Spring 2012 - Army ROTC

Frog Fables
7
Branch Detail: end of the world, or great opportunity?
By: CPT Jeff Gagliano
Class of 2007
Hello, Horned Frog Battalion.
After speaking with the former
Professor of Military Science, Lt.
Col. Agor, at the last Armed Forces
Bowl game and seeing the new
Horned Frog Battalion newsletter
FROG STRONG, I wanted to try to
dispel some misconceptions
and/or misplaced beliefs about
Branch Detail.
Upon graduation and
commissioning I was branched
Military Intelligence with a Branch
Detail to Armor.
In the beginning this was a source
of great frustration for me, but
that was because I did not
understand the situation.
My Detail was to last four years,
but because of my performance
and duty positions, my
assignment as an Armor Officer
ran short of that time.
As an Armor Officer I was a
Platoon Leader in both garrison
and combat, a Company
Executive Officer in garrison and
combat, and an Armor Company
Commander all in less than one
year.
Though mine is not the typical
career progression of a junior
officer, it simply goes to show that
there is a great deal you can
accomplish in a Branch Detail if
you are positive about the
situation and willing to do your
best, no matter what the MOS.
In my time as an Armor Officer I
learned a great deal about myself,
Soldiers, the Army, and most
importantly I learned what I think
will benefit me the most as a
Battalion S2: what the line Soldier
and Officer really need from the BN
Intelligence shop.
If I were to give any advice to you
for your upcoming Army career it
would be this: OERs take care of
themselves as long as you keep two
things in mind: your Commander’s
intent and your Soldiers’ welfare.
Master those two and your
evaluations will take care of
themselves.
Be ready and willing to screw up
and get your butt chewed as a
Lieutenant. It is what you get paid
for so that your Soldiers can do
their job without worrying about
higher HQ. Good Luck and I hope I
have helped at least a few of you.
Go Frogs!!!
What We Want in this Section:
Stories about your time at TCU
-things cadre/cadets did that
made the experience memorable
-things you think cadets and
future Army officers could learn
from
-anything else along those lines!
To submit your stories:
1) Contact c/CPT Erickson at
a.p.erickson@tcu.edu
2) Send us a photo of
yourself and, if available,
your subject matter
3) Give a sample headline
4) If you want to write us
something, 100 words is
max so we can fit all of
your comments on this
page in the future.
5) Tell the other alumni
you’re in contact with
about us!
Contact c/CPT Allison P.
Erickson at:
a.p.erickson@tcu.edu with
your Frog Fables.
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rmyROTC
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