Robertson has imparted in his works. The best quotes to make us better military leaders will likely be found in the additional books on philosophy we read.