Little Things

The difference between first and second place in a race is often less than a second. In golf, it may be an inch on a putt that makes the difference between the winner and everyone else. Yet the reward for being just slightly better is often several times as much as it would be for coming in second. Reading the green correctly and making that extra one inch on a putt could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The little things, the details, are so crucially important in life. In the Army, those details can mean the difference between life and death. The term "Attention to detail" can be heard on any American military post several times a day instructing someone to remember to pay attention to the little things.

Every shot when qualifying on your weapon could mean the difference between being promoted that year or having to wait until the next year's promotions come up. Small mistakes can be career-enders when you are dealing with large equipment, deadly explosives, and complex machines. In artillery, moving a howitzer to the left just one degree would make the round land 500 meters to the side at max range. Not properly clearing a weapon could lead to a negligent discharge and kill a fellow soldier.

Oftentimes it's not doing the big things right that really counts, it's doing the little things right.

Deliberate Practice

Deliberate practice differs markedly from what most people do when they "practice." Deliberate practice entails actively striving to stay outside of your comfort zone in order to stretch and improve yourself. It is hard, exhausting, and painful.

For example. each winter I snowboard. However, when I do it, I do not deliberately practice it. I go out and do mostly those things that I already know how to do, on comfortable runs that are not too trying, on days that are relatively comfortable weather. If I ever wanted to actually get better, I would have to go out, do new things each day, and fail at them over and over again, getting hurt each time, until I improved.

An example of deliberate practice that I am currently doing is trying to learn new leadership styles from the people I work under in the military. In comparison to simply showing up to work and doing my job, I actively try to take note of what different management and leadership techniques different people employ, and how well they work. Then I try to use some of these techniques myself. Whether this be remembering more names, using different negotiation styles, talking to people in certain ways, organizing things in particular manners, etc., I am able to deliberately practice my own skills through striving to learn more from them and stay outside of my comfort zone of what has worked in the past.

This can hold true for any occupation. Whether it be that you are a cook and want to improve through each day trying to learn new meals, figure out how to improve current ones, etc., or whether you are a driver that needs to go on new tracks, use new vehicles, or other things. The key is to never get complacent and never get comfortable. Striving to find and overcome adverse circumstances is the key to improvement.

Teamwork and Discipline

Arguably more important than ever, teamwork and discipline are two key drivers of success in the military.

Teamwork:

"Combat is a team sport, the best team wins." MG John M. Schofield

Teamwork in the military, as everywhere, is becoming increasingly complex and broader as the world flattens due to technological improvements. Today's soldier must act as a part of a team that may include UAV pilots in SW USA, Intel Analysts across the globe, headquarters units 100+KM away, Artillery and Radar assets 30KM away, and of course with their direct squad members.  They accomplish this through more effective communication tools, computing abilities, and processes that allow the correct information to get to the right people at the right time. As with everywhere, these processes must be standardized, practiced, and understood by all involved in order to make the communication seamless and effective.

Discipline:

Discipline is something that the military has always done well. The methodology behind creating a disciplined organization includes:

• Developing standards that are meaningful (not abstract, vague, or pointless)
  
• Communicating the standards effectively to ensure everyone knows what they are and how to implement them (written, posted, easily accessible)
• Maintaining these standards at all times (By leaders and subordinates alike. Make all leaders responsible for the standards being upheld)

Discipline allows for teamwork to exist. All people in a well-disciplined organization know what is expected of them, and also know that their teammates will do the right things when the time comes. People are not innately disciplined, it is something that must be taught through clear rules and expectations. 

Commander's Intent

Commander's Intent is an interesting notion in the military that is often used as an example for businesses as well.

Essentially, commander's intent allows the unit to operate within a given set of rules to accomplish an objective. The commander's intent must be specific enough for someone to know what needs to be accomplished and what tools are at their disposal, but left general enough to allow for improvisation and adaptation.

