I have spent too much time thinking about one assignment for ILE: write a blog. I understand that ILE is supposed to push me and expand my horizons in areas that are not within my comfort zone. However, I am extremely uncomfortable putting my opinions on the web for an indefinite period of time. A simple Google search of my name returns my name as associated with blogs at the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2005), Jews in Green (for Jewish service members) (2005), Grace Centered Christianity (an article I wrote was included and I was quoted - then taken out of context by someone. My statements were used by several people to argue for and against the same topic, then based on my Jews in Green post that I was not a suitable character reference for a Christian argument) (unknown date), Travelpod (a friend mentions me - in vain - in reference to a group I belonged to in Dushanbe, Tajikistan) (2008). I also found my old credit card number with Card Code Verification and billing address…swell.
I simply don’t want to blog. I think it’s stupid. I don’t want any more references to me on the net unless I want to put them there. Now for at least several years, my ILE assignment comments will endure.
This leads me to ask: what is the intent of this assignment? The concept leads students to take encouragement in learning how to use modern media formats and in engaging the public as an Army Officer. I would argue that whether I engage America at large as an Officer is my prerogative. I do not believe that it is within the realm of Army leadership (I won’t say my commander, since I’m TDY and it isn’t my commander who has ordered me to do this nonsense) to order me to write a blog. I compare this to forcing me to sign up for a self-help site, ordering me to sell things on eBay, or forcing me to join eHarmony - if I were single). If I choose to use a computer outside of class and work, that is my option. I have given the Army enough of my time, and I have already sacrificed more than I wanted to. Are my senior leaders in the Army War College being taught to direct their subordinates to blog about their job and life experience outside of work? I have lived this long without creating my own blog or commenting on others’ blogs except once, when I felt it was necessary. I wrote on one blog and only one time. That is sufficient for me.
If the Army’s senior leadership is moving toward more engagement with modern technology and communications format, then good on them. I am moving away from them. I question the intent of an organization that is controlling the access of their employees…especially one that is not limiting it but forcing their employees to use it.
I host my own website to update my family and friends on my travels and experiences. Does this meet the requirement of engaging the public? What really does this do for me, for my job, or for my experience? Comments are appreciated, complaints not necessary.
Thanks,
MAJ Joel Kleehammer
Student, ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
Small Group 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense or the US Government.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Army Leadership for Combat Arms vs. Army Organizational Management for Combat Service Support (CSS)
All of the mandatory Army leadership training I have attended throughout my career is generally focused on combat arms in combat situations. Although every soldier is supposed to be an infantry man first, I highly doubt that I would ever be selected to lead a charge to “take the hill”. I entered the service as an enlisted soldier and went on to become an officer. My branch is Signal. All of my assignments have been at Brigade HQs level or above in a sustaining base environment. I am currently working on attaining a new functional area in Acquisition Management. Unless one can lead troops through combat with a Program Objective Memorandum (POM) or an obligation plan shown on a power point presentation, we need to start thinking about tailoring leadership training to a soldier’s actual career path. I can almost see myself yelling “charge” with spreadsheet and projector in hand as I lead troops up that hill.
I think it is time the Army considers training CSS leaders to be senior level managers of organizations. Organization management is seemingly an on the job training event for mid-level managers in the Army, otherwise known as Majors. In this context I define “organization” as a Battalion sized unit or larger with a sustaining base mission. An example of the type of training focus I am talking about is a graduate level education in Organization Management as it is offered in civilian universities. A sample curriculum follows:
Foundation Courses
ORSC 209 Management SystemsECON 219 Managerial EconomicsPSYC 245 Seminar: Organizational BehaviorSTAT 104 Statistics in Management, Administration, and Policy Studies
Required Courses
ORSC 216 Theories and Management of Planned Change ORSC 241 Strategic Management and Policy Formation ORSC 242 Organizational Communication and Conflict Management ORSC 243 Seminar: Leadership in Complex OrganizationsPSYC 259 Psychology of Individual and Group Decision Making
Electives (select 3)
ORSC 201 Principles of Management Information SystemsORSC 212 Current Principles in Personnel Testing and SelectionORSC 214 Personnel Training and Performance Appraisal SystemsORSC 217 Productivity and Human PerformanceORSC 220 Organizational Decision MakingORSC 222 Theory and Practice of Compensation ManagementORSC 223 Collective BargainingORSC 246 Comparative ManagementORSC 248 Strategic Human Resources PlanningORSC 249 Human Resources Information SystemsORSC 250 Leadership Coaching: Principles and PracticesORSC 251 Team Coaching and FacilitationORSC 252 Practicum in Leadership CoachingORSC 295 Directed ResearchORSC 297 Special TopicsORSC 298 Directed Reading
The operation of a military hospital, information technology (IT) organization, school house or logistics support organization to name a few, can be approached from a civilian corporate perspective. Although the mission and culture to a degree are different in the military, the principles taught in the civilian world can apply to any organization.
