Blogs for your consideration...
Over 20 years' worth of observations, recommendations, and considerations on life, family, and the military lie within these narratives. Cheers!
It is both fascinating and disappointing to hear leaders tout the importance of work-life balance and, yet, they call or text you for the most unimportant things during non-business hours. As an active-duty member, where you are literally on call 24/7, it is hard to ask your boss to stop calling dur...
Leaders must know their people. They need to understand what makes them tick and what makes them irritable. Leaders need to understand the normal disposition of those they trust in order to communicate effectively and get results. Additionally, leaders need to listen to their intuition when somethin...
“So, what do you do here?” a big-wig, high ranking Army general officer asked a captain while doing a walk-about down range in Iraq.
“I’m just a PA (physician assistant),” she responded flatly.
My ears piercingly rang at the self-deprecating tone I heard. My heart sank at the thought of the PA not...
The Blended Retirement System (BRS) is the military’s 3-pronged approach at ensuring you have something to show for when you retire, whether that’s after a twenty or four year career. Most people are aware of the former retirement system that basically only provided a pension if you completed 20 yea...
This is part of a 3 blog series on TSP. If you want to be notified when the next related blogs post, sign-up here: Deliberate Military Experience Blog sign up
Even though the TSP tries to empower you to make an informed decision on whether or not to establish a traditional vs Roth account, things g...
This is part of a 3-blog series on TSP. If you want to be notified when the next related blogs post, sign-up here: Deliberate Military Experience Blog sign up
The military’s civilian-equivalent retirement plan, called the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), is the military’s best wealth-growing program. It’...
No matter how much training is given or case studies are discussed, military members from all backgrounds frequently forget that they willingly relinquished their freedom of speech and expression when they took their oath to the Constitution. From the youngest private to the most seasoned colonel, p...
Before I had my first child, I had never seen a woman nurse her baby in real life. Never. I was a product of the 80’s, when formula was the norm and breastfeeding was something just in the background. Breastfeeding a baby just wasn’t something I was exposed to, had any interest in, or knowledge abou...
The standards of the military are high and, sometimes, mysterious. If you’re not within a certain weight, you can’t join. If you don’t score high enough on the ASVAB, you have limited jobs to choose from. The military ultimately tells you where to go. Both leaders and faceless entities decide if you...
At times in my career, I felt like my pay was lower than what I wanted, but at least I could easily look at the military pay chart and project as to when a step increase was to be expected. It gave me something to look forward to. If I could work through a temporary frustration point or wait out a l...