A common way to provide a mission is through the standard 5 paragraph Operation Order which includes the commander's intent, as follows:

1. Situation (Enemy, Friendly, Terrain, Weather, Civil Considerations, Attachments)
   
2. Mission (5W's, who what when where and why)
   
3. Execution (Commander's Intent)
4. Service and Support (Logistics)
   
5. Command and Signal (How to communicate)

The commander's intent in this format generally contains the following subsections:

• Concept of the Operation (overall general view of what should occur as an end-state)
  
• Maneuver (the infantry, the people generally executing the mission on the ground)
  
• Fires (Heavy arms to support the maneuver)
  
• Air Support
  
• Other support

In a business environment, commander's intent can be used essentially the same way, though of course often less formally. It might be a slightly more complex version of:

"In ___________ (given situation), with ____________(certain tools), you need to accomplish __________________________ (a given end-state) using _________ (materials). If you need additional help, contact ____________(IT, secretary, legal, etc). "

Communication

As with any team or business, the Army is heavily reliant on effective communication techniques. Whether it is digital, analog, voice, data, hand, or body language, the basics of communication stay the same. 

You need an effective message to send, someone to encode that message, a medium for it to pass through, and a receiver to decode the message. Any part of that gets screwed up and the whole message gets screwed up.

Herein lies quite a conundrum for an organization the size of the Army. In order to help solve the problem of so many people needing to coordinate, integrate, disseminate, and communicate so much information, heirarchies are established with formal methods for communication up, down, and across the chain of command. Processes and controls (ie red-tape) need to be in place to ensure that the proper information is shared and not shared with the correct people.

This red-tape is often inherently frustrating to many people trying to accomplish tasks within the organization. An example is the extensive effort to get a football and frisbee for PT that I had to go through in order to even find out if the facilities had these items. First I had to determine the correct place to go to rent the items. After some phone calls I determined it was an MWR building. Upon contacting them, I was informed that in order to even find out if they had the equipment, I needed to get a signed memo from the commander (in proper army memorandum form) and have it faxed to the correct person. I told them we didn't have a fax (because really, who has a fax anymore?), and by the next day they were able to contact me back with an email address that I could send a scanned copy to. 

Now in an organization of 10, you would just have to ask the person with the balls if you could have one, but in an organization so large you need to know the proper channels to go through before you can even begin. Further, a lot of the ad hoc policies become outdated and ineffective over time, but are never changed because nobody realizes there is a better way. What kinds of red-tape does your organization have that could be rid of? How could you change it?

Communication on team levels is also vitally important. We develop hand and arm signals, code words, radio communication procedures, and thousands of other methods of ensuring that the messages we send are decoded correctly and by only the intended recipients. Call-signs, the phonetic alphabet, and acronyms are just a few of the ways that communication is streamlined in small groups. These methods are in many ways much more effective than the communications methods used in many other organizations, because they have to be. If the wrong person gets the message, or the message takes too long to convey, then people could die or missions could be compromised.

Overall, communication in large organizations is an extremely difficult aspect to manage and to understand. However, with effective controls and policies in place, the communication can be conveyed properly.

Superstitions

The military, along with so many other organizations and people, keeps a strong reliance on superstitions and traditions. There are probably thousands of examples where the Army as an orgainzation or individuals within the Army have demonstrated at least a leaning towards superstitions. Some examples:

• 34ID mobilized on Feb 10 this year, which was the anniversary of their mobilization for WWII in 1941 
• Standing outside chow on Friday the 13th, we saw a black cat run by, and quite  few laughs were had at the bad omens that this occurrence is associated wtih
• ETAB was mobilized on Dec 7, 2003, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which many people thought could have good or bad meanings.
  
• Many soldiers carry the bible, Koran, or other holy books in hopes of protection by God
• Other soldiers carry rabbits' feet, and other similar items hoping those might protect them

Overall, superstition runs close wtih tradition, and though most people don't believe firmly in superstitions, the underlying current of them is still prevalent in the Army and society as a whole.

Bonding

Though many military personnel, especially in combat MOS's, tend to maintain an outward appearance of non-emotion, there are very strong bonds that are created through the shared experiences of military life.