If the military is paying for the graduate level training [i.e. ILE and War College etc.] of combat arms leaders in their field of expertise, then would it not be fair to do the same for CSS leaders? It seems like a win-win situation to me to provide CSS leaders with the tools they need to successfully run our military hospitals, school houses, IT organizations etc. If there is anything going on in the Army like this today, I am unaware of its existence. The senior level managers in the CSS field I have encountered have largely educated themselves at their own expense. I write this as I intend to pursue a Masters Degree in Organizational Management in the very near future. It would have been nice to have it funded completely by the Army…
MAJ Marla Seeman
Student, CGSC
Ft Belvior, VA
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense or the US Government.
I think it is time the Army considers training CSS leaders to be senior level managers of organizations. Organization management is seemingly an on the job training event for mid-level managers in the Army, otherwise known as Majors. In this context I define “organization” as a Battalion sized unit or larger with a sustaining base mission. An example of the type of training focus I am talking about is a graduate level education in Organization Management as it is offered in civilian universities. A sample curriculum follows:
Foundation Courses
ORSC 209 Management SystemsECON 219 Managerial EconomicsPSYC 245 Seminar: Organizational BehaviorSTAT 104 Statistics in Management, Administration, and Policy Studies
Required Courses
ORSC 216 Theories and Management of Planned Change ORSC 241 Strategic Management and Policy Formation ORSC 242 Organizational Communication and Conflict Management ORSC 243 Seminar: Leadership in Complex OrganizationsPSYC 259 Psychology of Individual and Group Decision Making
Electives (select 3)
ORSC 201 Principles of Management Information SystemsORSC 212 Current Principles in Personnel Testing and SelectionORSC 214 Personnel Training and Performance Appraisal SystemsORSC 217 Productivity and Human PerformanceORSC 220 Organizational Decision MakingORSC 222 Theory and Practice of Compensation ManagementORSC 223 Collective BargainingORSC 246 Comparative ManagementORSC 248 Strategic Human Resources PlanningORSC 249 Human Resources Information SystemsORSC 250 Leadership Coaching: Principles and PracticesORSC 251 Team Coaching and FacilitationORSC 252 Practicum in Leadership CoachingORSC 295 Directed ResearchORSC 297 Special TopicsORSC 298 Directed Reading
The operation of a military hospital, information technology (IT) organization, school house or logistics support organization to name a few, can be approached from a civilian corporate perspective. Although the mission and culture to a degree are different in the military, the principles taught in the civilian world can apply to any organization.
If the military is paying for the graduate level training [i.e. ILE and War College etc.] of combat arms leaders in their field of expertise, then would it not be fair to do the same for CSS leaders? It seems like a win-win situation to me to provide CSS leaders with the tools they need to successfully run our military hospitals, school houses, IT organizations etc. If there is anything going on in the Army like this today, I am unaware of its existence. The senior level managers in the CSS field I have encountered have largely educated themselves at their own expense. I write this as I intend to pursue a Masters Degree in Organizational Management in the very near future. It would have been nice to have it funded completely by the Army…
MAJ Marla Seeman
Student, CGSC
Ft Belvior, VA
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense or the US Government.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Mentorship
Mentorship is a concept that I believe may be falling by the wayside in the Army; at least that is my experience and many of my peers who share the same view. I do realize that this may not be the case for everyone.
For the majority of my military career, I have stumbled my way through life as a Soldier without really having a true mentor. For my 6 1/2 years as an enlisted Soldier, I had what I thought to be mentors who did provide me some advice here and there. Most times, it was helpful information that I used where it applied at the time. To a degree, that advice helped me to become what I considered to be successful.
After becoming a commissioned officer, I never found or had a true mentor. I originally branched as an AG officer. I worked with great officers in each of my units who did give me some guidance and helpful hints/tips along the way. But I never had that unbiased person outside my organization to provide me with the suggested fundamental guide path to become a successful AG officer in the Army.
Now that I have changed my branch and have become a Psychological Operations Officer (37A). I have found a great mentor. My mentor is my former battalion commander. He has helped me to realize what is takes to be successful as a PSYOP officer. He knows what it takes and he shares the recipe with me. I am now gaining a clear focus and understanding of what I need to do in my career. But it took an 18 year in the Army to find a good mentor.
Now that I have reached the level of a field grade officer, I understand the true value of mentor ship. Any opportunity that presents itself to me, I will be sure to provide that mentorship to any junior officer seeking the same guidance that I sought as a junior officer.
Major Larry Wayne Smalls
Student,
CGSC, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
For the majority of my military career, I have stumbled my way through life as a Soldier without really having a true mentor. For my 6 1/2 years as an enlisted Soldier, I had what I thought to be mentors who did provide me some advice here and there. Most times, it was helpful information that I used where it applied at the time. To a degree, that advice helped me to become what I considered to be successful.
After becoming a commissioned officer, I never found or had a true mentor. I originally branched as an AG officer. I worked with great officers in each of my units who did give me some guidance and helpful hints/tips along the way. But I never had that unbiased person outside my organization to provide me with the suggested fundamental guide path to become a successful AG officer in the Army.
