March 19, 2025 • 30 mins
Networking isn't just a buzzword—it's the difference-maker in military careers that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves. What sets apart those who rise through the ranks isn't just competence, but the meaningful connections they build along the way.
This deep dive explores how networking transforms your Army experience through multiple dimensions. From career advancement opportunities like specialized training recommendations to professional development through diverse perspectives, the right network amplifies your effectiveness. A staff sergeant who understands logistics terminology can better serve as a medical brigade planner. A sergeant who's connected with land navigation experts performs better in field exercises when GPS fails.
Beyond technical advantages, military networking creates personal support systems crucial for resilience. The emotional backing from battle buddies who understand your unique stressors creates safe spaces to process challenges and celebrate victories. This "trauma bonding" through shared difficult experiences becomes a foundation for lifelong relationships that extend beyond service.
The how-to portion breaks down practical approaches: seeking formal mentorship programs, participating in joint operations, engaging in casual conversations at the gym or DFAC, and joining organizations like AUSA or NCO associations. Even online communities provide valuable connections for those who might be more reserved in person.
The most powerful reminder? Your network serves you both in and out of uniform. These relationships offer guidance through promotions and transitions alike. As I say, "You don't have to embrace the suck if you got the right tools in your ruck"—and sometimes, your most valuable tool is the network of supporters you've cultivated throughout your journey.
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Remember, you don't have to embrace the suck, if you have the right tools in your ruck!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Want to know the secret weapon behind some of the
most successful people.
It's not luck, it's networking.
Whether you're climbing thecareer ladder or building
something of your own, who youconnect with will change
everything.
So let's break down whynetworking is the ultimate game
(00:31):
changer, roger Sarn All right,so welcome back to the Roger
Sarn podcast, where we talk allthings Army and I'm your host,
sarnt Cruz.
Today we're talking about oneof the most powerful tools for
personal and professional growthI don't know what the heck that
(00:55):
was and that is networking.
It's not just about who youknow, but about building
relationships that open doors,that spark ideas and create
opportunities where you neversaw coming.
So stick around as we uncoverhow a strong network can be your
(01:18):
greatest asset.
So we're going to break thisdown into like four segments.
Right, we're going to talkabout career development.
We're then going to talk abouthow it benefits you on your
professional development, andthen we're going to talk about
how it, how and where to network.
(01:40):
Does that make sense?
And in between that, we'll talkabout personal relations and
stuff.
So, career development right,the first thing is you're going
to be accessing opportunities.
A simple example of that islike, let's say, for instance,
you're going to be connectingwith a former platoon mate or
(02:03):
something that you guys are atsome leadership course because
we know that we're going to haveto go at least three to four
times to a leadership course.
You got BLC, alc, slc, mlc, andthen you got Sergeant Majors
Academy if you're on our side,on the E side, right, so you
(02:24):
connect with them.
That could lead to like arecommendation for like a
specialized training programthat you didn't even know
existed.
I can't tell you how many timesI've spoken to someone and they
put me on game.
That's the bottom line beingput on game Um.
Another type of um careerdevelopment is knowledge sharing
(02:46):
.
Steel sharpens steel, right.
So if you're, let's say, forinstance, you're joining an
online army forum that helps youlearn about new tactics,
techniques and procedures as wecall TTPs that are being used in
different units, it's givingyou an edge in your role.
Like, for instance, I know it'son Teams.
(03:10):
I have this NCO page that Ijoined I think I joined it from
Facebook and they haveeverything on there.
I'm talking about things thatcome in like that just drop
Alaraz, mail Per Message,regulationsulations, conops
Every single thing is on there,and I use those products
specifically for just to make mylife a lot easier, you know.
(03:35):
So things like that will reallytake you a long way.
Another thing about careerdevelopment you got to seek
career advice and guidance right.
So as a senior NCO, um, let'ssay, for instance, um you, you
met a senior NCO at a fieldexercise and they give you
guidance on, on navigating, likethe promotion board, um, like
(03:59):
that process and how to improvefor your NCOER.
You're not going to get betterinformation or, um, how would I
say, not better information.
Uh, yeah, you're not going toget better information,
knowledge or experience fromsomeone that has done it for
(04:20):
twice as long as you have, twiceas long as you have.
You're going to get differentoutlooks, maybe on a younger
version of, let's say me right,I've been in for 17 and a half
years.
You're going to get informationfrom maybe a sergeant, staff
sergeant that's doing it aroundthe same time that you're doing
it.
Maybe they fast tracked orsomething.
You're going to get differentinformation, but the overarching
(04:43):
.
You'll probably get betterinformation from someone that's
been in for 17 and a half years,because I've seen multiple NCRs
, ncoers in my career.
I've had that red marker orthat red, that red ink put on
multiple NCOERs before westarted using EES.
So when someone's going toguide you, that's that's help.
(05:03):
And senior NCOs are going toguide you, that's help and
senior NCOs are going to helpyou with that.
And obviously you have thesenior officers.
But I'm specifically talkingabout the ease at this moment.
So it also, like when it comesto career development and
networking, it also increasesvisibility.
So you want to increase yourvisibility by volunteering to an
(05:27):
organizational like not anorganizational volunteering to
organize a unit event, or liketaking the lead on a project to
showcase your leadership skills,right?
So making it?
It makes you more visible tosenior leaders and those are the
(05:48):
ones that can influence yourcareer progression.
Whether you like it or not.
We, what people think about you, matters.
Okay, I know a lot of peoplesay, well, um, I don't care what
people think about me this,that and the third.
And I would venture out to saythat that's low IQ thought
(06:09):
process.
Because I have to care what mybrigade sergeant major thinks of
me, what my brigade commanderthinks of me, because I
literally work on the same flooras them, literally work on the
same floor as them, and if I'mout here looking crazy, acting
crazy or walking around sayingwhatever I want to say,
irregardless of what they think,that's a problem.
(06:31):
Same thing goes like and I usethose because I work on the same
floor but your platoon sergeant, your platoon leader, your
company commander, firstsergeant, other platoon
sergeants, other soldiers itmatters right.
