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Joshua Miller

Reflections of a Young Officer

Updated: Oct 9, 2023

This post comes from Joshua Miller, a Captain in the Army that works within the Adjutant General Corps. Our best lessons can come from the experience of others, so here he is sharing the lessons he's learned over his short initial officer years in the service. See how many of these lessons resonate with you.

At the beginning of 2021 I was blessed with the opportunity to continue my service to the nation by promotion from the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT) to the rank of Captain (CPT) in the U.S. Army. Over the course of the last five years the Army has found that I have the leadership potential to serve at the next rank, but that came with more failure and lessons learned than success and highlights. Many people reading this will notice I said five years when the average time for promotion to 1LT to CPT is three to four years at best. Due to some failures, lessons learned, and a unique career progression with an initial commissioning in the U.S. Army Reserves (USAR) and a transition to Regular Army, it added some more time to my Lieutenant years.


That being said, I want to share some of those lessons learned with the candidates for commissioning (i.e., cadets) and younger officers out there. There are more that will not fit on this general list, but I am going to keep it as brief as I can.


1. SHIFT YOUR MENTALITY: I fully acknowledge there are deep institutional challenges in the military profession around the topic of diversity and inclusion. I have unfortunately experienced multiple negative racial encounters from every level in the profession (Enlisted, Cadet, and Officer). However, often times, we're taught the narrative of "You have to be twice as capable as your counterparts in order to get your foot in the door." Yes, but I challenge that narrative to be rephrased to "You have to be twice as capable as anyone to be the best." Regardless of biases, skin tone, commissioning source, socioeconomic background, etc., when you're the best, you are the best. If we shift our mentality to being the best we possibly can be as our default narrative, we will save ourselves some of the mental, emotional, and professional turmoil that is associated with the racial fatigue we sometimes create. When you're physically fit, mentally fit, emotionally fit, disciplined with your time and energy, and you understand your designated craft's application to the fight, cream rises to the top... always.


2. BE FIT, BE DISCIPLINED, AND KNOW YOUR CRAFT:


a. Physical, Mental, and Emotional Fitness -


i. Physical: be as strong, as fast, and as flexible as you can, regardless of specialty or duty description.


ii. Mental: The same discipline has to be applied to our mental muscles of reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking the same way we to be disciplined in our physical fitness. Our workout routine has to have intentionality and variety in order to improve and maintain our faculties. The same application applies to our daily ingestion of information and perspectives.


iii. Emotional: Have healthy emotional and spiritual disciplines that allow you to express and decompress. There has to be a positive and healthy outlet for expression and decompression in order to stay balanced in this profession. Usually, when there is no balance, drinking, smoking, and fast living become the substitutions. Side note: I love my Kentucky Bourbon, tobacco pipe/a good Perdomo cigar, and going out to the club. However, I always indulge with balance and wisdom.


b. Know your assigned craft (doctrinally and in application). Live and breathe being a practitioner-scholar. This model is an advanced educational and operational model that is focused on practical application of scholarly knowledge. In our case, scholarly knowledge is doctrine and additional feedback from the more seasoned practitioners in the profession. You cannot be solely application or scholarly-based. You have to have both working simultaneously to develop you, your teammates, and your organization.


3. LISTEN MORE THAN YOU SPEAK AND KNOW THAT EVERYTHING DOES NOT WARRANT A RESPONSE OR EXPLANATION: I don't think this needs much explanation. Cadets and Lieutenant are leaders! You absolutely have a responsibility to lead, however, that leadership should come with a balanced and tightly woven relationship between your confidence and humility. Listen first, ask questions, plan, train hard, and execute. As you progress this same concept is applied to learning how to truly understand and execute Commander's intent. Think before you send that quick email l or text message. I say again, THINK BEFORE YOU SEND THAT EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE. I use to despise when my parents and mentors told me to "choose your battles." I thought it was about being non-confrontational to appease others. I learned that it is the mark of a mature professional. Focus your attention forward with your notes of how to do better. Fight the battles that need to be fought, for the rest: "Yes Ma'am," "Yes Sir," "Acknowledged," "Roger," "Understood," "Airborne," or no response will suffice.


4. HAVE FUN, BUT KNOW THE TIME AND PLACE... AND MAKE WISE DECISIONS: Smile, laugh, joke, and enjoy what you do, but strive not to be a distraction to your Soldiers or organization. Those briefings and conversations from seasoned leaders about Driving under the Influence, Equal Opportunity (EO), Sexual Harassment Army Response Program (SHARP), and fraternization are not just to fill calendars with pointless training. Even though we're taught this as Cadets and Lieutenants, I have been astonished at how many of us do not listen to the warnings and policies of the profession. Call an Uber/Lyft/Taxi or battle buddy, treat everyone with dignity and respect, even if they do not treat you with the same, respect his/her boundaries, and leave the attractive Junior Enlisted and Noncommissioned Officers alone.


5. SEEK MENTORS, COACHES, AND PEERS FOR FEEDBACK AND DEVELOPMENT: I promise, not all your mentors look like you or have the same branch as you. Some won't be in the same component as you (Active, Guard, or Reserve). If it is the case that everyone looks like you, then you're missing out on valuable advice, input, guidance, and development. Some people are coaches, they do not want/know how to establish a long-term professional/personal relationship. Respect that and learn from them. Your peers' feedback and guidance can be just as valuable as a mentor and coach. Often times, peers are more easily accessible since our mentors and coaches have their own obligations and families. Find mentors, coaches, and peers that you can vent to and gain feedback and seek development from. Sometimes they will not be the same person or group. Often times, they will be. Seek the answers in doctrine or articles first (reference my second point) before you go to the mentor, coach, or peers. This can help facilitate the conversation and professional development session. Lastly, this is not a one way street - offer up your time, energy, and input for mentors, coaches, and peers when called upon. Don't be the person who only shows up or contacts the group when you need something. We can see and smell you from a mile away...


I hope these reflections are of assistance.

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