Now that I have changed my branch and have become a Psychological Operations Officer (37A). I have found a great mentor. My mentor is my former battalion commander. He has helped me to realize what is takes to be successful as a PSYOP officer. He knows what it takes and he shares the recipe with me. I am now gaining a clear focus and understanding of what I need to do in my career. But it took an 18 year in the Army to find a good mentor.
Now that I have reached the level of a field grade officer, I understand the true value of mentor ship. Any opportunity that presents itself to me, I will be sure to provide that mentorship to any junior officer seeking the same guidance that I sought as a junior officer.
Major Larry Wayne Smalls
Student,
CGSC, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Army Song Alive and Well at Walter Reed
Ray,
I read your post with interest, since I have been the Master of Ceremonies at a an average of four ceremonies each quarter at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the last 22 months and attended an average of four more each quarter. Each of these ceremonies ended with a very enthusiastic singing of The Army Song by all (or almost all) in attendance. As the MC, it was been very heartening to see the degree of participation, and a relief at the end of the ceremony to expand the pent-up energy by singing myself. I was really quite pleased to see this tradition when I first arrived. I had first experienced the mass singing of The Army Song while stationed at Fort Drum, NY, from 2003 to 2005. All ceremonies conducted by the 10th Mountain Division (LI) ended with the singing of the Division Song and The Army Song. I did not know the Division Song (I was assigned to the Medical Department Activity) very well and so could not sing it very well. I did notice that the volume did pick up when the ceremony moved to The Army Song, since most people in attendance knew it.
At Walter Reed, we included the lyrics in the program for each ceremony that had a program (most did), so more people could participate by reading along.
I agree with your contention that all Soldiers and Army civil servants should learn The Army Song and participate in its public singing whenever possible. I would not want the Army to change to another Song, since we would simply be returning to a condition in which few people would know the Song and therefore could not sing along. Isn't The Army Song itself less than 20 years old? I don't remember being exposed to it at all when I was enlisted during the 1980s and early 90s. If we are still in the first generation of its existence, perhaps we just need more time to pass.
Again, thanks for starting this discussion.
Major Michael D. Dake
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
I read your post with interest, since I have been the Master of Ceremonies at a an average of four ceremonies each quarter at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the last 22 months and attended an average of four more each quarter. Each of these ceremonies ended with a very enthusiastic singing of The Army Song by all (or almost all) in attendance. As the MC, it was been very heartening to see the degree of participation, and a relief at the end of the ceremony to expand the pent-up energy by singing myself. I was really quite pleased to see this tradition when I first arrived. I had first experienced the mass singing of The Army Song while stationed at Fort Drum, NY, from 2003 to 2005. All ceremonies conducted by the 10th Mountain Division (LI) ended with the singing of the Division Song and The Army Song. I did not know the Division Song (I was assigned to the Medical Department Activity) very well and so could not sing it very well. I did notice that the volume did pick up when the ceremony moved to The Army Song, since most people in attendance knew it.
At Walter Reed, we included the lyrics in the program for each ceremony that had a program (most did), so more people could participate by reading along.
I agree with your contention that all Soldiers and Army civil servants should learn The Army Song and participate in its public singing whenever possible. I would not want the Army to change to another Song, since we would simply be returning to a condition in which few people would know the Song and therefore could not sing along. Isn't The Army Song itself less than 20 years old? I don't remember being exposed to it at all when I was enlisted during the 1980s and early 90s. If we are still in the first generation of its existence, perhaps we just need more time to pass.
Again, thanks for starting this discussion.
Major Michael D. Dake
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Army Song
A few days ago, I attended a mass retirement ceremony at Fort Myer, Virginia. It was held outdoors with The Old Guard marching on the parade field. The Old Guard was impressive and the attendees seemed to enjoy the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, the band played the Army Song: "The Army Goes Rolling Along." The Army Song is normally played at the conclusion of U.S. Army ceremonies. It is an Army custom that Soldiers stand at attention and sing the lyrics of the Army Song.
I started singing the Army Song, but my wife noticed that I was the only person who was singing in our vicinity. I was surprised that no one else, especially other Soldiers, were singing along.
I have also noticed at most other Army ceremonies that I have attended, there hasn't been great enthusiasm in singing the Army Song. Either people don't know the words to the song and just stand at attention or they sing along but not loudly enough to show some spirit. I'm not sure if it's like this throughout the Army, but I've served in tactical units and up to the Army Staff, and most of the time, I've haven't seen or heard enthusiasm in singing the Army Song.
Singing one's Service song is a way to express pride in one's Service. The Marines sing their Service song, the Marine Hymn, with great pride and exhilaration and they know the lyrics by heart.
I realize that this is a relatively insignificant issue to raise, especially when the Army is concerned about much greater issues. However, when the Army Song is played before national leaders and foreign dignitaries, not to mention along with other Service songs, the accompanying singing should reflect the pride of the Army.