And when they see you takingleads and showing off that you
can, that you're willing to takeresponsibility, then they know
(06:54):
they can count on you.
So increasing your visibilityis is is a good one.
Another one is uh, you got tobuild confidence right.
So regularly, like engagingwith leaders and your peers at
professional development, likeevents, it's going to boost your
confidence.
Because when you're speaking upin formations and briefings,
(07:14):
you're ultimately going to beable to speak up in boards.
So all of this translates right.
So it builds your confidence.
Anytime you can say somethingrelevant, not just saying stuff.
To say stuff like a joke orsomething like, if you could say
something relevant and comefrom a place of knowledge, it's
going to build your confidence.
And then it builds confidencein others, in you is long-term
(07:37):
relationships right.
So staying in touch withsoldiers you've served with over
the years.
It creates like a lifelongsupport system and that can
offer you guidance and job leadswhen you get out.
Or job leads to, like, let'ssay, organizations that they
(07:58):
have a gap that you may need tofill and you're trying to PCS
and you're trying to work yourway in there, interpost
transfers, whatever it is, orjust jobs outside the military
when you transition right.
So long-term relationshipalways helps.
Like I've mentioned thismultiple times in multiple
podcasts when I was aninstructor from 2017, 2020, I
(08:23):
still have those guys in a chat.
We are all in a chat and we alltalk crap to each other.
Sometimes we get all political,sometimes we get all helpful,
sometimes we just rag on eachother.
It all depends on how we feelthat day, but at the end of the
day, we help each other.
If there's an NCOER that needsto be looked at, we all look at
it and we give our opinions, allright.
(08:52):
So let's move on toprofessional development, right
Access.
You need to make sure that youhave access to knowledge.
So let's say, for example,you're attending a leadership
development course, right?
Or you're going to your NCO andyou, you, you need to make sure
that you understand these ttpsthat we spoke about earlier,
because these this is going toenhance mission success.
(09:13):
So, with your careerdevelopment, right, as you are
keeping your knowledge andspreading it, right, but you're
you're gathering knowledge,you're going to have access to,
to, and when it's time toenhance a mission, when it's
time to sit down, do MDMP,you're going to be able to
understand and process themission a lot better.
(09:34):
Right, you also have to haveunder develop professional
development.
You have to have diverseperspective, right, and what I
mean by that is you have tocollaborate with soldiers from
different MOSs, right,especially during joint
exercises, because it helps yousee the challenges from multiple
angles.
Right, so it's going to lead toa more effective problem
(09:56):
solving in these complexoperations that they put us in,
right.
So if I don't speak thelanguage of a mechanic, right,
then I'm not going to get thebest help and I'm not going to
be able to help myself because Ihaven't done my due diligence
in understanding what codes meanwhat on the ESR, right, if I'm
(10:18):
not understanding logistics,especially as a brigade planner
for a medical operation it's asurgeon, so I wouldn't be able
to understand how to get mysupplies, my class A supplies,
on those supply trains in the S4.
Does that make sense?
So I have to understand whatthe mission is and I have to see
all perspectives on why I can'tget my stuff there on time
because they have other thingsto do.
(10:39):
So it helps Low density MOSs,combat MOSs.
You need to understand thebroader picture.
Another part under professionaldevelopment is the skill
development right.
So when you connect with fellowsoldiers who have mastered,
(11:00):
let's say, land navigation, ityou like a chance to train
together.
It helps you sharpen yourskills.
It helps you um get better forthat next field exercise,
because you can't always dependon the jbcp, and those of you
who are listening you know thatjbcps sometimes go down or the
(11:20):
three shop is going to be likewell, I need your j, your JBCP,
and they commandeer it.
And now you're stuck trying toread a map or try to get around
in a map and you just need tounderstand that.
And that's just an exampleusing land navigation.
But you have to develop yourskills.
Whatever your ICTLs are,whatever your skill levels are,
you got to know what your MOS is.
(11:41):
Another part of thatprofessional development is, I
think one of the most importantis mentorship and guidance Right
.
So to give you a brief exampleof that, like when um building a
relationship with, like again,the senior NCO.
It provides a personalizedadvice, right, and it's I'm
preparing for promotion boards.
Like I said, refining yourleadership style?
(12:03):
Um, okay, and that's a big one,because a lot of us are stuck
on whatever style we grew upwith or the time that we grew up
in, and we're not understandingthat times are changing.
So we have to adapt and we haveto refine how we do it, because
soldiers aren't responding toyells and yelling and yelling
and getting in their face.
It's not happening nowadays,right, and all of this is going
(12:26):
to assist you?
Well, not all of this.
So, and all of this is going toassist you Well, not all of
this.
Having a mentorship and someguidance is going to ultimately
do nothing but help you advancein your Army career.
I'm going to tell you thatright now, stay flexible like
Gumby.
(12:50):
Another thing is you got to stayupdated on trends.
So, being part of, like the,the military professional, like
um, like these forums or groups,like the sarnardi murphy club,
sarmorales club I'm part of that, um.
It keeps you informed about,like, evolving army policies, uh
, training techniques andleadership strategies.
Like you got to understand, um,I, most of the information I
put out on Tik TOK.
I get it from the, the, the Sone guru, or I'll go to army
(13:12):
resource commands, um and CEOprofessionals, but it doesn't
matter.
I, I'm always throughout all ofthis, all of these pages and um
, I make sure that I stay up onit.
A lot of times I get some stuffin there and I just don't.
I don't share it cause I don'thave time.
But I'm aware, right, got somestuff in there and I just don't.
(13:32):
I don't share because I don'thave time, but I'm aware, right,
um, and these policies are aregoing to need, are going to um,
get you.
It's going to keep you out oftrouble because you're not going
to make the wrong correction,you're not going to take the
wrong avenue of approach toassisting a soldier.
Um, it's just going to makesure that it cuts your your time
in half when you're trying tohelp soldiers.
(13:52):
Another thing you need to dowith professional development
and this is a good one too isconstructive feedback, right,
sharing after action reviewslike your AARs.
You share them with your peers.
