Center for Junior Officers

Ranger School has provided the CJO with a huge OPORD planning and tactical class resource pack. Download and share this so you and others can utilize these tools, products, and classes.

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/resource/ranger-school-classes-resource-pack

Whether you are preparing to go to Ranger School, or a cadet or junior officer who wants to utilize these resources to better prepare for tactical planning and training, this resource pack is a great download to have as a quick reference and as a training aid for your soldiers to leverage.

Contents include:

Ranger School OPORD Shell and practical exercise
Ranger School FRAGO Shell and practical exercise
Ranger School Scheme of Maneuver student handout
Ranger School Troop Leading procedures class
Ranger School Patrol Base Class
Ranger School Ambush Class

The U.S. Army Chief of Staff has recommended a Center for Junior Officers article for the month of September.

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/winning-at-jmrc-for-junior-officers-signed-the-opfor/

It is excellent to see Lieutenants and a Captain on the byline of an article being recognized Army-wide.

Junior Officer, let this be a message. Your perspective and insight are valuable. Record your lessons and ensure they are not re-learned by others the hard way. Contribute to your profession by writing for the Center for Junior Officers and other branch and professional publications.

Chief of Staff of the Army Recommended Articles 2024 Recommended Articles

👀 – This isn’t you, though, because you're squared away.

You took the time to plan and prepare for the range and used the “Planning and Running a Range” article, checklist, and resource pack from the Center for Junior Officers.

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/planning-running-a-range/

You briefed the plan weeks out and now the NCOs have it running like clockwork. You’ve got time and ammo to keep shooting and you even built in some stress shoot training into the CONOP.

You’ll brief up the DIV CDR and he will slap a coin in your hand and you’ll toss it over to the PFC who shot 40/40.

Just as iron sharpens iron, leaders forge new leaders.

The sources that forge commissioned officers (USMA, ROTC, OCS) are heavily populated with other officers as cadre yet once commissioned, junior officers will spend the vast majority of their time with sergeants. The U.S. Army’s professional NCO Corps is often said to be the difference between our force and armies of other nations – and it should not go unnoticed that this same NCO Corps is pivotal in advising, guiding, and developing junior officers to become senior leaders and future commanders.

You can be a poor junior officer and fail even if you have good NCOs, but without earning the trust and respect of good NCOs, it is nearly impossible for a junior officer to be successful.

The CJO is about developing junior officers, and because NCOs play a pivotal role in that, it is a place for NCOs. NCOs, reach out to us and contribute your thoughts and experiences for publication on the CJO.

Photo by Henry Villarama

TRADOC Highlight - CJO Article on winning at JMRC

Resharing here and would encourage others to share to show that the Junior Officer perspective and their insights are valuable.

Being a junior officer is often compared to drinking from a fire house. Most of the learning done by Junior officers is on the job with little time to capture lessons until they abruptly switch positions or PCS/ETS. Further still, the vast majority of junior officers leave our Army having never codified what they learned - allowing many to make the same mistakes they made.

The Center for Junior Officers is trying to change that.

Write for the CJO and send us resources to give back to the profession. Head to our website to see how [LINK IN BIO]

Straight from the source – IBOLC 2-11 IN provides a robust TLP and OPORD resource pack. Download and share this so you and others can utilize these tools to make the most of your planning products.

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/resource/ibolc-tlp-workbook-opord-template/

Whether you are a cadet preparing to give OPORDs, a Lieutenant pre- or post-BOLC utilizing these resources when you brief your platoons and sections, a Captain going to CCC, or a Commander, this resource pack is a great download to have as a quick reference.

Contents include:

55 page - print optimized TLP Workbook with terms and graphics, enemy and friendly weapons capabilities and ranges, reference cards and more

Print optimized OPORD Template

IBOLC Bush Hill OPORD example PowerPoint template

44 page - Maneuver Officer study guide including definitions, planning factors, and more

As an Officer, there is a moral and ethical imperative to excel in your duties. Good is not good enough.

