Welcome to CPT Chamberlin

Our new Harding Project Substack editor

** Please welcome Captain Sarah Chamberlin, our new Substack editor. Sarah brings impressive writing credentials and a passion for helping folks write better.**

My interest in writing began at a very young age. It is a little-known fact that in Mrs. Feeny’s second-grade class, I received the Poet Laureate award for a poem I wrote about my hamster. While the content of my work has since changed, my interest and passion for writing have remained constant.

As an English major and student-editor in the writing center in college, I had no shortage of papers to write, read, and edit.  I enjoyed working directly with students, some who loved writing and some who couldn’t stand it. Both ends of the spectrum filled my cup.

CPT Chamberlin is currently the Brigade Adjutant for The United States Army Aviation Brigade.

My time in the writing center reinforced the notion that writing is an intimate task. What is more intimate, though, is sharing those thoughts with others and soliciting feedback. If you find yourself in the editor’s desk, remember to “Mind the Ego”—rule number one from Ellen Toner’s  Editing Well: 10 Tips.

In the academic lull between graduating from college and arriving at my first duty station in Colorado, I shifted my writing efforts to the civilian world. While working as a platoon leader in 3-4 Assault Helicopter Battalion, I began to freelance and edit for The Colorado Springs Gazette, The Colorado Springs Business Journal, Southeast Express, and The Colorado Springs Independent.

The segue from literary criticism to professional writing proved to be a steep learning curve, but one I ultimately enjoyed for a couple of years.

While working with local papers, I simultaneously became the point-of-contact for editing Warrant Officer packets, awards, OERs/NCOERs, and personal statements for promotion boards. This is when and where I noticed a professional gap in writing and communicating at virtually all levels. I observed that there was no mechanism to foster growth, nor was there a formal unit expert beyond the literary shadow government—a small group of officers and NCOs who enjoyed writing, editing, and teaching. This small group quickly became, and I assume in most units becomes, the single point to which all professional writing funnels.  

It wasn’t until I left Fort Carson and arrived at Fort Belvoir that I learned about The Harding Project through a mentor. The project’s goals aimed to fill the gaps I witnessed first-hand while working with other soldiers; naturally, I was thrilled to hear about the new venture.

I am elated to join the team and look forward to encouraging soldiers to write and share ideas, even if they initially think the ideas may not be worth sharing. I want to emphasize the importance of the written word and am excited to grow my skills as a communicator and editor.

For the Substack, I hope to increase our reader and contributor audience to include more passionate, junior writers. I know they are out there and eager to contribute—they just may not know the opportunity exists. If you find yourself with even an inkling to write, please send your drafts, fully formed thoughts, doodles, and dissertations to submissions@hardingproject.com.