It gives you a lot of valuablefeedback on like your
performance.
Right, it helps you fine tuneyour tactics and it helps you
(14:13):
fine lot of valuable feedback on, like your performance right.
It helps you fine tune yourtactics and it helps you fine
tune your leadership abilities.
You can't be a punk when you doan AAR.
You got to say give me somegoods and some bads, however you
want to phrase it, but don'trestrict it to three, because if
you got six or seven goods orbads, then you need to know that
.
Because if you got six or sevengoods or bads, then you need to
(14:33):
know that.
And what we used to do is weused to put it up on DTMS.
We put it in on DTMSno-transcript have.
(14:58):
So there are many ways andreasons why you need to
understand that AARs areimportant and accept
constructive feedback.
Another thing under professionaldevelopment is going to be
motivation and accountability.
Oh man, so when you're trainingwith your battle bro or you're
joining a PT group, that itcreates a system of
(15:22):
accountability, right it?
Everyone is pushing everyone tostay disciplined and they
ultimately are going to achievetheir fitness goals, right.
That's why a lot of people I'venoticed a lot of influencers
they started out by just postingwhat they're doing to hold
themselves accountable and sixmonths a year, two years later,
(15:45):
they have grown into the bodythat they want because of that
small portion of just holdingthemselves accountable or the
world holding them accountable,right, it's like, oh, I can't
just fall off now, right, samething when you exercise with
your battle bro.
You'd be like or battle sis,whatever you want to call it you
(16:06):
guys exercise together, youcome up with a plan and you guys
go with that journey together.
It just helps when you're in agroup, steel sharpens steel and
everyone's going to hold eachother accountable.
You don't want to go to the gym?
Nah, we going to the gym, bro,you're not getting out of this,
or the other person tells youthat.
(16:27):
All right, so we're going tomove on to personal relations,
relations, right, and this iskind of like what you're with
support and guidance.
So you're going to needemotional support.
Um, I'm gonna tell you rightnow, so, like when you connect
with your battle buddies thatthat understand the stress of
the military life, that you kindof.
It gives you a space, like aspace to vent, right, your
(16:57):
frustrations, right.
It gives you a space tocelebrate, like your small wins
or any wins, and at the end ofthe day, you're going to feel
supported during these times,whether they're good or bad,
you're going to get some type ofsupport.
So I think it's very, veryimportant to have an emotional
support.
(17:17):
Another thing is going to beexcuse me, another thing is
going to be shared experiences,and everyone knows that if one,
the more people that embrace thesuck is better.
That's why I said you don'thave to embrace the suck if you
got the right tools in your ruck.
And I say that because it's notjust knowledge, it's just um,
(17:38):
having that fellow soldier who'snavigating like a deployment, a
pcs or a time away from family,right, it helps you feel less
alone and um, you gain likepractical advice for for
handling similar, similarchallenges.
You guys are together.
So when you have a jacked uppiece or a rough pt session,
(18:00):
it's cool because everyone'shaving the same pt session.
So afterwards you gotta talkabout man, those, those squats
really, really did me.
And everyone starts making funof it or be like, yeah, next
time we gotta do this orwhatever it is.
Everyone's going through thesame struggle and I think that
brings it together.
What is that?
Trauma bonding that's what it'scalled.
It's trauma bonding.
(18:22):
Another good thing underpersonal relationship right, or
personal relations, is personalgrowth right.
So regular conversations withlike motivated soldiers or
leaders that push you kind oflike to step out your comfort
zone.
(18:42):
I don't care if it's liketaking a new responsibility or
pursuing additional training.
That is how you get better,right?
Not many individuals haveprogressed to their full
potential by staying in theircomfort zone.
(19:03):
I say again not manyindividuals who have reached
their full potential have doneit by staying in their comfort
zone and doing what's easy, whatcomes natural.
So always make sure that youpush yourself to the best of
your ability and that's why it'sgood to have a support system,
(19:25):
because you guys can hold eachother accountable.
Another thing is problem-solvingsupport, right.
So when you're faced with, likea tough decision, like
reenlisting or pursuing a newMOS, or brainstorming, like you
guys have to like come up withideas with someone you trust,
(19:49):
right To help you weigh youroptions, and that in itself, by
default, is going to help youcome up with a more informed
decision.
So I think you'll make the bestchoice when you have third
parties around you.
Brainstorming that's what I wasgoing to say, brainstorm I
don't know why I went out ofthat Brainstorming because
(20:15):
you're going to get differentperspectives.
You're going to get otherreasons on why you should or
should do the decision thatyou're trying to do or make.
So that's why, with themilitary decision-making process
, mdmp is not just one persondoing it or everyone doing it in
a separate room, it's theentire staff and all its support
(20:36):
.
They're all there because themore brains together the better
and you get more perspective.
And back to the accountabilityright.
You have to have anaccountability partner.
Again, you're going to besetting PT goals.
You're going to work with thatpartner.
If you're trying to study for aboard, you're going to come,
(20:59):
you're going to be with thatfellow troop and it's going to
create some type ofaccountability system.
You guys are going to push eachother and you're going to stay
disciplined and focused.
That's the bottom line for that.
And I go back to the same thinglong-lasting friendships.
What starts as a professionalconnection during training
(21:19):
exercises turns into lifelongfriendships.
I promise you, even if youdidn't like that individual
during that time, later on, ifyou see him again, if you're,
but if you're resilient and Imean this in the most heartfelt
way if you are a resilientindividual, you will get past
(21:42):
what people do to you that youfeel isn't right.
Okay, so you're going to createlifelong friendships.
You're going to build on theshared experience and you're
going to come up and you'regoing to have some type of
mutual respect.
That's just the bottom line.
That's my humble opinion.
Now let's talk about how andwhere to network.
So the first thing we're goingto push into is ways to network.
(22:06):
You got mentorship programs.
You're going to be seeking outformal mentorship initiatives,
like within your branch, withinyour MOS, which in your, your
unit, however it is that youwant it, but you have to have a
mentor, you have to get part, bepart of a mentorship program.
Um, you're going to be crosstraining and joint operations.
