Sunday, June 18, 2006
I'm BAAAAAAAACK!
Decent Annual training, though long. Just getting back on the ground and spent some quality time with the fiddle today. Looks like I'm subbing for Roisin Dillon this weekend locally, while she goes off to tour with Cherish The Ladies. Which means I'm filling some incredibly big shoes. I have to be on my game!
I don't have much to add on current events right now. I just haven't been keeping up with anything. Yes, I was thrilled when Zarqawi was killed. Even more thrilled that he lived long enough to know that it was us who got him. Beyond that, I haven't done any reading.
A few operational lessons learned from annual training - but I'm giving my commander the courtesy of having him read them in my formal After Action Review before I discuss anything here.
Four years as a headquarters company commander or executive officer. That's got to be some kind of record! I'm in my third year of command now. I commanded the unit for a year before the war, got bumped down to XO when a Captain came in looking for a job (the decision to disband our antitank company and reinforce the line companies to full strength prior to the Iraq mobilization meant we had an extra captain who took command of HHC as I was only a lieutenant at the time. I was happy to be able to remain as executive officer, though, and hopefully I made a difference.)
I still screw things up on a regular basis, as we all do. But I'm starting to get the hang of the job, and I'm able to see around a lot of planning corners I couldn't see around a few years ago. Maybe I'll write a guide for Headquarters Company commanders and Executive Officers and First Sergeants. I already know the title: "Herding Cats."
I don't have much to add on current events right now. I just haven't been keeping up with anything. Yes, I was thrilled when Zarqawi was killed. Even more thrilled that he lived long enough to know that it was us who got him. Beyond that, I haven't done any reading.
A few operational lessons learned from annual training - but I'm giving my commander the courtesy of having him read them in my formal After Action Review before I discuss anything here.
Four years as a headquarters company commander or executive officer. That's got to be some kind of record! I'm in my third year of command now. I commanded the unit for a year before the war, got bumped down to XO when a Captain came in looking for a job (the decision to disband our antitank company and reinforce the line companies to full strength prior to the Iraq mobilization meant we had an extra captain who took command of HHC as I was only a lieutenant at the time. I was happy to be able to remain as executive officer, though, and hopefully I made a difference.)
I still screw things up on a regular basis, as we all do. But I'm starting to get the hang of the job, and I'm able to see around a lot of planning corners I couldn't see around a few years ago. Maybe I'll write a guide for Headquarters Company commanders and Executive Officers and First Sergeants. I already know the title: "Herding Cats."
Comments:
heh heh! 'herding cats'.....i happen to know that it CAN be done. i have 7 cats, myself. the way to herd them is to wander in the direction you intend to go and they all follow you, wondering if they're gonna miss out on some action. 'chase em and they run from you. walk from em and THEN they'll chase you'. That's how it's done. Make em think you're leaving.
or get em pavlovian conditioned. whistle every time you set out the food and they'll come running for that whistle inside of a week. don't need food anymore.
apply to your troops.
for the stubborn ones, get up and physically put them thru the motions, like a rehab therapist does with stiff patients. that's kinesthetic training.once the body knows the moves, the mind doesn't need to be persuaded and it doesn't interfere.
yup. you CAN herd cats. ya just gotta make it something that matters a LOT to them.------------------janet in venice
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or get em pavlovian conditioned. whistle every time you set out the food and they'll come running for that whistle inside of a week. don't need food anymore.
apply to your troops.
for the stubborn ones, get up and physically put them thru the motions, like a rehab therapist does with stiff patients. that's kinesthetic training.once the body knows the moves, the mind doesn't need to be persuaded and it doesn't interfere.
yup. you CAN herd cats. ya just gotta make it something that matters a LOT to them.------------------janet in venice
# posted by 
: 4:32 PM
: 4:32 PM