Soldiers and Army Civilians should learn the Army Song (at least the first verse and the refrain) and sing it with pride and spirit when it's played. Or, the Army should replace it with another song that Soldiers and Army Civilians can truly sing with pride and spirit.
Major Ray Ceralde
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
At the end of the ceremony, the band played the Army Song: "The Army Goes Rolling Along." The Army Song is normally played at the conclusion of U.S. Army ceremonies. It is an Army custom that Soldiers stand at attention and sing the lyrics of the Army Song.
I started singing the Army Song, but my wife noticed that I was the only person who was singing in our vicinity. I was surprised that no one else, especially other Soldiers, were singing along.
I have also noticed at most other Army ceremonies that I have attended, there hasn't been great enthusiasm in singing the Army Song. Either people don't know the words to the song and just stand at attention or they sing along but not loudly enough to show some spirit. I'm not sure if it's like this throughout the Army, but I've served in tactical units and up to the Army Staff, and most of the time, I've haven't seen or heard enthusiasm in singing the Army Song.
Singing one's Service song is a way to express pride in one's Service. The Marines sing their Service song, the Marine Hymn, with great pride and exhilaration and they know the lyrics by heart.
I realize that this is a relatively insignificant issue to raise, especially when the Army is concerned about much greater issues. However, when the Army Song is played before national leaders and foreign dignitaries, not to mention along with other Service songs, the accompanying singing should reflect the pride of the Army.
Soldiers and Army Civilians should learn the Army Song (at least the first verse and the refrain) and sing it with pride and spirit when it's played. Or, the Army should replace it with another song that Soldiers and Army Civilians can truly sing with pride and spirit.
Major Ray Ceralde
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Measuring Productivity and Efficiency
All,
I am curious to what extent the rest of the Army is linking efficiency and productivity measures to unit funding.
About three years ago (around 2005/2006), the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) introduced PBAM (Productivity Based Adjustment Model) in an effort to link resources to outcomes. PBAM is actually a very complex, multi-component model, but in the interest of brevity and simplicity, this blog entry will only address the productivity and efficiency components. These components:
1) compare productivity against previous reporting periods,
2) compare efficiency against industry or command accepted and published standards,
3) financially reward or penalize health care facilities for their status compared to a base period.
Recurring reports are based on a rolling 12-month period, published monthly and compare the most current 12-month period against a 12-month base period. The defined base period is refreshed every fiscal year. Financial adjustments are cumulated and made three to four times a year.
For the pure productivity component of the model, each patient encounter is converted to an industry-accepted measure of work that is weighted to account for different levels of resource requirements. In an inpatient setting, these measures of work are referred to as RWPs or Relative Weighted Products, and in the outpatient setting, they are referred to as RVUs or Relative Value Units. If a facility’s aggregate productivity falls below the baseline, a negative adjustment is imposed. If productivity is above the baseline, the facility receives a positive adjustment.
The efficiency component compares a business unit’s productivity per provider per day against industry accepted and published standards. If the business unit’s efficiency falls below the benchmark, a penalty is imposed. When efficiency is above the benchmark, the facility receives a positive financial adjustment.
This is a very summary explanation of PBAM as a catalyst for further discussion. If so inclined, I am interested in reading how other Army departments are linking business unit productivity to resources in an effort to be better stewards of the tax dollar.
Thanks!
Burke
Major Burke Bristow
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
I am curious to what extent the rest of the Army is linking efficiency and productivity measures to unit funding.
About three years ago (around 2005/2006), the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) introduced PBAM (Productivity Based Adjustment Model) in an effort to link resources to outcomes. PBAM is actually a very complex, multi-component model, but in the interest of brevity and simplicity, this blog entry will only address the productivity and efficiency components. These components:
1) compare productivity against previous reporting periods,
2) compare efficiency against industry or command accepted and published standards,
3) financially reward or penalize health care facilities for their status compared to a base period.
Recurring reports are based on a rolling 12-month period, published monthly and compare the most current 12-month period against a 12-month base period. The defined base period is refreshed every fiscal year. Financial adjustments are cumulated and made three to four times a year.
For the pure productivity component of the model, each patient encounter is converted to an industry-accepted measure of work that is weighted to account for different levels of resource requirements. In an inpatient setting, these measures of work are referred to as RWPs or Relative Weighted Products, and in the outpatient setting, they are referred to as RVUs or Relative Value Units. If a facility’s aggregate productivity falls below the baseline, a negative adjustment is imposed. If productivity is above the baseline, the facility receives a positive adjustment.
The efficiency component compares a business unit’s productivity per provider per day against industry accepted and published standards. If the business unit’s efficiency falls below the benchmark, a penalty is imposed. When efficiency is above the benchmark, the facility receives a positive financial adjustment.
This is a very summary explanation of PBAM as a catalyst for further discussion. If so inclined, I am interested in reading how other Army departments are linking business unit productivity to resources in an effort to be better stewards of the tax dollar.
Thanks!