I did a lot of that when in my10 year stint in Germany.
(22:29):
I'm talking about uh, armiesfrom all over.
I have patches from multiplecountries because we um, we had
so many joint exercises, right.
So when you engage with otherunits and other branches during
these joint exercises, you buildfriendships.
Actually, like seven months ago, sometime last year 2024, yeah,
(22:49):
2024 one of my students foundme on facebook and just hit me
up and and like, hey, how's itgoing, whatever it is, and
friendship request me, you know.
And then from there on it'sjust like like they just they
just have like some type, likeyou build a bond and if I ever
went back to germany then Ialready have someone to hang out
with other than the people Ialready know, right, um, social
(23:12):
events you got to attend unitgatherings gatherings you gotta
attend dinings, dining inns, yougotta attend the balls.
That all builds relationshipsin a more relaxed setting.
Um, what do they call that?
Um, uh, what is it called?
Uh, uh, mandatory fun that'swhat it's called, right, and
(23:36):
mandatory fund turns intoregular fund.
You're going to have to haveinformational interviews, reach
out to other experienced leaders, right, and ask for career
advice.
Just sit down, have a coffeeand a quick chat it don't got to
be an hour, just hey, I got aquestion and write down the
stuff that they're telling youand take it with you and process
(23:56):
it and then put it intopractice.
And you got to have volunteerroles, right, whether you're
volunteering for the MOVSM oryou're going to learn, like I
did my MOVSM when I was inAlaska, I met so many people.
We used to drive the SADprogram Soldiers Against Drunk
Driving right, we would drive,pick up soldiers that were drunk
(24:19):
come back.
And I met so many people thereand I still have them in my
Facebook today.
Right, so that's going to.
It's just better, right?
Like I said, offer to organizeevents, lead like morale
building activities or just joinan outreach program.
Another place, another thing Iwant to talk about is like
(24:39):
locations to network.
Right, this is the how andwhere to network.
Something simple, the base gymrecreational centers, like
casual conversations duringworkouts, can build strong bonds
.
Think about it.
You guys have something incommon.
You're trying to get gains.
So the defect I'm going to tellyou.
(25:02):
It's so funny because when yousit with different peoples at at
, at meals, it, it expands your,your circle.
I'm going to give you anexample.
I sat there I can't remember whoI was, oh, with the, with the
Sergeant First Class Gonzalez.
He's now a first sergeant.
I replaced him at um, at whereI'm at now, second brigade, and
we were sitting down eating andwe just Joe, sat down like a
couple chairs from us, and wewere talking and I found out a
(25:24):
website that it was to like um.
I can't remember what thewebsite was for, but we were
talking and then Joe was lookingat me, but Joe didn't want to
say nothing.
I was like, hey, how's it going, whatever.
And then started.
We just incorporated them intothe conversation and the reason
why he was staring is because hewanted to tell me hey, this
website is really good and youcan find good deals on that
(25:44):
Right.
And just like that boom, Ifound a good deal on what I
needed at that moment because Iwas sitting there talking with
my, with with my battle, and arandom joe that I didn't know I
would.
I probably wouldn't have seenhim if I wouldn't have been in
the um, in the defect, and hesolved my problem.
Simple as that.
(26:04):
Like the common area, likecoughs are good areas, like
spend time in the like um, inthe uso, like lounges or rec
rooms, and you're just going toconnect with peers there.
They got post clubs, base clubsand back in the day they had
all NCO clubs.
They have community centers,many places right, transition
(26:28):
assistance offices, right, andthere you're going to meet
service members that arepreparing for civilian life and
they're going to share insightsand you're going to find out.
Find out, like, what you needto do if you ever get out the
army right, especially if you'regoing through it um, some
groups to join, let's talk aboutthat.
You got the ausa right, theassociation of what is that
called association of the unitedstates army and it's great for
(26:52):
meeting professionals andaccessing career resources.
You got the Non-CommissionedOfficer Association.
It focuses on supportingenlisted members, us.
You got the VSO VeteransService Organizations.
They help group the AmericanLegion and the VFW.
(27:13):
They provide strong militarysupport network.
You got Military affinity group.
A lot of places, like a lot ofbases, do have these clubs for
like hobbies, fitness, faith andother cultural like interests
that you may have.
And, like I told you earlier,online communities like you can
join military specific Facebookgroups, facebook groups um
(27:34):
subreddits, discord servers andum this just you get like
instant internet, like instantum um accessing connections with
people, and people are morelike liberal like sometimes on
the internet because they don'thave that social pressure of
trying to like be somethingthey're not, so sometimes it
(27:54):
turns out a lot better for that,for like the introvert.
Another thing is some programsto participate.
I'm giving you guys a lot, alot of game.
I'm telling you these arethings that I've been looking up
and I've been finding them andI want to put this out for you
guys.
So, programs to participate yougot leadership development
programs right.
These are like courses that aregeared towards like growing
(28:16):
leadership skills and they oftenlike have, like, like get like
unit participation involved,right, you got skill bridge for
the transitioning servicemembers is going to provide,
obviously, the civilian workexperience while still in the
service.
You got TAP.
Actually, my unit safe, mybrigade safety officer.
(28:37):
He was an old SAR major,retired SAR major, just retired,
like a year ago max orsomething like that a year,
maybe two and um, he used towork at tap and this dude has so
much information.
Anytime I talk to him there'salways value.
Shout out to you, mr Martin Umright It'sin, um right it's.
Uh, tap is is just good fornetworking, for those getting
(28:57):
that that are trying to preparefor, like military, um, their
exit from the military, allright.
And then, um, veteranmentorship programs.
You're going to pair thetransitioning service member
with a veteran who's alreadymade that jump, who was already
done it.
Right.
So just know, networking in thearmy isn't just about advancing
(29:19):
your career, it's aboutbuilding meaningful connections
that offer support, guidance andopportunities, both in and out
of uniform.