Many people have things that they won't share with even their wives or husbands, but only with the people that they've served with. Talking about life 'over there' or even more trivial things like the mobilization station, food, friends, foes, etc., are oftentimes impossible to talk about with people that didn't share the same experiences. This unspoken trust that forms because of these things creates a bond that is hard to break.

Another interesting thing is the difference between a bond with all military members and a bond with people that you were actually with. Certain things like food, living conditions, other service branches, weapons systems, bases, MOS's,  basic training, deaths, injuries, pay, spouses, etc can generally be brought up and discussed with ease amongst nearly anyone in the military, much as weather is discussed between civilians. 

Other things, such as a particularly bad Lieutenant, a 'bad day,' regrets, wishes, embarassments, mistakes, or other unit-specific areas are more closely guarded and generally only talked about with people that went through those same things.

The best example of a bond formed for me is the bond I have with Robby due to having served overseas together, then running RSP, going back to the same unit, going to nearby colleges in similar degrees, and being friends throughout it all. With all of these shared experiences, anytime we talk there's always something to reminisce about.

Looking to the future, it will be weird forming new bonds with people in a new unit, and it makes me wonder how much the old bonds will fade. 

Packing

Well, packing time has begun. In the military, packing is a way of life due to the frequent moves and short stays at places where you can't buy anything you forgot...

Learning how to fit the right things in a rucksack in such a way that they stay dry, allow you to accomplish the mission, and provide room for amenities (such as a book, snacks, a hackisack, etc) is a learned skill that soldiers pride themselves on. It's really kind of a fun experience every time to see who brought what and how when you get out in the field.

Bringing the required items to training or schools (usually ranging from 2 weeks to several weeks) is another struggle, as generally you have to fit the necessities into a duffel bag or two and carry them around with you as you fly somewhere and hope things don't get broke. Usually this ends with either many wrinkled pieces of clothing, an exploded tube of toothpaste, a broken souvenir, or something else you didn't plan for. Very similar to going on vacation in civilian life, except you have required gear and clothing you need to bring.

But now I'm at that time again for the long-term important packing. Painting the duffel bags with my last initial and part of my SSN, along with the unit's name and which bag of mine it is (A, B, or C). Putting in all of the things from a packing list that determines what I'll have over the next year. Trying to figure out where I'll have room to pack pictures, books, and other personal items. Figuring out which personal items I should bring. 

It's really kind of exciting and scary at the same time, putting your life into bags.

Do I Regret Joining?

A question sometimes arises: "Do you regret joining the military?" ...

Wow, what a question. Do I regret doing something that has drastically affected my life for better and for worse over the past six and a half years.

There were times when I was sure that it had been the wrong choice. I vividly remember standing in breakfast chow line during Basic Training back in 2003 after getting nearly no sleep for weeks, with about 12 weeks left of Basic and AIT still ahead of me just thinking that I would never wish that kind of hell on anyone. Knowing that once I got through the chow line the Drill Sergeant would just make me throw the food away without a bite. Having no phone calls, no females, being away from family and friends. Being so certain that it would never end, and that I was destined to forever be trapped in Fort Sill.

But then as the weeks went on, I made more friends. I grew close to people and we found ways to cope and make it through. The environment there didn't seem so intimidating and I grew stronger. I learned not to be sad, not to be lonely. After 16 weeks, I came out a new and better person.

Then I came home and volunteered for deployment. After a month at Fort McCoy, hearing the news reports of the situation in Iraq, and seeing the unorganized desert training we were receiving from underqualified instructors in a bitter cold January in Wisconsin, I fell back into pessimism. Looking ahead to a 12-month deployment (or longer, who knew, our orders were for up to 18 months), I drank heavily to cover the fear.

We left in February for the desert. 

In the desert, a lot of things happened (that's another story for another blog I suppose). During the middle of it all, months since being home but still with no end to the deployment in sight, there were long periods of hopelessness. 

People were dying and nobody could tell who would be next. With so much time ahead of you, it seemed certain you'd never make it home. I was sure that God had me destined to die in the desert, far from the family, girlfriend, and friends that I used to know. And it seemed to make sense that way from the things I'd done.

