I will take command of a great battalion. I spent three days in Salt Lake City, where the battalion is located, and I met the commander I am replacing (a rockstar). I was introduced to the mission, the strengths, and the challenges of the command, and I can tell you straight up: the woman I am replacing is an incredible officer and leader. I have huge shoes to fill. Luckily for me, her…rockstarness…has ensured that all the hard work is behind me. Jokes aside, the battalion I am inheriting is unimaginably better than the one she inherited.
A Special Troops Battalion (STB) is a strange beast. It falls underneath a Sustainment Brigade (SB), and is one of three (or four) battalions within the brigade. The other battalions are often logistics-focused, such as a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) or a Movement Control Battalion (MCB). These have robust headquarters and have various logistics companies underneath them. The STB is attached to the headquarters of the SB, has a much smaller headquarters, and by doctrine, has no organic companies underneath. Its wartime mission is to deploy with the brigade and assume command and control of the various separate enabling companies in theater, such as human resources (HR), finance, signal, or military intelligence (MI) companies. The STB is also attached to the SB and the headquarters company of the SB in all systems of record so there are three layers of command within the same company. In garrison or a typical drill weekend, the mission of an STB is basically nil outside of offering a reduced battalion-level support to the headquarters company. It’s bonkers. My predecessor did yeoman’s work, and she and the brigade commander moved an HR and a signal company from the CSSB to the STB so that the she (and I) could actually command in garrison rather than just play like a senior headquarters commander or a junior brigade commander.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my command philosophy. I am supposed to have one upon taking command in May, but I won’t attend the Pre-Command Course (PCC) until July, where we are officially taught the philosophy of command philosophies. I have attached my command philosophy to this post. As the subtitle of this post suggests, this is a work in progress. I think it’s good, but I am open to reworking it after PCC. In it is the summation of who I am, what I want my battalion to be, and what my battalion currently is. I’ve had bits and pieces of this written out for the last few months, but my visit this past weekend required a focus change. You’ll notice that there is little talk about mission or accomplishment in this. I take that for granted. In the Army, we accomplish. The mission is always a focal point. Additionally, since the mission of the STB is a bit nebulous, I wanted to focus more on people and culture. These are also strengths of mine, so I’m happy that the needs of the battalion nest with my (perceived) strengths. I also think that people and culture are vital to part-time leadership. Cultivating a positive work climate and culture can break down a lot of the barriers that make part-time leadership more difficult than active-duty leadership. Lastly, I have kept this to one page. Some commanders have philosophies that are pages long. I want mine to be digestible. I want mine to be focused. Tell me what you think. What would you change? What would you keep? Am I on the right track, or should I can this and start over? (Ignore all formatting irregularities. I had to copy and paste from a word doc. It didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked.)
Date: May 3, 2025
Memo for: 96th Special Troops Battalion
Subject: Commander’s Philosophy – Character, Leadership, and Judgment = a singular culture in the USAR
Vision: The below will help us to become a culture that is second-to-none in the United States Army Reserve and will help us to succeed at every mission.
1. CHARACTER - We expect our teammates to live these attributes of character:
a. Trust – We do what we say we will do. We don’t make promises we can’t keep.
b. Empathy – We accept our strengths and weaknesses, and we bolster each other.
c. Accountability – We hold each other to a high standard.
d. Development – We never stop learning from each other.
e. Enthusiasm – We are lucky to wear this uniform.
f. Respect – Make amends if you disrespect anyone.
g. Humility – Know your limits, and reach out for help.
h. Honesty – We tell each other what needs to be said, respectfully and considerately.
i. Integrity – Our words and actions have consequences; use them well.
2. LEADERSHIP – Be who you wanted your leaders to be:
a. We relentlessly pursue excellence.
b. We are ready to fight tonight.
c. We take charge, supervise, motivate and communicate.
d. We are physically fit; we are mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually resilient.
e. We trust – we do what we say we will do. We don’t make promises we can’t keep.
f. We practice habits that lead to great results.
g. We do the little things right before trying to do something complex.
h. We are all learning and we extend empathy, but we hold ourselves accountable and to a standard.
3. JUDGMENT - We use our character, training, and experience to act in the following ways:
a. We practice doing things right otherwise we are just getting better at doing it wrong.
b. We utilize our systems and processes, but also think creatively.
c. We weigh facts, assumptions and consequences. We avoid being emotional.
d. We roll with the 70% solution now rather than a 100% solution later.
e. We accept good-intentioned mistakes. Always. We will not underwrite mistakes made by illegal or unethical means.
4. CULTURE – We are a collective of our traits and habits. Let’s be the best team we’ve ever been on, get after it.
MICHAEL S. KROGH
LTC, AG
COMMANDING
Let me preface by saying this: don’t compare my comments to my own command philosophy as a better example. It’s always easier to critique someone else’s work than your own, and I’m not claiming mine is stronger.
What I liked:
• The one-page format is excellent—concise and accessible.
• The tone and structure are strong and resonate well.
• It reflects the current climate and priorities effectively.
Suggested improvements:
• The content feels a bit repetitive. For example, “We do what we say we will do” appears verbatim in both Character and Leadership. Empathy, accountability, and learning are also repeated across sections.
• Some phrasing leans into buzzword territory—lines like “practice habits that lead to great results” sound good but feel hollow without context or examples specific to this command.
• In aiming for brevity, you may have cut short the personal interpretation of these traits. For instance, how does being “lucky to wear the uniform” connect to enthusiasm in a meaningful way for your Soldiers?
• If culture is a driving focus, why is it placed last—and why is its format inconsistent with the other sections?
In the end, your philosophy articulates a wide range of admirable values, but it’s difficult to discern which ones are most important to you or how they should guide action when priorities compete. Without that clarity, it risks feeling more like a collection of good intentions than a focused command philosophy.