Say it again, both in and outof uniform it doesn't matter if
you're finding a mentor, ifyou're pushing towards, uh,
pushing each other to likegetting in PT, like pushing each
(29:41):
other to getting your PT scoresup or your physical fitness up,
or just having someone to leanon through tough times, or the
relationship is going to isgoing to build and it's going to
last a lifetime.
It's going to build and it'sgoing to last a lifetime.
So if you found this episodehelpful, download and review it
and share it with your fellowsoldier.
(30:02):
And if you're ready to takeyour leadership to the next
level, check out my video onYouTube, or you can listen to it
here, on how to run aneffective PT session.
It is packed with tips to helpyou spice up your PT sessions.
And that's it for today.
But before I go, remember youdon't have to embrace the suck
(30:27):
if you got the right tools inyour ruck.
I'm Sarn Cruz and I'm out.
Peace, roger Sarn.
Want to know the secret weapon behind some of the
most successful people.
It's not luck, it's networking.
Whether you're climbing thecareer ladder or building
something of your own, who youconnect with will change
everything.
So let's break down whynetworking is the ultimate game
(00:31):
changer, roger Sarn All right,so welcome back to the Roger
Sarn podcast, where we talk allthings Army and I'm your host,
sarnt Cruz.
Today we're talking about oneof the most powerful tools for
personal and professional growthI don't know what the heck that
(00:55):
was and that is networking.
It's not just about who youknow, but about building
relationships that open doors,that spark ideas and create
opportunities where you neversaw coming.
So stick around as we uncoverhow a strong network can be your
(01:18):
greatest asset.
So we're going to break thisdown into like four segments.
Right, we're going to talkabout career development.
We're then going to talk abouthow it benefits you on your
professional development, andthen we're going to talk about
how it, how and where to network.
(01:40):
Does that make sense?
And in between that, we'll talkabout personal relations and
stuff.
So, career development right,the first thing is you're going
to be accessing opportunities.
A simple example of that islike, let's say, for instance,
you're going to be connectingwith a former platoon mate or
(02:03):
something that you guys are atsome leadership course because
we know that we're going to haveto go at least three to four
times to a leadership course.
You got BLC, alc, slc, mlc, andthen you got Sergeant Majors
Academy if you're on our side,on the E side, right, so you
(02:24):
connect with them.
That could lead to like arecommendation for like a
specialized training programthat you didn't even know
existed.
I can't tell you how many timesI've spoken to someone and they
put me on game.
That's the bottom line beingput on game Um.
Another type of um careerdevelopment is knowledge sharing
(02:46):
.
Steel sharpens steel, right.
So if you're, let's say, forinstance, you're joining an
online army forum that helps youlearn about new tactics,
techniques and procedures as wecall TTPs that are being used in
different units, it's givingyou an edge in your role.
Like, for instance, I know it'son Teams.
(03:10):
I have this NCO page that Ijoined I think I joined it from
Facebook and they haveeverything on there.
I'm talking about things thatcome in like that just drop
Alaraz, mail Per Message,regulationsulations, conops
Every single thing is on there,and I use those products
specifically for just to make mylife a lot easier, you know.
(03:35):
So things like that will reallytake you a long way.
Another thing about careerdevelopment you got to seek
career advice and guidance right.
So as a senior NCO, um, let'ssay, for instance, um you, you
met a senior NCO at a fieldexercise and they give you
guidance on, on navigating, likethe promotion board, um, like
(03:59):
that process and how to improvefor your NCOER.
You're not going to get betterinformation or, um, how would I
say, not better information.
Uh, yeah, you're not going toget better information,
knowledge or experience fromsomeone that has done it for
(04:20):
twice as long as you have, twiceas long as you have.
You're going to get differentoutlooks, maybe on a younger
version of, let's say me right,I've been in for 17 and a half
years.
You're going to get informationfrom maybe a sergeant, staff
sergeant that's doing it aroundthe same time that you're doing
it.
Maybe they fast tracked orsomething.
You're going to get differentinformation, but the overarching
(04:43):
.
You'll probably get betterinformation from someone that's
been in for 17 and a half years,because I've seen multiple NCRs
, ncoers in my career.
I've had that red marker orthat red, that red ink put on
multiple NCOERs before westarted using EES.
So when someone's going toguide you, that's that's help.
(05:03):
And senior NCOs are going toguide you, that's help and
senior NCOs are going to helpyou with that.
And obviously you have thesenior officers.
But I'm specifically talkingabout the ease at this moment.
So it also, like when it comesto career development and
networking, it also increasesvisibility.
So you want to increase yourvisibility by volunteering to an
(05:27):
organizational like not anorganizational volunteering to
organize a unit event, or liketaking the lead on a project to
showcase your leadership skills,right?
So making it?
It makes you more visible tosenior leaders and those are the
(05:48):
ones that can influence yourcareer progression.
Whether you like it or not.
We, what people think about you, matters.
Okay, I know a lot of peoplesay, well, um, I don't care what
people think about me this,that and the third.
And I would venture out to saythat that's low IQ thought
(06:09):
process.
Because I have to care what mybrigade sergeant major thinks of
me, what my brigade commanderthinks of me, because I
literally work on the same flooras them, literally work on the
same floor as them, and if I'mout here looking crazy, acting
crazy or walking around sayingwhatever I want to say,
irregardless of what they think,that's a problem.
(06:31):
Same thing goes like and I usethose because I work on the same
floor but your platoon sergeant, your platoon leader, your
company commander, firstsergeant, other platoon
sergeants, other soldiers itmatters right.
And when they see you takingleads and showing off that you
can, that you're willing to takeresponsibility, then they know
(06:54):
they can count on you.
So increasing your visibilityis is is a good one.
Another one is uh, you got tobuild confidence right.
So regularly, like engagingwith leaders and your peers at
professional development, likeevents, it's going to boost your
confidence.
Because when you're speaking upin formations and briefings,
(07:14):
you're ultimately going to beable to speak up in boards.
So all of this translates right.
So it builds your confidence.
Anytime you can say somethingrelevant, not just saying stuff.
To say stuff like a joke orsomething like, if you could say
something relevant and comefrom a place of knowledge, it's
going to build your confidence.
And then it builds confidencein others, in you is long-term
(07:37):
relationships right.
