The ALx Bulletin - January 2025- Focusing Education on Warfighting Part II
“The idea of any man being born an army commander or being born to be a theater commander, such as General Eisenhower, just isn’t so. The characteristics of leadership, necessarily has tohave certain decisiveness and confidence come from knowledge based on studies and training. The fundamental thing is your basic knowledge, the development of your mind, and your ability to apply this knowledge as you go along your military career.” –Gen. Lucian K. Truscott
Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month?
The DoD theme is “Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.” Mentorship is an activity within in the range of informal to formal learning that will ensure Army readiness and an MDO capable force. (See the Army Learning Concept (ALC) for 2030-2040.)
Execute Today [Content You Can Use Immediately]
“Just as steel sharpens steel, so professionals become more lethal and capable when they can feed off one another.” There are multiple benefits for mentors & mentees that increase personal, professional, and total Army readiness. Access guides to Army mentoring for both officers and NCO’s here.
Mentorship, why does it matter? This short reflection on National Mentoring Month provides opportunity for contemplation and resources for your mentorship journey.
Prepare For Tomorrow [Content to Improve Your Organization]
Transformation in Contact (TiC) doesn’t just involve our operational force. Institutional TiC (I-TiC), led by the U.S. Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC) will ensure our operational force has the tools, skills, and leadership to succeed. Read more here.
Creative and critical thinking are foundational to innovation and problem-solving, and thus TiC. Research at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) revealed the need to initiate teaching innovations and build these skills and prepare leaders to navigate a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) Operational Environment (OE). Read more on the study and outcomes here.
All Army organizations must be learning organizations in order to meet the total Army readiness requirements and the Chief of Staff of the Army’s priorities*. Read this article to learn more about learning organizations and how to build one.
The 2024 update of ATP 6-22.1, Providing Feedback: Counseling–Coaching–Mentoring offers more in-depth information on the fundamentals, processes, and techniques for coaching and mentoring than what previously existed. This article breaks down its’ value, while offering reflections and insight on ways the information might be expanded and tailored to make it work for you.
Learn Always: [Content to Help You Think]
Lessons learned by conventional forces conducting irregular warfare (IW) in previous conflicts present a learning opportunity for today’s force. The author of this article considers these lessons & outlines potential adaptions within the Army’s Professional Military Education (PME) system to help prepare for IW.
Have you watched any good documentaries lately? The Army University Press Films Team creates deeply researched and historically accurate documentaries designed to teach current U.S. Army doctrine through the lens of historical vignettes. Visit the AUP YouTube channel to access the collection of their documentaries.
Fort Carson and the 4th Infantry Division is presenting a Multi-Domain Operations Symposium on 23 January 2025. It will be live streamed via Teams and requires registration. Check out this quick teaser and then go register here.
The Joint Readiness Training Center Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) Symposium of ’25 will be held on Friday, 21 February ‘25 at 0900-1100 CST. Seasoned observer-coach-trainers will discuss LSCO and warfighting executed at the battalion and company level, and share perspectives on combined arms maneuver, transparent battlefield, fires, and contested logistics, and more. Log in to the event here.
“Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Power of Mentorship in DoD,” will be held January
22, 2025, from 1300 – 1430 (EST) on Teams. A panel will share their stories on how mentors shaped their leadership journey and how mentoring others helped them grow as influential leaders. Audience: All DoD civilians. Required registration here.
Get Involved: [Opportunities for YOU to Drive Change]
Are you a junior officer ready to #DriveChange in the Army? Take the Army Junior Officer Counsel (AJOC) Army Experience (anonymous) survey here. AJOC will use feedback to execute approved change initiatives and engage senior leaders who can seek counsel (hence the spelling) on issues affecting the quality of life and service from JO’s. Retention & driving change that matters is the goal! AJOC is on Instagram @army_jocounsel; LinkedIn at Army Junior Officer Counsel; or email them usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.mbx.ajoc@army.mil.
Readers Speak: [Feedback for You, By You]
We asked, you answered! You can now connect with ALx and join the leadership discussion on LinkedIn. Insightful reader responses indicated that Linked In is a great way to reach an audience interested in personal growth and professional development AND a great way for those transitioning out of the Army to establish connections.
Pssst! #MarchMasters is coming! We need your input! Who are your favorite content creators? Send them to ALx today! Who’s considered a content creator? A content creator is any person or entity that creates leader development material through any medium or channel that contributes to the betterment of the Army profession.
And, in case you don’t know…. March Masters, like the NCAA’s March Madness, is a single-elimination competition. However, instead of players duking it out on the basketball court, leader development content creators go head-to-head in social media polls to determine the best creators. More to come!!!