Nicholas V.’s Post

🔥 GO change the Air Force they said… 🔥2nd AF has sent out a TASKORD 24-003 implementing Airmanship 200. Sheppard Chaplain Corps created this curriculum and led the wing team that has accomplished this great task. Two years in the making, impacting 93.1% of all Airmen in training each year. 🔥There is a lot of discussion in the AF of what does it take to prepare Airmen to be Mission Ready Airmen. Part of this process is reoptimizing the AF for Great Power Competition (GPC) and part of this process is reoptimizing our Airmen in training. 🔥 We will build a better Airman, a more stable and resilient Airman. #Training, #Resiliency, #GPCReady

When will we switch from race-based targets to just helping every candidate excel based on their abilities and drive? Having worked on a USAF Military Basic Training project in 2023 where the focus is a more resilient airman, I have seen the focus on the wrong things and I have seen many leaders focused on the right things. It is clear that the cadre of available candidates in society are weaker, less capable, and less motivated - perhaps than ever before. That probably says more about society today than anything else. I’ve seen MTs who want to increase the drop-out rate so we only have the best candidates moving forward. And I’ve seen the conflicting drive to reduce the drop-out rate so we have greater numbers moving forward. Heaven forbid we have a draft and have to train a lower-motivated group of individuals conscripted to fight. https://lnkd.in/esB8kNav

6 years enlisted in the Marine Corps & 15 years as an Army Officer (3x Battalion S3 Operations Officer/Project Manager), taught me the unequivocal value of preparatory commands. Whether marching troops from A to B as a Sergeant or writing out a detailed order & timeline for 2,500 personnel, preparatory commands/warning orders (WARNO) are essential for successful execution of the mission. As an S3 primary in 3 different organizations, one of my favorite sayings was, "A person is smart but people are stupid. if you want a group of people to do what you want, and do it well the first time, you have to dummy proof it by warning them what you plan to do in summary (express your intent, critical actions, & end state), put this in writing (Order) using simple language and specific instructions by phase, & finally provide a detailed timeline with milestones (sync matrix) that will serve as a roadmap to keep everyone aligned. In a group, humans mill around until someone gets their attention and tells them what's coming before it gets there. If it takes a few seconds for a military formation to get the drift, a civilian gaggle takes an hour." But it all starts with that WARNO, that critical preparatory command. Marines know how to march. We spend 2 weeks in boot camp just marching. Yet, without a preparatory command, even the best Marines will struggle to execute as one. If you want to execute well, you need to start off on the right foot, & you do this by always issuing preparatory commands. As a platoon leader in combat, as a good S3, as a company Commander, I learned that in order for the mission to go well, a lot depended on the quality of my initial WARNO / preparatory command. Good initial sync & great outcomes are influenced by solid preparatory commands. "In the military, orders given by a senior to a junior member are typically given in two parts: the preparatory command which is intended to ready you for action; and the command of execution which tells you when to take action." "When people know where they are supposed to go & when they are supposed to move, it is easy to get people from one place to another or to accomplish a specific task. When leaders skip the preparatory command and go to straight to the command of execution, confusion can ensue if it isn’t entirely clear what people are supposed to do. As a leader, think carefully about what you do to prepare people for action. What do you do to get their attention? Clear your throat? If you are a conductor, you might tap the sheet music stand with your baton. Or you may rise from a seated position in a meeting. The signals we give to people can have a major impact on how people react to us. Consideration of how thoughts are transferred from one person to another, especially if an action is required, can impact your success." #WARNO #Ordersprocess #Preparatorycommand #Sync #Bestbusinesspractice #PM #S3 #Projectmanagement #USMC #USA #Officership #Organizationalleadership

Are you interested in becoming an Army officer after graduation? Look no further than ROTC! ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) offers Basic and Advanced Courses for students who have committed to entering a contract and completing the program. Contracted students have the opportunity to enter the Army as an officer upon graduation, either on Active or Reserve duty. While most students are contracted on scholarship, some are contracted non-scholarship in conjunction with National Guard or Reserve service. It's important to note that a student MUST be contracted in order to enter the Advanced Course, and Basic Course credit must be obtained before entering the Advanced Course. If you're a Cadet who is qualified to contract, you'll most likely do so during your Sophomore year, unless you're on a 4 year National Scholarship, in which case you'll contract during your Freshman year. Not only does ROTC offer the opportunity to become an Army officer, but it also allows Cadets to evaluate their ability to handle college life and course work during their Freshman year. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to gain valuable leadership skills and serve your country. Contact your local ROTC program to learn more about becoming a contracted student. #armyrotc #joinarmyrotc #discipline #armyofficer #fitnessmotivation #inspiration #motivation #armystrong #rotc #scholarship #sandiego