So staying in touch withsoldiers you've served with over
the years.
It creates like a lifelongsupport system and that can
offer you guidance and job leadswhen you get out.
Or job leads to, like, let'ssay, organizations that they
(07:58):
have a gap that you may need tofill and you're trying to PCS
and you're trying to work yourway in there, interpost
transfers, whatever it is, orjust jobs outside the military
when you transition right.
So long-term relationshipalways helps.
Like I've mentioned thismultiple times in multiple
podcasts when I was aninstructor from 2017, 2020, I
(08:23):
still have those guys in a chat.
We are all in a chat and we alltalk crap to each other.
Sometimes we get all political,sometimes we get all helpful,
sometimes we just rag on eachother.
It all depends on how we feelthat day, but at the end of the
day, we help each other.
If there's an NCOER that needsto be looked at, we all look at
it and we give our opinions, allright.
(08:52):
So let's move on toprofessional development, right
Access.
You need to make sure that youhave access to knowledge.
So let's say, for example,you're attending a leadership
development course, right?
Or you're going to your NCO andyou, you, you need to make sure
that you understand these ttpsthat we spoke about earlier,
because these this is going toenhance mission success.
(09:13):
So, with your careerdevelopment, right, as you are
keeping your knowledge andspreading it, right, but you're
you're gathering knowledge,you're going to have access to,
to, and when it's time toenhance a mission, when it's
time to sit down, do MDMP,you're going to be able to
understand and process themission a lot better.
(09:34):
Right, you also have to haveunder develop professional
development.
You have to have diverseperspective, right, and what I
mean by that is you have tocollaborate with soldiers from
different MOSs, right,especially during joint
exercises, because it helps yousee the challenges from multiple
angles.
Right, so it's going to lead toa more effective problem
(09:56):
solving in these complexoperations that they put us in,
right.
So if I don't speak thelanguage of a mechanic, right,
then I'm not going to get thebest help and I'm not going to
be able to help myself because Ihaven't done my due diligence
in understanding what codes meanwhat on the ESR, right, if I'm
(10:18):
not understanding logistics,especially as a brigade planner
for a medical operation it's asurgeon, so I wouldn't be able
to understand how to get mysupplies, my class A supplies,
on those supply trains in the S4.
Does that make sense?
So I have to understand whatthe mission is and I have to see
all perspectives on why I can'tget my stuff there on time
because they have other thingsto do.
(10:39):
So it helps Low density MOSs,combat MOSs.
You need to understand thebroader picture.
Another part under professionaldevelopment is the skill
development right.
So when you connect with fellowsoldiers who have mastered,
(11:00):
let's say, land navigation, ityou like a chance to train
together.
It helps you sharpen yourskills.
It helps you um get better forthat next field exercise,
because you can't always dependon the jbcp, and those of you
who are listening you know thatjbcps sometimes go down or the
(11:20):
three shop is going to be likewell, I need your j, your JBCP,
and they commandeer it.
And now you're stuck trying toread a map or try to get around
in a map and you just need tounderstand that.
And that's just an exampleusing land navigation.
But you have to develop yourskills.
Whatever your ICTLs are,whatever your skill levels are,
you got to know what your MOS is.
(11:41):
Another part of thatprofessional development is, I
think one of the most importantis mentorship and guidance Right
.
So to give you a brief exampleof that, like when um building a
relationship with, like again,the senior NCO.
It provides a personalizedadvice, right, and it's I'm
preparing for promotion boards.
Like I said, refining yourleadership style?
(12:03):
Um, okay, and that's a big one,because a lot of us are stuck
on whatever style we grew upwith or the time that we grew up
in, and we're not understandingthat times are changing.
So we have to adapt and we haveto refine how we do it, because
soldiers aren't responding toyells and yelling and yelling
and getting in their face.
It's not happening nowadays,right, and all of this is going
(12:26):
to assist you?
Well, not all of this.
So, and all of this is going toassist you Well, not all of
this.
Having a mentorship and someguidance is going to ultimately
do nothing but help you advancein your Army career.
I'm going to tell you thatright now, stay flexible like
Gumby.
(12:50):
Another thing is you got to stayupdated on trends.
So, being part of, like the,the military professional, like
um, like these forums or groups,like the sarnardi murphy club,
sarmorales club I'm part of that, um.
It keeps you informed about,like, evolving army policies, uh
, training techniques andleadership strategies.
Like you got to understand, um,I, most of the information I
put out on Tik TOK.
I get it from the, the, the Sone guru, or I'll go to army
(13:12):
resource commands, um and CEOprofessionals, but it doesn't
matter.
I, I'm always throughout all ofthis, all of these pages and um
, I make sure that I stay up onit.
A lot of times I get some stuffin there and I just don't.
I don't share it cause I don'thave time.
But I'm aware, right, got somestuff in there and I just don't.
(13:32):
I don't share because I don'thave time, but I'm aware, right,
um, and these policies are aregoing to need, are going to um,
get you.
It's going to keep you out oftrouble because you're not going
to make the wrong correction,you're not going to take the
wrong avenue of approach toassisting a soldier.
Um, it's just going to makesure that it cuts your your time
in half when you're trying tohelp soldiers.
(13:52):
Another thing you need to dowith professional development
and this is a good one too isconstructive feedback, right,
sharing after action reviewslike your AARs.
You share them with your peers.
It gives you a lot of valuablefeedback on like your
performance.
Right, it helps you fine tuneyour tactics and it helps you
(14:13):
fine lot of valuable feedback on, like your performance right.
It helps you fine tune yourtactics and it helps you fine
tune your leadership abilities.
You can't be a punk when you doan AAR.
You got to say give me somegoods and some bads, however you
want to phrase it, but don'trestrict it to three, because if
you got six or seven goods orbads, then you need to know that
.
Because if you got six or sevengoods or bads, then you need to
(14:33):
know that.
And what we used to do is weused to put it up on DTMS.
We put it in on DTMSno-transcript have.
(14:58):
So there are many ways andreasons why you need to
understand that AARs areimportant and accept
constructive feedback.