But eventually the deployment ended, and I made it home alive. The only problem was that I had no idea how to behave in civilian life. Yelling, fighting, and complete disregard for the health and safety of yourself and others were now totally unacceptable. Everyone had jobs or were at school, and nobody even paid attention to the war or seemed to even know where Iraq was.

So to try to fit in, I figured I'd join school too. But that didn't make anything better, and my problems simply escalated.

After a couple years of being back accompanied with counselling and friends, I've adjusted well now to civilian life and can fit in with the best of them. I'm tougher, stronger, and more emotionally stable than I had ever been before. I have drive and ambition like never before, and love waking up every day.

But now they're sending me back. At least this time I've already been through it, so I have that strength to pull on. I just have to make sure that I help out the others that haven't been through it and have to go through this emotional rollercoaster for the first time.

To regret joining would have to include regretting the friends I've made, the experiences I've endured, the skills I've learned, and so much more. No, there's no way that I regret joining. It's made me who I am, and I can't imagine life without it.

Political and Personal Thoughts

With this historic election now behind us and a new President-elect chosen, many people ask for my opinion from the point of view of the military personnel. 

To begin, the military has a special tie to presidential races because whoever wins becomes the new Commander-in-Chief (head of the armed forces). Therefore, many people feel strongly one way or another based on how they feel each candidate would fare in this role. It is amazing that the strongest military in the world peacefully changes its leader (often to a different political party) every four to eight years based on an election process.

Many people seem think that the military has one overarching opinion on politics, when in reality the views and opinions of military personnel are as diverse as those of the general population. There are democrats, republicans, green party members, independents, and all types of other people who proudly serve this country in the military. 

As an individual member of this group of diverse people, I become very uncomfortable when people ask my political opinion "as a member of the military." It is imperative that I, as well as other military personnel, separate our personnel views from our professional status. Otherwise we unfairly generalize the thousands of perspectives that make our military the great mechanism that it is.

Dreaming of Iraqi Culture

Every day that goes by is one day closer to leaving. On the other hand, it is one day closer to going on a remarkable journey to a foreign land.

The leadership opportunities and cultural immersion will hopefully be an unbelievable learning experience that I will be getting paid good money to go through. The last time I deployed, I made the mistake of overlooking a lot of these great chances to learn the culture and practices of the Iraqi people.

Similar to studying abroad, I will be given the chance to see how people outside of our culture interact with each other as well as how they feel about their own experiences and world events. I am currently trying to learn their language and culture to prepare myself in order to interact with them as richly as possible. 

The Iraqi people have gone through tremendous hardships from 'Saddam' to 'The Invasion' to the 'Civil Unrest' that continues to take the lives of thousands. Some of the best western art and culture was born out of strife and hardship, so I don't doubt that the same might be true for the Iraqis. 

Disconnect

An interesting thing that people in some parts of the world every day are fighting and dying. People are dying of sickness, violence, starvation, and so much more. 

Yet I'm sitting here writing in a heated apartment fully furnished and insured to protect my valuables against the small chance that something bad could happen to them.

You're sitting and reading this from somewhere probably equally as nice, as well as safe. 

The biggest worries are whether my projects for this coming week will be done on time, how my test went, whether I will have the cash to pay bills, whether the stock market will come back, and how I will find time to wash my clothes.

Seems so trivial when you think that right at this second there are probably several people being burned to death, several others being shot, and thousands more living in fear that today will be there last.  

These things are happening, maybe in Iraq or maybe elsewhere (several countries are wartorn as this is written, within years this will change and many of those countries may still be at war and many others will go to war or come to peace as well), yet we don't even think about it.

The disconnect occurs somehow that these things never even seem to phase us. When I was in Iraq, it was like the war was the biggest event in the world. Yet when I talked to people from home via letters, email, or other, they seemed like they had no clue what was going on in the war.

When I came home, I became one of those people. Waking up everyday to fight the little battles that we do, not caring at all or realizing the extent to the atrocities happening across the world. 

This disconnect is some form of human failure, maybe as a coping mechanism. We as a people need to change this and find more ways to help those in need. Not just with money, bullets, or time; but with ideas, efforts, and ideologies that have the power to raise a people up and help them to stand on their own.