Burke
Major Burke Bristow
Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
ILE Class 09-002 BLOG
Hello fellow SG 29B Bloggers,
This is our class Blog site where those of you who have not found a blog site to suit you may contribute your thoughts and ideas. Please be mindful of the CGSC rules on blogging when submitting your post. If you have questions concerning this assignment, please feel free to ask me.
MAJ Marla Seeman
This is our class Blog site where those of you who have not found a blog site to suit you may contribute your thoughts and ideas. Please be mindful of the CGSC rules on blogging when submitting your post. If you have questions concerning this assignment, please feel free to ask me.
MAJ Marla Seeman
Friday, January 16, 2009
Welcome Class 29B
Look forward to working together with class 001-09 for the next 15 weeks. I appreciate everyones leadership and participation in the staff group duty positions. Please see the following 2 items which are open for discussion:
ITEM #1
A few of you have mentioned that you are interested in coordinating the reading assignments. One option is to assign each reading to volunteers who will read the passage carefully (in detail) and report back to the group with an outline of the reading in a word document. We need to establish rules such as:
1. Participation encouraged and is established up front so that assignments can be made.
2. Outline is due at least the day before (24 hours before due date). For example, if the reading is for a class on Wed, then summary must be available on Tuesday. One option is to use the class established 3 groups to divide up the readings.
ITEM #2
Some people have expressed having a class quiet time early in the morning for student reading time. Is there any opposition to having class room quiet time until 0745?
I look forward to your comments.
v/r,
LTC Margaret Yacovone
Student Saff Group Leader
CGSS, ILE Group SG 29B
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
ITEM #1
A few of you have mentioned that you are interested in coordinating the reading assignments. One option is to assign each reading to volunteers who will read the passage carefully (in detail) and report back to the group with an outline of the reading in a word document. We need to establish rules such as:
1. Participation encouraged and is established up front so that assignments can be made.
2. Outline is due at least the day before (24 hours before due date). For example, if the reading is for a class on Wed, then summary must be available on Tuesday. One option is to use the class established 3 groups to divide up the readings.
ITEM #2
Some people have expressed having a class quiet time early in the morning for student reading time. Is there any opposition to having class room quiet time until 0745?
I look forward to your comments.
v/r,
LTC Margaret Yacovone
Student Saff Group Leader
CGSS, ILE Group SG 29B
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Welcome to our BLOG Site
All,
Welcome to the official Blog site for Staff Group 29B. We are a group of professional military officers attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Fort Belvoir, VA. We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive.
Thank you,
Mike Mismash
MAJ, EN
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, Class 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of that particular author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
Welcome to the official Blog site for Staff Group 29B. We are a group of professional military officers attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Fort Belvoir, VA. We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive.
Thank you,
Mike Mismash
MAJ, EN
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, Class 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of that particular author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
All,
Welcome to the official Blog site for Staff Group 29B. We are a group of professional military officers attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Fort Belvoir, VA. We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive.
Thank you,
Mike Mismash
MAJ, EN
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, Class 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of that particular author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
Welcome to the official Blog site for Staff Group 29B. We are a group of professional military officers attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Fort Belvoir, VA. We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive.
Thank you,
Mike Mismash
MAJ, EN
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, Class 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of that particular author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
second try
My name is Major Eric hartunian, Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE, Ft Belvoir, VA
This is my second attemt at blogging. I have been in the Army for fifteen years, and am looking forward to at least another ten. I am formerly an FA officer, and now work in strategic plans. I deployed during 2006 to work with Kurdish border forces on the Iran-Iraq border. I enjoy reading my classmates posts, and hope to learn much from their experiences.
This blog is an interesting avenue to share experience and opinions that we may not get enough time to do during class.
Thanks,
Eric Hartunian
The views expressed in this blog are those of the auther and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.
This is my second attemt at blogging. I have been in the Army for fifteen years, and am looking forward to at least another ten. I am formerly an FA officer, and now work in strategic plans. I deployed during 2006 to work with Kurdish border forces on the Iran-Iraq border. I enjoy reading my classmates posts, and hope to learn much from their experiences.
This blog is an interesting avenue to share experience and opinions that we may not get enough time to do during class.
Thanks,
Eric Hartunian
The views expressed in this blog are those of the auther and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.
Free to Speak
It is interesting to hear my peers discuss how creative thinking is not always welcomed at the tactical level. Specifically, voicing how to accomplish some task or mission is not always appreciated. In some case, unless the commander is physically absent, those in positions lower in the chain on the battlefield cannot make the calls. In my current tour, I have been perched at the HQDA level in very secure surroundings (thank you soldiers forward), and it seems to me from this vantage point, officers throughout all ranks feel quite free and entitled to voice their opinions to those beyond their daily chain of command. I am constantly reading articles written by CPTS, MAJs, LTCs and beyond about how the Army should reorganize to address current threats, how Task Force X is tackling economic development in its AOR in Iraq, why the U.S. Army should invest more in biometrics, etc. Officers are being published everywhere I look and not just in military journals. It is not unusual to hear an officer say, "I am going to be submitting my article to Joint Forces Quarterly" or to see young field grade officers invited to D.C. to share their ideas from a paper they wrote at CGSC. Just today a CPT shared with me his blog that he created for a major news corporation while he was deployed in Iraq. True to my Army upbringing, my first question was, "were you told to do it or did you do it on your own?" I appreciate that much of what I read and hear, to include this CPTs blog, are not outlets to complain or insist that the Army has it all wrong (though those exist). In most cases, soldiers are sharing their stories or offerring suggestions about areas they genuinely care about improving.
