This TTP is also a great way to expand the units understanding of its own history. Few people have ready access or the research skill to mine the deep trove of unit history material. A unit Historian can provide material for inclusion into the staff duty book leveraging both broader professional discussion while establishing a deeper understanding of the unit's prior history and building unit morale - the true role of Army history is to leveraging veterans lessons to improve the units today.
We don’t have a Battalion Staff Duty, but we do maintain a Barracks CQ staffed by an NCO and a runner. Our Squadron’s approach is very similar to yours. At the barracks, we keep a binder filled with professional reading materials relevant to our field. While access to computers is limited, Soldiers are encouraged to use the materials in the binder.
To support this, I created a simple worksheet: one side captures a narrative summary of the article, and the other contains basic questions to prompt reflection. The goal is to get them reading and thinking critically—then putting their thoughts on paper.
My favorite moment with this program came in February. I had to pause it due to the demands of gunnery and my own backlog of reviews. Despite that, NCOs and Soldiers continued to read and complete the worksheets on their own. That showed me they find real value in our development efforts—and that’s something I can take to the bank.
This TTP is also a great way to expand the units understanding of its own history. Few people have ready access or the research skill to mine the deep trove of unit history material. A unit Historian can provide material for inclusion into the staff duty book leveraging both broader professional discussion while establishing a deeper understanding of the unit's prior history and building unit morale - the true role of Army history is to leveraging veterans lessons to improve the units today.
We don’t have a Battalion Staff Duty, but we do maintain a Barracks CQ staffed by an NCO and a runner. Our Squadron’s approach is very similar to yours. At the barracks, we keep a binder filled with professional reading materials relevant to our field. While access to computers is limited, Soldiers are encouraged to use the materials in the binder.
To support this, I created a simple worksheet: one side captures a narrative summary of the article, and the other contains basic questions to prompt reflection. The goal is to get them reading and thinking critically—then putting their thoughts on paper.
My favorite moment with this program came in February. I had to pause it due to the demands of gunnery and my own backlog of reviews. Despite that, NCOs and Soldiers continued to read and complete the worksheets on their own. That showed me they find real value in our development efforts—and that’s something I can take to the bank.