Another thing under professionaldevelopment is going to be
motivation and accountability.
Oh man, so when you're trainingwith your battle bro or you're
joining a PT group, that itcreates a system of
(15:22):
accountability, right it?
Everyone is pushing everyone tostay disciplined and they
ultimately are going to achievetheir fitness goals, right.
That's why a lot of people I'venoticed a lot of influencers
they started out by just postingwhat they're doing to hold
themselves accountable and sixmonths a year, two years later,
(15:45):
they have grown into the bodythat they want because of that
small portion of just holdingthemselves accountable or the
world holding them accountable,right, it's like, oh, I can't
just fall off now, right, samething when you exercise with
your battle bro.
You'd be like or battle sis,whatever you want to call it you
(16:06):
guys exercise together, youcome up with a plan and you guys
go with that journey together.
It just helps when you're in agroup, steel sharpens steel and
everyone's going to hold eachother accountable.
You don't want to go to the gym?
Nah, we going to the gym, bro,you're not getting out of this,
or the other person tells youthat.
(16:27):
All right, so we're going tomove on to personal relations,
relations, right, and this iskind of like what you're with
support and guidance.
So you're going to needemotional support.
Um, I'm gonna tell you rightnow, so, like when you connect
with your battle buddies thatthat understand the stress of
the military life, that you kindof.
It gives you a space, like aspace to vent, right, your
(16:57):
frustrations, right.
It gives you a space tocelebrate, like your small wins
or any wins, and at the end ofthe day, you're going to feel
supported during these times,whether they're good or bad,
you're going to get some type ofsupport.
So I think it's very, veryimportant to have an emotional
support.
(17:17):
Another thing is going to beexcuse me, another thing is
going to be shared experiences,and everyone knows that if one,
the more people that embrace thesuck is better.
That's why I said you don'thave to embrace the suck if you
got the right tools in your ruck.
And I say that because it's notjust knowledge, it's just um,
(17:38):
having that fellow soldier who'snavigating like a deployment, a
pcs or a time away from family,right, it helps you feel less
alone and um, you gain likepractical advice for for
handling similar, similarchallenges.
You guys are together.
So when you have a jacked uppiece or a rough pt session,
(18:00):
it's cool because everyone'shaving the same pt session.
So afterwards you gotta talkabout man, those, those squats
really, really did me.
And everyone starts making funof it or be like, yeah, next
time we gotta do this orwhatever it is.
Everyone's going through thesame struggle and I think that
brings it together.
What is that?
Trauma bonding that's what it'scalled.
It's trauma bonding.
(18:22):
Another good thing underpersonal relationship right, or
personal relations, is personalgrowth right.
So regular conversations withlike motivated soldiers or
leaders that push you kind oflike to step out your comfort
zone.
(18:42):
I don't care if it's liketaking a new responsibility or
pursuing additional training.
That is how you get better,right?
Not many individuals haveprogressed to their full
potential by staying in theircomfort zone.
(19:03):
I say again not manyindividuals who have reached
their full potential have doneit by staying in their comfort
zone and doing what's easy, whatcomes natural.
So always make sure that youpush yourself to the best of
your ability and that's why it'sgood to have a support system,
(19:25):
because you guys can hold eachother accountable.
Another thing is problem-solvingsupport, right.
So when you're faced with, likea tough decision, like
reenlisting or pursuing a newMOS, or brainstorming, like you
guys have to like come up withideas with someone you trust,
(19:49):
right To help you weigh youroptions, and that in itself, by
default, is going to help youcome up with a more informed
decision.
So I think you'll make the bestchoice when you have third
parties around you.
Brainstorming that's what I wasgoing to say, brainstorm I
don't know why I went out ofthat Brainstorming because
(20:15):
you're going to get differentperspectives.
You're going to get otherreasons on why you should or
should do the decision thatyou're trying to do or make.
So that's why, with themilitary decision-making process
, mdmp is not just one persondoing it or everyone doing it in
a separate room, it's theentire staff and all its support
(20:36):
.
They're all there because themore brains together the better
and you get more perspective.
And back to the accountabilityright.
You have to have anaccountability partner.
Again, you're going to besetting PT goals.
You're going to work with thatpartner.
If you're trying to study for aboard, you're going to come,
(20:59):
you're going to be with thatfellow troop and it's going to
create some type ofaccountability system.
You guys are going to push eachother and you're going to stay
disciplined and focused.
That's the bottom line for that.
And I go back to the same thinglong-lasting friendships.
What starts as a professionalconnection during training
(21:19):
exercises turns into lifelongfriendships.
I promise you, even if youdidn't like that individual
during that time, later on, ifyou see him again, if you're,
but if you're resilient and Imean this in the most heartfelt
way if you are a resilientindividual, you will get past
(21:42):
what people do to you that youfeel isn't right.
Okay, so you're going to createlifelong friendships.
You're going to build on theshared experience and you're
going to come up and you'regoing to have some type of
mutual respect.
That's just the bottom line.
That's my humble opinion.
Now let's talk about how andwhere to network.
So the first thing we're goingto push into is ways to network.
(22:06):
You got mentorship programs.
You're going to be seeking outformal mentorship initiatives,
like within your branch, withinyour MOS, which in your, your
unit, however it is that youwant it, but you have to have a
mentor, you have to get part, bepart of a mentorship program.
Um, you're going to be crosstraining and joint operations.
I did a lot of that when in my10 year stint in Germany.
(22:29):
I'm talking about uh, armiesfrom all over.
I have patches from multiplecountries because we um, we had
so many joint exercises, right.
So when you engage with otherunits and other branches during
these joint exercises, you buildfriendships.
Actually, like seven months ago, sometime last year 2024, yeah,
(22:49):
2024 one of my students foundme on facebook and just hit me
up and and like, hey, how's itgoing, whatever it is, and
friendship request me, you know.
And then from there on it'sjust like like they just they
just have like some type, likeyou build a bond and if I ever
went back to germany then Ialready have someone to hang out
with other than the people Ialready know, right, um, social
(23:12):
events you got to attend unitgatherings gatherings you gotta
attend dinings, dining inns, yougotta attend the balls.