Major Sam Reyna
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government
Major Sam Reyna
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government
Blog requirement
All,
My name is MAJ Eric Hartunian, student, Command and General Staff College, ILE, Ft Belvoir, VA.
This is my first blog entry. Looking forward to reading the rest of the team's posts. I am a former FA officer turned strategic plans. I am comming to CGSC from the Naval Postgraduate School in Ca. I have been in the Army for fifteen years, and looking forward to serving for at least another ten years. I've deployed once, and had a good experience in Iraq working with Kurds on the Iranian border. While I enjoy the academic environment, I am looking forward to getting back to a regular unit again. I hope this blog will be a good avenue for my classmates to exchange ideas and previous experiences.
Thanks,
Eric
The views expressed in this blog are those of the auther and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
My name is MAJ Eric Hartunian, student, Command and General Staff College, ILE, Ft Belvoir, VA.
This is my first blog entry. Looking forward to reading the rest of the team's posts. I am a former FA officer turned strategic plans. I am comming to CGSC from the Naval Postgraduate School in Ca. I have been in the Army for fifteen years, and looking forward to serving for at least another ten years. I've deployed once, and had a good experience in Iraq working with Kurds on the Iranian border. While I enjoy the academic environment, I am looking forward to getting back to a regular unit again. I hope this blog will be a good avenue for my classmates to exchange ideas and previous experiences.
Thanks,
Eric
The views expressed in this blog are those of the auther and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
Glad to be here (II)
Hello everyone,I'm glad to be here at Fort Belvoir with everybody in SG 29B! Honestly, its great to be back in the States, as my family and I are currently living in Germany, and I haven't spent any significant period of time back in the States in quite awhile. Although I really miss my family right now (my wife and I are the proud parents of two 8-month olds), I know that I will have a tremendous opportunity to apply what I learn in ILE at Fort Belvoir to my future military career.
Insofar as my future is concerned, I'm hoping to return to Germany and assume a Key Developmental position upon completion of this course. I am also hoping to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology within the next 4 years and eventually compete for a Professor of Military Science position at a major university, where I can also work towards a Doctorate in Psychology. After I leave the military, I would still like to work with servicemembers (specifically those working through different levels of PTSD) in the future.
Well, that's all for now...
Nathaniel J. Orlowski
MAJ, FA
ILE-CC (Command and General Staff College), Fort Belvoir, SG29B
"The views expressed in this BLOG are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
Insofar as my future is concerned, I'm hoping to return to Germany and assume a Key Developmental position upon completion of this course. I am also hoping to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology within the next 4 years and eventually compete for a Professor of Military Science position at a major university, where I can also work towards a Doctorate in Psychology. After I leave the military, I would still like to work with servicemembers (specifically those working through different levels of PTSD) in the future.
Well, that's all for now...
Nathaniel J. Orlowski
MAJ, FA
ILE-CC (Command and General Staff College), Fort Belvoir, SG29B
"The views expressed in this BLOG are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
PT Time
I believe physical fitness is the most important thing we, as soldiers, do on a daily basis. Since our staff group starts working at 0800 each morning I have been doing PT in the afternoon. Therefore this blog requirement is standing between me and working out so I will conclude the blog post haste and move to the gym. Thanks for reading.
Major Doug Legan
Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
"The views expressed in this "insert type" are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
Major Doug Legan
Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
"The views expressed in this "insert type" are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
Can I Just Sit Quietly and Learn?
Apparently not...
Some people thrive in an interactive learning environment...I do not. I am not criticizing or objecting to the format used in the classroom, however, I personnally learn better through visual more than audio. Maybe I have been conditioned through the Public School systems and/or previous military training that were not interactive, to sit quietly in class and listen. I catch myself at times being more preoccupied with trying to interact and expand and/or counter another students comments, that I miss the majority of what was said.
Major David Settje
Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
"The views expressed in this forum are those of the author and do not reflect the offical policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
Some people thrive in an interactive learning environment...I do not. I am not criticizing or objecting to the format used in the classroom, however, I personnally learn better through visual more than audio. Maybe I have been conditioned through the Public School systems and/or previous military training that were not interactive, to sit quietly in class and listen. I catch myself at times being more preoccupied with trying to interact and expand and/or counter another students comments, that I miss the majority of what was said.