I don't know what the next steps are for these people, and I am not sure what the best ways to help them would be. I do know that the first step for us to is to realize that there is a problem.

Morbid Math

Looking at going back to Iraq, many people feel as though you might be fearful for your life. Sometimes I am. This doesn't seem to me to be a rational thought, however, when I look deeper into the numbers behind OIF deaths:

[assuming that every job in country is equally dangerous, which obviously is not true. However, due to the high degree of indirect fires (rockets, mortars, etc) a lot of it is just luck of the draw.]

Assumptions

• There have been 4,185 American troop deaths in iraq (http://www.icasualties.org/oif/USDeathByMonth.aspx) at the time I write this
  
• There are 144,000 American troops in Iraq currently (it has been about this for most of the time) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_force_in_Iraq)
  
• Let's assume average troop is deployed to Iraq for one year (I could not find exact number for this, but a wide majority of soldiers in Iraq are Army, which generally have 1-1.5 year tours, while Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard generally serve shorter tours)

Average Death Rate

Average deaths/year = total deaths/years

= 4,185 / 5.5

= 760

This is somewhat skewed, as the deaths show sharp increases (Apr04: 135, Nov04: 137, Jan 05: 107, Oct06: 106, Dec06:112, Apr-Jun07: 331) and decreases (Several months below 40, including all months since Sep07 with the exception of Apr 08 with 52) (http://www.icasualties.org/oif/USDeathByMonth.aspx)

Another problem with this math is the skewed proportions based on region, area, and job. However, I don't have precise enough data to account for these yet.

Chance of Dying during Deployment

So at 760 deaths/year, and an average deployment lasting one year with 144,000 troops:

Chance of death (if randomized) = deaths/troops

= 0.528%, or 1 in 189

So rationally speaking, this is a pretty low chance of death. This of course in no way helps to console the friends and families of the 4,185 US soldiers who have died, the 445 Contractors who've died, the tens of thousands (or more) Iraqis who've died, and of course other coalition forces, journalists, or others who have also died.

Being told you're getting deployed

This story is the beginning of a new chapter in my life:

(some names of people and units changed to prevent OPSEC problems)

A MUTA7 National Guard weekend in October. That means Thursday through Sunday, longer than your average weekend. Colder than normal, mid 50's maybe, and raining. Kind of miserable all around, I can feel my socks and boots are wet just from bringing my bags in to the barracks from the trucks through the grass. I feel the muscle in my left shoulder tighten up from the flu shot we got around 930 when we got in that night. Luckily I got all my homework for the weekend done by Wednesday so I don't have to worry about that here.

"Hey, Staff Sergeant Hedlund," I hear from off to my side, it's hard to see who it is because of a light behind them, I walk closer.

"Oh, hey, what's up," as I get closer I notice it's SFC Johnson, our full-time guy.

"I need to talk with you later."

"I'm free now, what's the problem," I reply, thinking about what he might need to talk to me about. Did I forget to do something? Did one of my soldiers screw up? Maybe some admin stuff just needed to be filled out.

"87th pulled you from the unit. Effective today." he said, non-chalantly, as though this sort of thing happened all the time. I instinctively sort of looked at the ground as I thought about the reasons this could happen. Of course there was only one that I could think of.

"...Oh, really...How come?" I finally ask, hoping there's something I'm missing.

"Another deployment, but you still gotta stick around for the weekend."

"Okay, you have any info about it yet?"

"Sounds like southern Iraq, and on the plus side, it's an E-7 slot. That's all I got," he said back as he started to walk away.

"Alright, thanks." I walked away, feeling like I got hit with a train. What would this mean? What do I do? What is 87th? Why would they pull me for an E-7 slot (I'm currently an E-6, or Staff Sergeant)? Too much to think about. I can't begin to understand what it means. My thoughts turn off.

Well, I have to keep an upbeat positive attitude for the rest of the weekend for my soldiers. Can't let them down, can't let myself down. 

There'll be plenty of time to think. Maybe it's for the best. I guess I'll have some more stories to shape my character...