No, this is not meant to be a pump-up speech about exceeding the standard but simply stating a fact. The tasks and decisions that Officers, even as junior as 2LTs, are required to execute have the potential to terminate or preserve lives—whether those of your Soldiers, innocents, or our nation's enemies.

Unlike directives given by managers in other lines of work, in our profession, Soldiers swear an oath to "obey the orders of superior officers." This means that what you say, what you do, and how well you do it are not just tasks and orders—they are moral and ethical actions. Your competence, judgment, and decisions are binding and carry a moral price. A price that, if compromised by incompetence, is often not paid by Officers but with the lives of the Soldiers they lead.

Read how to win as a Junior Officer at JMRC from the perspective of the OPFOR.

The focus of this paper is to help company-level junior officers find success at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC). JMRC, the Europe-based Combat Training Center (CTC) trains units with a specific emphasis on the European threat environment. 1-4 IN callsign “Warrior” acts as the professional opposing force at JMRC.

The authors of this article (junior officers themselves) have served in various 1-4 IN company and platoon positions for over 26 rotations. They understand the many complexities training units face to deploy to a CTC and wish to impart some tips to their counterparts across the force by giving them a view of the typical shortfalls through “Warrior’s eyes."

7th Army Training Command
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

Winning at JMRC for Junior Officers – From “The OPFOR” - The Center for Junior Officers How to win as a Junior Officer at JMRC - written by the OPFOR

“An Officer is first and foremost, a leader of Soldiers”

We must consistently remind ourselves that the outputs of our plans, our products, and our efforts are what makes the difference in if our Soldiers are prepared or not. If our Soldiers will achieve victory or not. If our Soldiers will survive… or not. The judgment of the Junior Officer matters. The innovative new process, the contingency plan, the "two to make one" rule, the extra repetitions—all of these matter. Not for you, but for your Soldiers.

The role of a Junior Officer is not about making PowerPoints, turning bubbles green, collecting and sending trackers, or pleasing superiors. It is about leading Soldiers.

As an Officer it’s not a matter of “If” but “when” you will be asked to give a character statement.

Stephen Magennis and Nicholas Swartz write a great article for the Center for Junior Officers about the Do's and Don'ts of writing a character statement.

“Receiving a request to provide a character statement is an honor that comes with some responsibility. It’s an honor that a Soldier who worked with you previously thinks highly of you and your ability to communicate with a current commander in a positive, impactful way. Before taking this important step, you should take the time to understand the circumstances, reflect on your time with the Soldier and their demonstrated behaviors, values, and ethics, and consider their potential for future service in the Army.”

Have you been asked to provide a character statement? Here’s what you should consider. - The Center for Junior Officers Between BOLC templates, Army Publications, senior NCOs, and peers, Junior Officers have plenty of resources aiding in development during their budding careers, but one situation that overlooked topic......

Junior Officer Broadening Opportunity

Our force needs competent JOs at the helm of Army Publications. Serve as the editor-in-chief of your branch's publication source.

The MG Edwin "Forrest" Harding Fellowship selects competent Junior officers to attend a masters program and serve as branch publication OICs

Deadline is 10 September 24.

More details https://www.army.mil/article/278713

Article Post

“The Three Circles: Figure Stuff Out, Make Stuff Happen, and Don’t Be Weak.”

The baseline principles for what an Army Leader must Be, Know, and Do are summarized in this short essay putting into perspective the key role balance plays. As an Army leader, particularly as a Junior Officer, you will be required to be, expected to know, and commanded to do various tasks. Regardless of your branch, role, or assigned tasks, Army Officers must be prepared to tackle challenging problems. Saying, “That’s not in my job description,” should never be an option.

If you can "Figure Stuff Out, Make Stuff Happen, and Not be Weak" while maintaining these principles in balance, you will effectively serve junior Soldiers, your superiors, and yourself.

Make Room for the Antenna: Three Principles of Performance that Breed Success for Junior Officers - The Center for Junior Officers Three Principles of Performance that Breed Success for Junior Officers: Figure Stuff Out (FSO): see the problem, understand the problem, and identify a solution; Make Stuff Happen (MSH): take action, don’t accept no, and be the change; Don’t Be Weak (DBW): be a person of integrity, do what’s r...