Major David Settje
Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Ft. Belvoir, VA
"The views expressed in this forum are those of the author and do not reflect the offical policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
Military Technology and Doctrine Development
I am a student in the US Army Intermediate Level Education. One of the discussion topics today was whether Army doctrine has sufficiently kept up with technological advancements in military weaponry. Typically, technology progresses much faster than the doctrine writers can draft and publish guidance on the proper and legal uses of the weaponry. One problem doctrine writers face is drafting guidance that complies with national and international law. Often the new technology has not been contemplated by lawmakers or interpreted by any federal or international court system under current law. Drafting current doctrine that clearly complies with the law becomes nearly impossible.
One example of this involves the use of lasers in combat for the specific purpose of blinding the enemy. The issues become whether it is possible under existing international law to use these types of lasers in this manner and if so, when is such a use legal? Under international law, all can agree that any given use of a weapon may not be designed to cause unnecessary suffering. At first glance, it would seem that blinding the enemy is much more humane than killing the enemy. However, under current tribunal interpretation of the law, weapons designed to specifically inflict long-term suffering (like exploding glass shards) are considered in violation of the law. No international tribunal has examined this question as it relates to blinding lasers, making it very difficult for doctrine writers to create proper and legal uses of the weapon. Therefore, one reason doctrine has not kept pace with new military technology is because the law does not address and cannot be applied to the new technology.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
MAJ Kelli Petersen, Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
One example of this involves the use of lasers in combat for the specific purpose of blinding the enemy. The issues become whether it is possible under existing international law to use these types of lasers in this manner and if so, when is such a use legal? Under international law, all can agree that any given use of a weapon may not be designed to cause unnecessary suffering. At first glance, it would seem that blinding the enemy is much more humane than killing the enemy. However, under current tribunal interpretation of the law, weapons designed to specifically inflict long-term suffering (like exploding glass shards) are considered in violation of the law. No international tribunal has examined this question as it relates to blinding lasers, making it very difficult for doctrine writers to create proper and legal uses of the weapon. Therefore, one reason doctrine has not kept pace with new military technology is because the law does not address and cannot be applied to the new technology.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.
MAJ Kelli Petersen, Student
Command and General Staff College, ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
Introduction
Class
I appreciate the opportunity to be here and learn from each of you. I trust the next several months will be an excellent learning experience. Have an excellent inaugural weekend.
In my time in the Army I have had the opportunity to bear witness to many successes and failures of the United States Army. Without quesiton, our ability to change to meet a changing battlefield and our ability to train and mentor our junior leaders has been a success.
Conversely, our Army continues to fail in many regards. One of our greates failures as an Army in recent times, is our continued violations of Operational Security (OPSEC). We continue to allow our enemies to continue to monitor our TTP's, doctrine and technological processes.
Major Ryan Armstrong
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
Seminar 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government."
I appreciate the opportunity to be here and learn from each of you. I trust the next several months will be an excellent learning experience. Have an excellent inaugural weekend.
In my time in the Army I have had the opportunity to bear witness to many successes and failures of the United States Army. Without quesiton, our ability to change to meet a changing battlefield and our ability to train and mentor our junior leaders has been a success.
Conversely, our Army continues to fail in many regards. One of our greates failures as an Army in recent times, is our continued violations of Operational Security (OPSEC). We continue to allow our enemies to continue to monitor our TTP's, doctrine and technological processes.
Major Ryan Armstrong
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
Seminar 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government."
Glad to be at ILE
Hello everyone,
I'm glad to be here at Fort Belvoir with everybody in SG 29B! Honestly, its great to be back in the States, as my family and I are currently living in Germany, and I haven't spent any significant period of time back in the States in quite awhile. Although I really miss my family right now (my wife and I are the proud parents of two 8-month olds), I know that I will have a tremendous opportunity to apply what I learn in ILE at Fort Belvoir to my future military career.
Insofar as my future is concerned, I'm hoping to return to Germany and assume a Key Developmental position upon completion of this course. I am also hoping to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology within the next 4 years and eventually compete for a Professor of Military Science position at a major university, where I can also work towards a Doctorate in Psychology. After I leave the military, I would still like to work with servicemembers (specifically those working through different levels of PTSD) in the future.
Well, that's all for now...
Nathaniel J. Orlowski
MAJ, FA
ILE-CC (Command and General Staff College), Fort Belvoir, SG29B
"The views expressed in this BLOG are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government"
I'm glad to be here at Fort Belvoir with everybody in SG 29B! Honestly, its great to be back in the States, as my family and I are currently living in Germany, and I haven't spent any significant period of time back in the States in quite awhile. Although I really miss my family right now (my wife and I are the proud parents of two 8-month olds), I know that I will have a tremendous opportunity to apply what I learn in ILE at Fort Belvoir to my future military career.
Insofar as my future is concerned, I'm hoping to return to Germany and assume a Key Developmental position upon completion of this course. I am also hoping to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology within the next 4 years and eventually compete for a Professor of Military Science position at a major university, where I can also work towards a Doctorate in Psychology. After I leave the military, I would still like to work with servicemembers (specifically those working through different levels of PTSD) in the future.
Well, that's all for now...
