“How close is the operation to X village,” I asked? My question was immediately met with defensive murmurs before the briefer ordered me to stay in my lane. The officer in charge calmly asked me why I wanted to know. “Because we were accused of killing civilians there three days ago and I would like to work some back channels so we don’t face that again,” I said. No ego, no fear of reprisal – I just wanted to effectively do my job and support the mission.
That question that day landed me an accidental mentor. The relationship surprised even him I think. Working directly for a four-star general, he had a lot on his plate and yet he made time to invest in little ‘ole me.
I had served at lower echelons for every previous deployment. I knew operations at the tactical level but never had to strategically employ that knowledge. I lacked the foundation to comprehend the second, third and fourth-tier effects necessary to help lead the information environment for a complex war. We both recognized the gap very quickly and worked to remedy it – he less eagerly than I at first.
And yet as time passed, his interest in the information environment grew and his willingness to be my mentor became more apparent. He routinely called me over to listen to speakerphone conversations with commanders who were handling tactical issues. Afterward, he summarized the call, the issue/solution and made sure I understood the strategic implications. I often trailed him as he rushed off to other meetings, taking notes as he methodically answered my seemingly never-ending barrage of questions.
The relationship grew and soon we were bouncing ideas off each other. He started paying more attention to disinformation trends on social media and I spent a lot more time learning about ISIS warfare tactics. We both committed to understanding political shifts and worked hard to anticipate ripple effects with our mission. He connected me to leading experts in various fields when I had questions he couldn’t answer, personally connecting me through emails or phone calls. We attended meetings together and worked as a team when providing advice.
He was patient and didn’t hesitate to bring others into the conversation. On the rare slow day, we ate our lunch as a large group and discussed operation tactics, Taliban propaganda, and culture. Our mini think tanks reminded me of the value of listening to learn and not to respond.
I often think back to this colonel. His insight and experience enabled our small communication team to overcome challenges and amplify wins. More importantly, he demonstrated the value of taking others down a personal path of meaning. Public Affairs is less about the external audience and more about understanding every aspect of the mission – a daunting task without the assistance of a mentor, accidental or not.
May we all go forth and do likewise.
(Photo by Spc. Meagan Mooney, DVIDS)
