The Army has launched a new way for Soldiers at all levels to be combat-tested and glean valuable lessons from experienced enlisted leaders.
The “Muddy Boots” initiative was recently launched as a dedicated section of the Noncommissioned Officer’s Journal with support from Staff Sergeant Major Michael Weimer.
This section seeks to gather insights from designated commander majors across the force.
“We believe that the experience gained is the experience not shared, but the experience lost,” Weimer told Army Times. “The most valuable lessons are learned from the mud, the fields, and the boots on the ground.”
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Weimer and other senior leaders want soldiers at all ranks to not only focus on what their comrades are teaching them, but also to offer their own experiences as a guide.
This writing project seeks opinion, writing, and discussion on major Army topics in the service’s journals and online platforms.
Weimer noted that the contributing sergeants had more than 30 years of experience. “Experience is a gift that should be shared, not hoarded,” Weimer said.
This effort aligns with the Army’s broader Harding Project and a series of efforts to rekindle military professional literacy and feedback from the military. The Harding Project, launched last year, has selected a group of fellows who will be trained in journalism and assigned to their respective branch magazines, such as Infantry and Armor.
Weimer, along with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Gen. Gary Brito of Training and Doctrine Command, co-authored an article published on the Modern War Institute website announcing the Harding program, He pointed out that diverse dialogue in war is necessary. The historical interwar period we are currently facing.
Interwar refers to Major Edwin “Forest” Harding, the man from whom this project takes its name, who commanded the Infantry Journal during the interwar years leading up to World War II.
In an article published on the Modern War Institute website, Zachary Griffiths and Theo Lipsky write that Harding is a “critical discussion of changes in tactics and technology prior to America’s entry into World War II.” He writes that by promoting this, he doubled the magazine’s circulation in four years.
While the Harding Fellowship focuses on branch-specific matters and operational issues for captains, sergeants, and senior warrant officers, Muddy Boots seeks to share lived wisdom from senior enlisted personnel.
The Noncommissioned Officer’s Journal has long featured career guidance from Soldiers. For example, a recent article asks non-commissioned officers to analyze their own critical thinking when leading Soldiers, monitor behavioral health among units as a function of readiness, and revise the non-commissioned officer promotion process. We encourage you to explain.
A feature article published by the magazine in May also explains why non-commissioned officers should write in the first place.
The article “Reclaiming Relevance Through Effective Writing” by Sgt. Maj. David Seale recommends that budding military writers start by responding to calls for submissions in specialized journals on specific topics. He advised soldiers to work with their comrades to draft themes and articles.
Most of all, and perhaps most difficult of all, Seal tells his soldiers to “risk rejection.” Not all posts will be published. But he wants them to keep doing it nonetheless.
“Remember, failure is not measured by the number of rejections, but by when you give up,” Shea writes.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government, and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for his co-authored project on witness intimidation. Todd is a veteran of the Iraq War.