Nathaniel J. Orlowski
MAJ, FA
ILE-CC (Command and General Staff College), Fort Belvoir, SG29B
"The views expressed in this BLOG are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government"
ILE
During my tour in Iraq, my battalion lost three Soldiers during a night mounted movement. The vehicle which the Soldiers were riding in rolled into a canal. The Soldiers subsequently died. After the incident, the unit completed an AAR. The AAR showed a couple of techniques that could have made this incident avoidable. First, provide an individual SCUBA type tank to each Soldier. Second, came about an invention which allowed the doors of the vehicle to be unlocked and opened from the outside. Although this invention was not available when our Soldiers lost their lives, it is common to see the invention on the majority of the vehicles in theater now.
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
CPT Michael Astin
Student
Command and General Staff School
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
CPT Michael Astin
Student
Command and General Staff School
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Different Views of War
The question often arises, "How can so many Soldiers come out of Iraq with a different perspective of the war?" The answer I often repond with is that your view of the war, whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan will depend upon your location, your job and most importantly your experiences in theater. Soldiers working with Iraqis in one part of the country may feel nothing but complete frustration, while soldiers elsewhere may just need to step back as Iraqis take the lead. Same mission, different results, different perceptions of success and failure. A soldier in Tal Afar will have a differnet view from one in Baghdad or Basra. Even more, the Corps Staff Officer will have a differnet perspective on the success of the war than a Infantry Team Leader.
who does have the best perspective? Is it MTT Teams, Ground Commanders, door kickers or the logisticians?
Captain Daniel Sukman
Student, Command and General Staff College
ILE Ft. Belvoir Staff Group 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government"
who does have the best perspective? Is it MTT Teams, Ground Commanders, door kickers or the logisticians?
Captain Daniel Sukman
Student, Command and General Staff College
ILE Ft. Belvoir Staff Group 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government"
ILE as a Professional Development Tool III
I would like to thank MAJ Mismash for taking the initiative and responsibility for leading the effort to get this blog up and running for our staff group. As I am a complete neophyte blogger, his assistance in both setting up the site and walking me through the process was invaluable. Thank goodness there are folks like Mike to pick up the slack for technically challenged individuals like myself.
Regarding ILE value in professional Army officer's development I would state that the value of the course curriculum, while of utility, takes a back seat to the value of interfacing with peers from across the Army (and potentially other services.) I greatly benefit from the shared perspectives of the other 15 members of my staff group. Collectively, they possess well over a century of military experience, ard more recently over 30 deployments to IZ and AF. The value of their insights, unique perspectives and individual analysis cannot be replicated outside of a small group environment.
We all hailed from different backgrounds and perform different functions within the service, yet we each have experiences and perspectives that can benefit the other members of our small group. We can all reasonably expect to deploy at least once, likely more times, in the foreseeable future. Within each group it is reasonable to assume that another member of the group has experienced a location, environment, situation or unit that we will encounter in the future. The experiences of the other members of our group can and will assist us in preparing for these challenges.
Major John Cantwell.
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Regarding ILE value in professional Army officer's development I would state that the value of the course curriculum, while of utility, takes a back seat to the value of interfacing with peers from across the Army (and potentially other services.) I greatly benefit from the shared perspectives of the other 15 members of my staff group. Collectively, they possess well over a century of military experience, ard more recently over 30 deployments to IZ and AF. The value of their insights, unique perspectives and individual analysis cannot be replicated outside of a small group environment.
We all hailed from different backgrounds and perform different functions within the service, yet we each have experiences and perspectives that can benefit the other members of our small group. We can all reasonably expect to deploy at least once, likely more times, in the foreseeable future. Within each group it is reasonable to assume that another member of the group has experienced a location, environment, situation or unit that we will encounter in the future. The experiences of the other members of our group can and will assist us in preparing for these challenges.
Major John Cantwell.
Student
Command and General Staff College
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, VA
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Neo-Blogger
I have served in the US Army for over 15 years. Four years of this service has been as an enlisted soldier, the remainder as a commissioned officer. Nearly all of my service in the Army has been as an Infantryman. I have served in positions from rifleman to company commander to brigade and battalion staff postions. As an infantry soldier I feel that I have had the opportunity to experience the very cutting edge of what the Army is about. Having the operational context of my infantry experience allows me to see the rest of the Army through a very funtional perspective with an emphasis on operations.
MAJ Ron Schow, Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE, FT Belvoir, Staff Group 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the offical policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense or the US Government."
MAJ Ron Schow, Student, Command and General Staff College, ILE, FT Belvoir, Staff Group 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the offical policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense or the US Government."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Welcome to 29B's Blog Site
All,
Welcome to the official Blog site for Staff Group 29B. We are a group of professional military officers attending Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at Fort Belvoir, VA.
We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive. - Thank you
We will use this site to share our thoughts and ideas. We welcome your comments. Comments posted on Staff Group 29B's Blogsite are moderated and will be approved only if they are on-topic and not abusive. - Thank you
Mike Mismash
MAJ, EN
ILE, Ft. Belvoir, Class 29B
"The views expressed in this blog are those of that particular author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government".
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