Timberwolves, S From the COMMANDER TRAINING DIVISION (LT) 104th

oldiers across the 104th Training Division are making final plans for summer missions at ROTC Cadet Summer Training and West Point. Some of our Soldiers are ROTC Adjunct Faculty at more than 100 college campuses, preparing cadets for the next step of their commissioning journey. Many others will stand-up Task Force Wolf, participate in various Cadet Summer Training committees, or facilitate the Sandhurst Exercise or Cadet Summer Training at West Point. Regardless of the role, every Soldier plays a key part in leader development for these future Army leaders.

We focus on training to standard, operating in challenging conditions, and creating a deliberately stressful environment to evaluate cadets’ ability to lead and operate under pressure. One of the most important aspects of our role as leaders and cadre is to present a professional, calm demeanor in this very same high operational tempo environment.

When we reflect upon great military leaders throughout history, we generally do not envision someone barking orders or moving at a frenetic pace. We picture leaders who found balance and made the right decisions under the most stressful situations imaginable. Despite the implications of the outcome, many of our great military leaders thrived by relying upon the input of their staff and subordinate leaders, critically thinking about the situation, and then making a confident and deliberate decision. Consider General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in June 1944. While the eyes of the world were upon him and the Allied invading force, the historical images we see are of General Eisenhower surrounded by staff or calmly walking among paratroopers about to load aircraft for the combat jump into France.

Like General Eisenhower and all great leaders throughout history, to successfully help shape the next generation of Army leaders, we must learn to thrive with balance.

As Army Reserve Soldiers, we face unique challenges of balancing many priorities, from family life, civilian jobs, and our military obligations, just to name a few. When we arrive at summer training missions, our presence and our actions are how cadets perceive “what right looks like” from leaders. It is critically important for us to embrace this and prepare ourselves in advance.

A few years ago, I heard a senior leader at my civilian employer make the comment that in a busy environment where there were seemingly countless tasks and priorities, that sometimes we