10 Things the Army Taught Me

In the spring of 2000 I enlisted in the US Army. I didn’t know it at the time but within two years of my enlistment I would find myself deployed to the desert near Baghdad. In a very short period of time I did an incredible amount of growing up and over the course of my enlistment I was blessed to serve with and learn from some amazing leaders. Below is a list of the top 10 things I learned in military:

1. If you are on time you are late: I apologize in advance to all those who suffer from CTS – chronic tardiness syndrome. My comments here will cut hard and deep. Being late is rude! Those who are chronically late are just plain selfish. There is nothing that screams “It’s all about me!”, more than rolling in 45 minutes past a posted dinner time. Well… yes there is, doing it more than once. The best way to avoid being late is to be early!
2. The small things matter: Little things are what all the “BIG THINGS” are built on. If you are not able to master them everything else is doomed. If you focus on tackling the small things you will be amazed how easy that overwhelming task becomes.
3. Check, check, and recheck: Assumption is the friend of failure. Are you packed? Good, now dump everything out and inventory it. Checked your list once already, nice, now dump it out again so the platoon sergeant can inventory it. Arrived at leadership school, good, dump everything out again so we can inventory it. Anyone who served can relate to this cycle but can also appreciate this level of preparedness. The only way for something to be missed is to miss checking for it.
4. Planning is essential plans are useless (Eisenhower): Dishes need to be done, I have a plan for that. Going on vacation, I have a plan for that. Getting ready for work, I have a plan for that. Don’t have a plan, I have a plan for that. All kidding aside, being unprepared is a recipe for failure. Always have a plan, always write it down (If it isn’t documented it isn’t real), and always be ready to adjust it when it goes to crap.
5. Being bored is OK: I think “hurry up and wait” is a military motto. There are countless times when you show up early simply to sit around and wait for something to happen. At first you get frustrated but eventually you learn to appreciate that it is better to be prepared and early than to find yourself unprepared and late. You also discover that in in times of boredom there is time to bond, think, and plan. I promise that boredom will not kill you.
6. 17-21 Year Old’s are capable of amazing things: In todays world it seems like our youth take longer and longer to accept adult responsibilities. Many live at home into their mid 20’s, the average age of marriage has jumped up considerably, most don’t get their first jobs until after high school, and many opt to wait until 18 or 19 to get their drivers licenses. It also seems like adults are not just OK with it but also encourage it. In the service the requirement of leadership and responsibility comes very quickly. 30 is old and 40 is retirement age. I have personally witnessed soldiers that are 18-20 who are responsible for millions of dollars worth of equipment, a squad full of soldiers, and the accomplishment of important missions. These individuals accepted the challenge and excelled at it.
7. Appreciate the simple things: When deployed to a newly occupied area many common luxuries are simply not available. You quickly realize how good you have it, and the things you miss take on a whole new meaning. When I returned from deployment to Iraq the simple things I was most thankful for all revolved around indoor plumbing. Real toilets, running water, and not having to hand wash my clothes all topped the list.
8. How to accomplish almost anything and be confident doing it: In the service there is the job you were trained to do, and then the jobs you really do. At any point in time, with no more than five minutes advance warning, you may be asked to do anything and expected to do it well. You become wonderful at creating solutions and solving problems quickly and efficiently. The confidence gained really sets you apart once you leave the service, and there is very little you are afraid to try.
9. Be willing to change: Many view the military as a very rigid place that is static and changes very little. This is not the military I know. The Military I know looks at every exercise, event, or mission in retrospect. Their goal is to capture every piece of wisdom available and use it to continually improve. The military I know embraces any piece of equipment or technology that can improve their ability to execute and are disciplined to utilize it to accomplish their mission. If you are unwilling to change you will be left behind.
10. The best leaders are often the most humble: In the military you learn quickly that you will not succeed without your team. Nothing can occur without everyone completing their portion of the mission. Self confidence is necessary but arrogance and ego will not be tolerated. The team can sniff out selfishness almost instantly and react to it almost as quickly. Conversely, a humble leader whose ultimate goal is to take care of those whom he is responsible for will equally be supported and uplifted by the team.
    
    “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
    – Harry S Truman