That all builds relationshipsin a more relaxed setting.
Um, what do they call that?
Um, uh, what is it called?
Uh, uh, mandatory fun that'swhat it's called, right, and
(23:36):
mandatory fund turns intoregular fund.
You're going to have to haveinformational interviews, reach
out to other experienced leaders, right, and ask for career
advice.
Just sit down, have a coffeeand a quick chat it don't got to
be an hour, just hey, I got aquestion and write down the
stuff that they're telling youand take it with you and process
(23:56):
it and then put it intopractice.
And you got to have volunteerroles, right, whether you're
volunteering for the MOVSM oryou're going to learn, like I
did my MOVSM when I was inAlaska, I met so many people.
We used to drive the SADprogram Soldiers Against Drunk
Driving right, we would drive,pick up soldiers that were drunk
(24:19):
come back.
And I met so many people thereand I still have them in my
Facebook today.
Right, so that's going to.
It's just better, right?
Like I said, offer to organizeevents, lead like morale
building activities or just joinan outreach program.
Another place, another thing Iwant to talk about is like
(24:39):
locations to network.
Right, this is the how andwhere to network.
Something simple, the base gymrecreational centers, like
casual conversations duringworkouts, can build strong bonds
.
Think about it.
You guys have something incommon.
You're trying to get gains.
So the defect I'm going to tellyou.
(25:02):
It's so funny because when yousit with different peoples at at
, at meals, it, it expands your,your circle.
I'm going to give you anexample.
I sat there I can't remember whoI was, oh, with the, with the
Sergeant First Class Gonzalez.
He's now a first sergeant.
I replaced him at um, at whereI'm at now, second brigade, and
we were sitting down eating andwe just Joe, sat down like a
couple chairs from us, and wewere talking and I found out a
(25:24):
website that it was to like um.
I can't remember what thewebsite was for, but we were
talking and then Joe was lookingat me, but Joe didn't want to
say nothing.
I was like, hey, how's it going, whatever.
And then started.
We just incorporated them intothe conversation and the reason
why he was staring is because hewanted to tell me hey, this
website is really good and youcan find good deals on that
(25:44):
Right.
And just like that boom, Ifound a good deal on what I
needed at that moment because Iwas sitting there talking with
my, with with my battle, and arandom joe that I didn't know I
would.
I probably wouldn't have seenhim if I wouldn't have been in
the um, in the defect, and hesolved my problem.
Simple as that.
(26:04):
Like the common area, likecoughs are good areas, like
spend time in the like um, inthe uso, like lounges or rec
rooms, and you're just going toconnect with peers there.
They got post clubs, base clubsand back in the day they had
all NCO clubs.
They have community centers,many places right, transition
(26:28):
assistance offices, right, andthere you're going to meet
service members that arepreparing for civilian life and
they're going to share insightsand you're going to find out.
Find out, like, what you needto do if you ever get out the
army right, especially if you'regoing through it um, some
groups to join, let's talk aboutthat.
You got the ausa right, theassociation of what is that
called association of the unitedstates army and it's great for
(26:52):
meeting professionals andaccessing career resources.
You got the Non-CommissionedOfficer Association.
It focuses on supportingenlisted members, us.
You got the VSO VeteransService Organizations.
They help group the AmericanLegion and the VFW.
(27:13):
They provide strong militarysupport network.
You got Military affinity group.
A lot of places, like a lot ofbases, do have these clubs for
like hobbies, fitness, faith andother cultural like interests
that you may have.
And, like I told you earlier,online communities like you can
join military specific Facebookgroups, facebook groups um
(27:34):
subreddits, discord servers andum this just you get like
instant internet, like instantum um accessing connections with
people, and people are morelike liberal like sometimes on
the internet because they don'thave that social pressure of
trying to like be somethingthey're not, so sometimes it
(27:54):
turns out a lot better for that,for like the introvert.
Another thing is some programsto participate.
I'm giving you guys a lot, alot of game.
I'm telling you these arethings that I've been looking up
and I've been finding them andI want to put this out for you
guys.
So, programs to participate yougot leadership development
programs right.
These are like courses that aregeared towards like growing
(28:16):
leadership skills and they oftenlike have, like, like get like
unit participation involved,right, you got skill bridge for
the transitioning servicemembers is going to provide,
obviously, the civilian workexperience while still in the
service.
You got TAP.
Actually, my unit safe, mybrigade safety officer.
(28:37):
He was an old SAR major,retired SAR major, just retired,
like a year ago max orsomething like that a year,
maybe two and um, he used towork at tap and this dude has so
much information.
Anytime I talk to him there'salways value.
Shout out to you, mr Martin Umright It'sin, um right it's.
Uh, tap is is just good fornetworking, for those getting
(28:57):
that that are trying to preparefor, like military, um, their
exit from the military, allright.
And then, um, veteranmentorship programs.
You're going to pair thetransitioning service member
with a veteran who's alreadymade that jump, who was already
done it.
Right.
So just know, networking in thearmy isn't just about advancing
(29:19):
your career, it's aboutbuilding meaningful connections
that offer support, guidance andopportunities, both in and out
of uniform.
Say it again, both in and outof uniform it doesn't matter if
you're finding a mentor, ifyou're pushing towards, uh,
pushing each other to likegetting in PT, like pushing each
(29:41):
other to getting your PT scoresup or your physical fitness up,
or just having someone to leanon through tough times, or the
relationship is going to isgoing to build and it's going to
last a lifetime.
It's going to build and it'sgoing to last a lifetime.
So if you found this episodehelpful, download and review it
and share it with your fellowsoldier.
(30:02):
And if you're ready to takeyour leadership to the next
level, check out my video onYouTube, or you can listen to it
here, on how to run aneffective PT session.
It is packed with tips to helpyou spice up your PT sessions.
And that's it for today.
But before I go, remember youdon't have to embrace the suck
(30:27):
if you got the right tools inyour ruck.
I'm Sarn Cruz and I'm out.
Peace, roger Sarn.
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