U.S. Army Armor Officer

the armored branches emphasis upon speed shock reconnaissance and maneuver has its roots in the American horse cavalry founded in 1918 as the tank service Armour was instrumental in breaking the deadlock of trench warfare during World War one played a pivotal role in u.s. victory in world war ii and became a permanent branch of the army in 1950 today's armored branch provides the army with mobile protected precision firepower career armored officers can expect assignments that alternate between armored combat cavalry and reconnaissance missions junior armored officers can expect to spend most of their time in the Army's operating force honing their small unit leadership and staff expertise this is an invaluable training and educational experience that helps them to understand the larger army that they serve as they approach mid-career armored officers are afforded opportunities to pursue graduate education and develop expertise suiting them for leadership in either operating force or generating force assignments training and educating soldiers and leaders across the army as well as collaborating and training with America's allies armor officers possess a special blend of skills knowledge and behaviors their unique talents help them to succeed in any mission does it grief it armor officer is Excel under austere and physically demanding conditions they're balanced approach to fitness ensures they can accomplish the mission in any operating environment because that's saying that any combat arms officer has to be physically fit you might be on a 24-hour 36-hour reconnaissance patrol where after 24 hours you're so tired but doesn't matter the mission has to be done if I don't have the physical ability to sling our tank ammunition around my soldiers aren't gonna think very much of me so you gotta be ready for privation mentally tough armored officer is excel in stressful situations there grace under pressure allows them to meet any challenge no matter how complex or multifaceted I think it's important for our officers to be mentally tough because the nature of our mission set the situations that were put in whether it's combat or non-count about it even if you're just in the field they're physically and mentally draining life and death decisions are a daily part of being an armor officer and I think that's probably one of the hardest things that are my officers are probably asked to do mental toughness an armor officer paramount multitasker able to prioritize multiple challenges armor officers effectively respond to simultaneous demands there's a lot coming at you as an armor officer in one year you're listening to your crew eight million things are happening in the right year you're getting your reports from your platoon it's a high-pressure job and then in both ears you're hearing the higher-level headquarters all going at the same time problem-solver armored officers routinely use a mix of established practices and new unorthodox solutions to meeting complex threats and challenges it's not just solving the problem but it's identifying that a problem exists and all the different components of that problem there's a lot of ambiguity you don't know what's going on in the battlefield and things are gonna come up that you don't understand you have to be able to come up with unorthodox solutions and you have to be able to come up with them on the fly there isn't always time to pull off manual prudent risk-taker decisive yet thoughtful armored officers recognize and mitigate unacceptable risks enabling mission accomplishment without unnecessarily compromising the safety of their soldiers we want someone who can who can think boldly and act boldly and decisively but be able to understand their own capabilities their limitations you're gonna have to assume risk at some points in some parts of the mission we're faced with that every single day but you have to be smart about taking those risks can you move your platoon through that water can you move it between over that mountain the reality is there are men's lives at stake if you get the job done taking the minimal risks necessary and your successful leadership happy communicator armored officers are precise efficient and compelling in both the written and spoken word an officer needs to be an effective communicator because he is constantly developing the situation in contact what I say it needs to be clear and it needs to be understood by those around me not only you're talking on the radio but you're also commanding your own personal vehicle gunner Sabo tank driver up fire on the way communication is very important for an armor officer Frann went to the University of Central Arkansas I graduated the United States Military Academy I majored in human and regional geography I was a chemistry major I majored in international and strategic history armour is different than everything else we have to be incredibly versatile in what we do from either being an armored tank officer or a reconnaissance cavalry officer the armored branch isn't just about tanks you could be a tank platoon leader Bradley Scout platoon leader a Humvee Scout platoon leader dismounted scoff junior strikers captain leader that ability to kind of go out there search for the enemy think about how you're gonna find the enemy and be the eyes and ears on the on the battlefield for that commander really appeals to me you've got to be concerned with seeking a challenge and being a creative problem solver because you're gonna get some of the toughest missions a lot of my motivation become an armor officer where was the personality of the branch I think there is a special sense of camaraderie in armor came an armor officer because I like the community I like the spirit of cavalry and armor the opportunity to wave the saber and and wear the Stetson and wear the Spurs there's just a can-do attitude regardless of how complex this scenario is it comes time to branching it's really difficult to decide which branch what do you enjoy doing what do you love do you truly want elite soldiers are you comfortable with direct fire engagements and directly maneuvering on and engaging in destroying the enemy's armor branch is the branch for individuals matter we're a combat armed a decision problem solving is what we do I love being an army officer Forge the Thunderbolt you

Channel: U.S. Army Talent Management

Views: 81,051

Keywords: U.S. Army, Talent Management, OEMA, economic analysis, manpower analysis, Green Pages, Military Officer (Military Rank), United States Army (Armed Force), United States Army Armor School (Military Post), Armor Branch

Id: fuq7GYgCakk

Length: 7min 2sec (422 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 11 2016