"Please strongly consider staying on the best team in the world. The nation needs you."

Excellent article here by COL Everett Spain, the Department Head of Behavioral Science and Leadership at USMA.

A lot of points made here perfectly encapsulate the frustrations some junior officers have and why some choose to exit. This article shows there are senior leaders thinking about these issues and COL Spain offers some great advice to these junior officers and their influencers as well to hopefully retain our best and brightest JOs.

What are your thoughts on this article?

The caliber of leadership will always be the most salient contributing factor to retracting or repulsing young people to trust their lives to our profession.

There’s been a lot of talk about recruiting and retaining talent in our Army over the last few months. Understand this – no grand incentive, bonus, pay increase, or location of choice will overshadow if Soldiers or potential Soldiers do not want to follow their leaders into war.

Junior Officers – you have a small slice of, but the most important role in the strategic imperative that is recruiting and retention. You are the first impression of what “higher” leadership is to your Soldiers. If every Soldier had a great section leader, platoon leader, company commander etc. their would be a lot more reenlistments and a lot more Soldiers telling their friends great things about the Army.

CJO Read2Lead Module on "Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat" by James R. McDonough

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/read2lead/

Book-length LPD case studies offer a comprehensive developmental experience by providing a holistic view of leadership and events over time. These narratives allow readers to see how characters reflect on their decisions, adapt to evolving situations, and grow through experiences. The extended length helps leaders relate to the characters and their challenges, unlike shorter summaries or articles which may not offer the same depth. This holistic perspective enhances understanding of leadership dynamics, allowing Soldiers to apply lessons learned to their own challenges.


The Center for Junior Officer’s Read2Lead Module on "Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat" by James R. McDonough is an excellent example of using book-length case studies. Incorporating such case studies into unit LPD programs can significantly enhance Junior Soldiers' development. Success depends on clear purpose, structured implementation, and critical dialogue. Well-designed book-length case studies can transform LPD programs into powerful tools for developing competent, reflective, and adaptive Army leaders.

Listening to the same 3 podcasts and not reading a full book since college is not cutting it.

In an email to a colleague General James “Mad Dog” Mattis once said

“The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men's experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others' experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men. Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn't give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.”

Junior Officers are handed an immense responsibility while lacking significant experience. It is their absolute obligation to learn as much as they can to be prepared to fulfill their duties. Read in breadth and depth. Read across time and across cultures. Read about your profession and about others.

This is also not a written word supremacy post. Listen to books and podcasts, watch film, study infographics, and use social media as a developmental and learning platform.

Your Soldiers are worthy of a Leader who studies and develops themselves – Be the leader who seeks out and absorbs information so you can apply that to the next fight.

"With the byline of Lieutenant, the piece will be either dismissed as the musings of inexperience, or damned as nothing more than whining."

https://juniorofficer.army.mil/military-writing-the-lieutenant-problem/

We are re-releasing this article, titled "The Lieutenant Problem," because it highlights one of the core reasons the Center for Junior Officers (CJO) exists. Junior Officers are closest to many of the core challenges within our Profession, yet their ideas are often dismissed, and there are few venues where their professional discourse is taken seriously. Consequently, Lieutenants continuously relearn lessons because their experiences are not well captured. This article underscores the need to value and disseminate the insights of Junior Officers to foster growth and improvement within our force.

Ok walking away from a brownout landing in a 60 is cool but…

Have you ever coordinated with a separate maneuver force and talked on AH-64s to an enemy location while deconflicting mortars, all using pre-planned graphic control measures?

Have you ever coordinated sustainment using pre-packaged bundles to be delivered at a pre-determined time and place and executed the resupply flawlessly in a non-permissive environment?

Junior Officers – Planning and analysis is your bread and butter. Lean into it. Detailed planning and analysis is not just for our training courses, and its not just done in air-conditioned offices with PowerPoint and google earth. Take what you’ve learned and bring it out to your live-fires, your log exercises, your medical tables and plan on the hoods of your vehicles or in the prone with your NCOs.

