Writing with Precision is a practical manual that teaches clarity. The book offers many specific ‘ways’ to be clear; so many in fact, one must practice them to understand. Fortunately for us, Writing with Precision includes a handful of practical exercises.

The author Jefferson Bates is a former NASA writer of some renown and published the first edition in 1978. In the book, he lays out what he learned over four decades as a professional writer who focused on clarity in government documents. His cover letters, memos, instructions, regulations, and reports were the acme of precision, and he was a key player in de-mystifying government writing…and I thought it was bad now. Some may think this is too pedantic a topic but it gives those of us in government service something to ponder. Specifically, what has the culture of the military taught us about writing that isn’t helpful? Bates sees eliminating jargon, vogue words, and gobbledygook as a start.

Bates breaks Writing with Precision into several parts which cover a variety of topics. Part 1 focuses on writing with 10 principles and 7 axioms. Part 2 covers editing skills while Part 3 is a handbook organized in alphabetical order that further explains and complements his principles and axioms. Finally, Part 4 is a series of practical exercises with answers and comments. Throughout all four parts, Bates adds checklists and exercises to drive home his points.

Overall, a worthy read for those on a quest to write better. My two biggest takeaways were a new method for building an outline using index cards and the reasons you SHOULD use passive voice. This will go on my reference shelf. It is a great tool to come back to as you edit your own (or someone else’s) work.

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher L’Heureux is an Armor Officer who tries to write, likes to think, and routinely sips whisk(e)y.

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The “Meet the Staff” initiative is an opportunity for staff officers to explain who you are and what you do to all the Field Grade Officers that never had the chance to learn why they need you. 

When you signed up for the military, you probably weren’t picturing cubicles, PowerPoint slides, or the daily office grind. However, most of us find ourselves on staff within the first few years, if not immediately upon joining a unit. The Army’s first taste of staff work is usually at the Battalion level (~400-700 Soldiers). These staff sections are Soldiers, NCOs, and officers who specialize in necessary functions, i.e., logistics, communications, operations, etc. Staffs grow in complexity and size; for example, a division staff is several hundred people! 

The dynamics of the staff can be daunting, complicated, and often can create friction. Upon entering the field grade ranks, many officers will find themselves as the Executive Officer (XO), Chief of Staff (CoS), or the Operations Officer (S3) within a Battalion, or a staff primary at a higher echelon. This initiative is an opportunity for those staff officers to tell their new XO and S3 what they bring to the fight. What would you want to say to those newly minted FGOs about your staff section to make not only you but the organization successful? If you’ve been on staff for a while, you’ve probably had someone ask for a capability brief or worked with someone who didn’t know how to work with you. Look at this as an opportunity to rectify that. Just keep it unclassified – looking at you S2!

We want to hear from all of you!
S1 – Personnel
S2 – Intelligence
S3 – Operations
S4 – Sustainment
S6 – Communications
CHEMO – Chemical Officer

Don’t be shy about submitting something else, either. We’re looking at you, Chaplain, G3/5/7, S2X, G8, G9, IO, Cyber, Space, and all other staff sections.  Let’s hear what you bring to the fight!

Interested in submitting an article? Shoot us an email with the topic at fieldgradeleader@gmail.com. Here are some additional notes: 

• The target for submissions is approximately 1,000 words, though longer and shorter articles are acceptable. 

• Please notify us of your intent to write a piece NLT 13DEC.  
• All pieces will need to be submitted NLT 28DEC.
• Please include a title for your article. 
• If interested, please include a high-quality photograph (approximately 100K), with photographer attribution and photo date, to accompany your article. If unavailable, we will provide a photo to accompany your article. 
• Please include a short bio to accompany your submission. Here is an example: 

MAJ XXX is currently a PhD Student at the Colorado School of Mines. An Armor officer, he/she has served in Armor and Infantry Brigade Combat Teams with operational experience in Iraq and Africa. He completed his KD time in 3/1AD (ABCT) and recently redeployed from Iraq as the Joint Command Inspector General for CJFLCC-OIR and 1st Armored Division. 

• Articles will be selected for publication based on readability and relevance to the Field Grade Leader audience. 
• Articles should be submitted via email to fieldgradeleader@gmail.com in Microsoft Word format. 
• Please include hyperlinks and footnotes as required. 

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Part of a book club a few years back, I read and discussed a book that half the group thought read like a college paper. They were turned-off, their attention applied to structure over the content. This skewed the subsequent discussion away from the author’s arguments towards the monotonous tone of the book. It was a well-reasoned and thoughtful thesis, but it did not capture the attention of at least half of us. How do you prevent that in your own writing?

Improving your ability to write is difficult; not only must your ideas be logical, but you must be engaged to keep an audience. Feedback is essential but difficult to obtain, particularly if you are a halfway decent writer.

“It’s a good essay but kinda boring.”

“Thanks,” you say, “Any ideas to liven it up?”

“Uhhhh…no.”

Reflective practice is something we can use to self-develop and this book gave me a few basics to apply. In less than 100 pages, Strunk and White give eleven rules of usage, eleven principles of composition, some thoughts on the form, pitfalls of expression, and an approach to a writing style.

The elements of usage cover important mechanics of grammar-focused on sentence structure. Many of the elements are not new and upon introspection, are things I am aware of in my writing. A few reminders were in the store, nevertheless. I forgot what an appositive was or why to use a dash in a sentence. Tense is now something I think about deliberately while I write instead of listening for it during the editing phase. This section refreshed my memory of knowledge lost from decades of using Microsoft Word.

While the first 13-pages dwell on sentence structure, the principles of composition relate more directly to the art of writing. Again, there is nothing here not learned in high school except that exceptions exist for every principle. Have an outline but do not tie yourself to it. Use the active voice except when the action is more important than the actor. Do not use split infinitives unless it adds clarity. Express ideas in a similar form but do not use the same sentence structure over and over; watch for that singsong effect of mechanical symmetry.

The composition makes up the paragraph, but form guides the structure which will vary depending upon the style you use. APA is different than Chicago for example. If you don’t have a go-to, Strunk and White give you a shortlist to consider.

After form, the writers shift to the misuse of words and expression. This section helps bring clarity by replacing vague words with the concrete. Most understand the difference between effect and affect but do you remember the difference between compare and contrast? That is a stronger word than which. The ball that, refers to something concrete while the ball which, is somewhat weaker. Further describes conceptual distance while farther defines actual measurable distance. The list is long and not something you can memorize, but it is a useful resource. I used it to look up the difference between however and nevertheless while writing this.

The last section is a conversation about developing a writing style which I took as how you want the reader to perceive your writing. Do you want to be read as honest, funny, or considerate? Strunk and White give 21 different points to consider, but first, decide who are you writing for and what you aim to achieve. With that answered, you can focus on being clear, concise, and persuasive. You can keep a similar form but avoid mechanical symmetry. What else? Be purposeful about where you place your emphasis. Revise and rewrite. Be specific, definite, and concrete. For example, write rifle instead of weapon or write M4 instead of rifle; it depends on the audience. There are many other bits of knowledge in the last section that I try to practice in my writing. I am not sure what style will emerge, but I know I am more thoughtful in my approach.

Elements of Style is a worthy read and its greatest piece of advice to remember is this: writing is about the reader. Whatever keeps the reader’s attention, makes it clear, and best conveys the message is your aim – even if you break established conventions or rules.

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher L’Heureux is learning to write and an Armor Officer currently assigned as an instructor at the School of Command Preparation. He commanded 2d Squadron, 2d US Cavalry in Vilseck, Germany.

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