#143: There's No Do-overs In The Next Fight - Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer

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Aug 2, 2024

Michael Weimer, the current Sergeant Major of the Army and first Green Beret in this role, sheds light on his responsibilities in overseeing recruitment, training, and retention. He discusses the evolving nature of warfare, transitioning from a kill chain to a more integrated kill web approach. Weimer emphasizes the importance of viewing soldiers as the Army's true assets and the critical role of strong leadership in retention. He also shares insights on integrating Special Forces with regular units and his vision for overcoming recruiting challenges.

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INSIGHT

Compliance to Commitment Shift

The transition from compliance to commitment defines becoming a professional warfighter.
Commitment requires understanding and embracing the oath and mission beyond mere rule-following.

ADVICE

Model Authentic Leadership

Leaders must model behavior authentically so soldiers' audio and video 'match'.
Authenticity builds commitment over compliance in the newest generation of soldiers.

ADVICE

Consistency Builds Culture

Maintaining consistent leadership for at least two years nurtures a thriving, healthy culture.
Continuity helps units sustain performance through leadership changes.

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The responsibility for recruiting, training and retaining US Army soldiers sits on the shoulders of the Sergeant Major of the Army; a job in which there is no training course and where experience is the defining factor.

To break down what the Sergeant Major of the Army does, the current state of the Army, and where the Army is headed, Fran Racioppi traveled deep into the center of the Pentagon for a conversation with Sergeant Major Mike Weimer, the 17th Sergeant Major of the Army and the first Green Beret selected for the role.

The SMA defined professional warfighting and the importance of an all volunteer force. He broke down the art and science relationship between commissioned and non-commissioned officers. He shared how his experience in the Special Forces shadows prepared him for the limelight of the SMA role.

And they talked about the future, including his vision for solving the recruiting challenge, how warfare is evolving from the kill chain to the kill web, how he’s planning to retain the right people, and how the integration of Special Operations and the regular Army is more important now than ever.

Highlights:

0:00 Introduction
2:53 The Army is busy
3:52 The Professional Warfighter
11:40 People are the Army’s weapons system
15:53 The relationship between Commanders and NCOs
22:24 SMA Weimer’s transition from the shadows
25:55 The Army’s recruiting challenges
34:51 CTCs and the Kill Web
40:12 Retaining the best and brightest
43:50 Integrating Special Forces and the regular Army
50:36 The Army’s biggest opportunity
52:17 Daily Foundations to Success

Quotes:

“Those that are committed, I remind them; the audio and video has got to match.”
“All of the services are platform centric. The Army’s platform is its people.”
“The non-commissioned officer is the asymmetric advantage.”
“The things that are usually the hardest in life are the things that are usually the most rewarding.”
“Whatever you’ve done prior to coming into this seat is how you’ve prepared.”
“We’re on track to make our numbers this year….We need those numbers to be higher in upcoming years.”
“I have a fair amount of combat…I’ve never been to war.”
“You don’t necessarily get do-overs in the fight that we’re preparing for now.”
“It’s not just about retaining people; it’s about retaining the right people.”
“Standards and discipline can’t just be some whimsical thing we throw around.”

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation with the Army’s most senior non-commissioned officer, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch up on our entire national security series from Washington, DC and Fort Liberty, NC.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media.