How well you plan and analyze in training will effect how well your Soldiers execute in training, and how prepared they will be for the real thing.

Read these 2x Articles on Cadet Troop Leadership Training to help you maximize this experience

Summer means Cadets will be joining units all across the Army to help them learn and make decisions on their branches and duty assignments.

Junior Officers: Be prepared to receive a Cadet and leverage them to help your training while making it developmental in the process.

Cadets: Ensure you’re ready and get the most out of your summer by being an active member in the unit you join and asking the right question of the Officers and Soldiers you meet.

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

The Center for Junior Officers

𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵: I need a bachelor's degree before becoming an officer.
𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁: You can be an officer once you complete 90 credit hours but you have to complete your bachelor’s degree within two years. If you're an officer candidate or company-grade officer, the National Guard can help you complete your bachelor's degree from an accredited institution prior to your promotion to the rank of captain.

In the last 60 days, over 6,000 new officers have been commissioned into the U.S. Army. All of them took the Oath of Office as their public acknowledgment of this immense obligation.

The Oath of Office taken by commissioned officers is exceptional and unique because of what is NOT in it. First, officers are commissioned by the authority of the President, which is vested in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, yet officers distinctly omit swearing any loyalty to the executive branch whatsoever. Although their appointment is granted to them by the President, officers solemnly “bear true faith and allegiance” to a document rooted in the people—the Constitution.

Second, a further extension of this omission is that unlike the Oath of Enlistment, officers also do not swear an oath to “the orders of the officers appointed over them” either. This particular omission is also the grounding of the immense obligation officers take “freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.” Soldiers swear an oath before friends, family, and their faith, to obey the orders of officers, including the U.S. Army’s brand-new 6,000+ second lieutenants.

New officers—live up to your oath. Be worthy of your commission. Be worthy of your soldier’s oaths.

"UMO duty is not for the faint of heart"

Millions of dollars of equipment, moved across thousands of miles, orchestrated by a Lieutenant.

In this article writes about her experience as a Unit Movement Officer and outlines some key takeaways to help others be successful in this additional duty.

Also in this article is a huge toolkit including forms, checklists, and regulations that will help future UMOs succeed.

[LINK IN BIO]

Words Mean Things

The Army leader translates strategy into tactics, intent into guidance, and orders into action.

Army officers must be excellent communicators across all modalities—written, oral, graphical, etc. The implications of being a poor communicator in our profession are not merely failing to broker a deal or making a fool of oneself, but involve life and death. For junior officers in particular, the most grievous consequences are likely not our own lives, but the lives of our Soldiers.

Check out the many forms of communication on our website [Link in Bio], including articles, podcasts, and book analyses.

Huge changes for Army Officer Continuation Pay could mean big💲if you know about it and time it right.

Erin Williams does an excellent job discussing the AY25 changes to continuation pay in this article. Continuation Pay is a mid-career bonus and retention tool in the blended retirement system that many Junior Officers still don't know about. These changes, to both timing and payout, make it even more important to be aware of your options.

[LINK IN BIO]

"It's not about the sheet cake in the DFAC"

When we say happy birthday U.S. Army this is what we mean. JOs, celebrate your Soldiers.

"The advice - don’t do anything. Just watch and learn - is well-intentioned but...."

As we enter the summer - for our profession that means change and likely new roles. change of station, new companies, new platoons, new staff sections. This article by Jordon Swain and Chad Plenge discusses what Junior Officers should focus on in their first 90 days.

[LINK IN BIO]

Operation Overlord

The Operations Order (OPORD) for Operation Overlord (D-Day) was a base document of only 6 pages in length! The OPORD included dozens of synchronizing appendices to create shared understanding and delegate coordinating and control measures down to subordinates. The command and control style of Eisenhower was reflected in this order where he broadly but clearly laid out his intent.

Junior Officers - remember that an OPORD is only as effective as its ability to create shared understanding and mutual trust. Having a long OPORD is not a measure of success and is often counterproductive. Lastly, planning is not your job alone. NCOs and even junior Soldiers should absolutely be a part of the orders production process to maximize efficiency and create a common operating picture.