New article "Agon—Are Military Officers Educated for Modern Society?" from Leif Inge Magnussen Ole Boe and Glenn-Egil Torgersen. This article explores the impact of a competitive environment on the personal leadership development of officer cadets and their relationships with teams and future civilian roles. It specifically investigates the potential learning outcomes of the 'hidden' curriculum. https://lnkd.in/dnkaGvih #military #competitiveenvironment #leadership

Today, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Eric M. Smith, signed the U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Annual Report (TEAR). Published and distributed by Lieutenant General Kevin M. Iiams, the commanding general of Training and Education Command, TEAR is the first annual report to be released since the publishing of Training and Education 2030 (TE2030) by General David H. Berger, the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps. The 14-page document outlines how TECOM has organized, progressed, and accomplished the 37 Force Design directed actions from TE2030. “The Training and Education Annual Report is another milestone on our modernization journey,” said Gen. Smith. “We continue to deliver on our promise to Congress, the Joint Force, our Allies and partners, and our Marines to ensure we are postured, manned, trained, and equipped for a peer fight while ensuring we remain ready for any crisis. I can’t say enough about the efforts of Lt. Gen. Iiams and his team, who keep pushing us forward. Our Corps remains at the cutting edge of training and education, which allows our Marines to continue to survive and thrive in any clime and place.” TECOM has codified Three Primary Projects, also known as the Three Ts, to accomplish its Force Design obligations: Project Triumph, Project Trident, and Project Tripoli. Collectively, these projects are providing the Fleet Marine Force with the standards, curriculum, and training environments it needs to prepare, fight, and win in the future highly contested multi-domain battle space. To learn more about the Three Ts, read the full press release and download a copy of the report ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/et-239R2

This week I share my thoughts on the changing and ambiguous guidance given to the NCO Corps, which challenges our ability to master our roles. Check out my latest substack below.

As a Dean of an in-residence Senior Level School ( Marine Corps War College) I think the author of the following article correctly addresses a number of problems service members, the different services, and the Joint force as a whole have with Joint Professional Military Education delivered remotely through various distance ed programs. However, I think given that the vast majority of service members get their JPME I and/ or II qualifications through a distance program the fix he proposes may be a bridge too far. Additionally even if one particular solution ( in this case the idea that every service member be given a six week time period to conduct a hybrid distance and in-residence program) was workable, the huge variety of situations service members find themselves in throughout a busy military career would suggest to me the need for a continuation of a number of diverse distance ed programs. Check out the article here!

A colleague recently mentioned that Instructional Design as a discipline traces its roots back to World War II. This piqued my interest, as I had the privilege of working in a role where exploring archives and picture repositories was part of my everyday work. So, I dove in and discovered some training manuals and job aids that could be considered part of the first-ever instructional design materials. (Definitely exaggerating) During WWII, thousands of soldiers—many without military or engineering backgrounds—needed to be trained quickly. In response, the US Navy, War, and Air Force Departments created job aids to support the new recruits. These guides ranged from highly technical manuals to posters designed to help laymen identify aircraft or naval vessels from a distance. It is fascinating to know that such small steps as creating workbooks and show-and-tell cards laid the foundation for how we approach knowledge transfer today. What were once wartime necessities have now become the building blocks of modern instructional design, changing not just military training but how knowledge is shared across industries and disciplines. #InstructionalDesign #WWII

The Validation Spectrum As I look towards the second half of my life (hopefully), I often think about the past. I have devoted well over half my life to my country, 22 years in the Navy, and now 5 years with the US Coast Guard. I wrote three books. I wrote a chapter for a book on terrorism. I taught for three years at the US Naval Academy. Yet, I often feel like I have not accomplished enough. In other words, I feel like a failure. In some part, that is due to a lack of validation at work. Yes, I am one of those folks that needs to be acknowledged - directly. To be honest, I have no idea why I am like that...I just am. I suppose, in some way, it is because I spent the majority of my professional life in the closet, and I felt like I had to be the best and do everything perfectly to make sure no one ever found the keys to that closet. Of course, not all of your people are like me. Some need no validation at all. Others need very little. Folks like me are somewhere in the middle. I would like more validation, but I am still going to excel without it. How well do you know your people? Do you know where your people fall on the validation spectrum? I made that phrase up, but you get the idea. #leadership #mentorship #USCoastGuard US Navy #validation