Moments in Leadership

 Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer shares how failure, realism in training, and ruthless self-assessment shaped his leadership journey and what the Army must do now to prepare for tomorrow. In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer joins Moments in Leadership to talk about what it truly takes to lead in today’s military—and why the journey never ends. From his early days as a driven, overconfident PFC to becoming the Army’s senior enlisted leader, SMA Weimer reflects candidly on his own formative moments, including failure during pre-scuba and the lessons...

In this episode, SgtMaj David Wilson, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of II MEF, shares hard-earned leadership lessons from over 30 years in the Marine Corps. From being meritoriously promoted through the ranks to leading Marines in the Battle of Fallujah, SgtMaj Wilson reflects on mentorship, emotional intelligence, and why some combat lessons shouldn't be “gold-plated.” A must-listen for any emerging leader.

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In this episode, Major General Bill Bowers, Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command, shares powerful leadership lessons from his time as a young lieutenant to a two-star general, reflecting on mentorship, peer accountability, recruiting challenges, and the evolving responsibilities of military leadership.

Welcome to the first Moments in Leadership episode of 2025! This episode marks four years of the podcast, and we’re honored to feature Major General Bill Bowers, Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command. A longtime friend of host David B. Armstrong, General Bowers reflects on his leadership journey, the critical role of mentorship, an...

Welcome to another powerful episode of Moments in Leadership. In this episode, host Dave Armstrong delves deep into the experiences and insights of our distinguished guest, Fleet Master Chief Dave Isom. Join us as we explore the changing dynamics of leadership in the military, the culture of questioning among junior personnel, and the integral role mentorship plays in shaping great leaders.

Fleet Isom shares his journey through the ranks, from his initial service in the regular Navy to his esteemed position in the Navy SEALs, highlighting the unique leadership challenges within SEAL teams. He reflects on the...

SgtMaj Cuadro is my first female enlisted leader and was a recommendation from several other SgtMajs, so I knew this would be a good one.  And it is.   

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This episode is with retired LtCol Isaac G. Lee, call sign Whiskey and the author of Hanger 4, a memoir of a combat aviator and CH53 pilot. I read it cover to cover and passed it along to an active duty infantry Captain and company commander because of the leadership lessons in the book. While I think the book is great for any emerging leader to read, if you are a current Capt and getting ready to promote to Major, I think there are some great perspectives contained in the pages.

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In this episode, BGen Jackson discusses why leaders don’t always need a bias for action and how the Marine Corps has to go on, so not everyone is going to get what they want. We also dive into mentorship between genders and how leaders at all ranks can learn from her experiences - specifically where she was successful in receiving mentorship in a male dominated organization. Join us for a frank discussion on both active duty and reserve leadership.

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In this episode of Moments in Leadership, retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Scott Stalker discusses the lessons learned over his career, including his time in the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and in his final assignment with United States Space Command. Hear the story of how a MGySgt became a CSEL, a billet normally filled by a SgtMaj and his philosophy on “Best Player”. Additionally, we chat about his time in the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

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In this episode of Moments in Leadership, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret) MajGen Jim Lukeman and host David B. Armstrong discuss both MajGen Lukeman’s Marine and civilian careers, showing duty does not end after time in uniform is concluded.  his life and career, including his time as a Platoon Commander time in 1st Bn 2nd Marines, a Company Commander in Lima 3d Bn 6th Marines, the Battalion Commander of 2nd Bn 5th Marines, and Commanding General 2nd Marine Division. Additionally, we chat about his time as a Marine Officer Instructor at Uni Texas NROTC Unit, the Commanding Officer of...

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What is Moments in Leadership?

Moments in Leadership is a podcast where you will hear firsthand about the careers of senior military leaders as they share their unique and individual experiences. Mome...

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Paul Merida and host David B. Armstrong discuss the early parts of his life and career, concluding with his time commanding one of the ‘Crown Jewels’ of the Marine Corps, a Marine Expeditionary Unit. His insights provide useful lessons about how to manage disparate organizations over distance and differences.

Leaders are sometimes thrown into positions where they have the training, but the sudden onset of responsibility hits them unexpectedly. Colonel Merida speaks to his initial leadership baptism when he was called off leave after initial infa...

This episode is a unique look into the mind of one of our service’s senior leaders days before a major hearing. Moreso than a typical CSPAN briefing of soundbites, the lister will be able to hear, in detail, plans to improve quality of life and lethality of Marines. The 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC), Carlos Ruiz, discusses the initiatives he plans to champion during his tenure as the SMMC and how Quality of Life improvement ultimately makes the Marine Corps a more lethal organization and force for the American public.   

One of the...

This Ain’t the Boy Scouts – U.S. Army Major General Matthew D. Smith

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, Army Major General Matthew D. Smith and host David B. Armstrong discuss the early parts of his life and career, concluding with his time holding battlespace in Afghanistan without a workup cycle to support that style of operation. His insights offer a different spice to the typical Moments in Leadership ranks as they take into account both National Guard and U.S. Army perspectives. Listeners will hear similarities across this discussion with other Moments in Lead...

Sergeant Major Rivera enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2000 and is currently assigned to the 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion. Extended show notes are coming - I'm just getting this episode out there for listening.  Email me if you have any questions before I post notes.

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, host David B. Armstrong spends time with retired Marine Colonel Stephen Davis, a veteran of the post-Vietnam War Marine Corps, the Reconnaissance Community, Joint Special Operations, and multiple combat tours up to the Regimental Command level, where they spend time discussing various topics related to hard-won lessons from the front lines combined with a realist take on what command, leadership, and management means.

From Colonel Davis’ initial training operations and three courts martial in his first week of command, the conversation discusses the concept of having, understanding, and bei...

SPECIAL THANKS TO MATT MIRANDA AND JEREMY KOFSKY FOR EDITING AND SHOW NOTES SUPPORT

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, retired Vice Admiral William (Bill) Merz and host David B. Armstrong discuss how life can take strange turns to making capable leaders, oftentimes through hard times and rough seas. VADM Merz has seen the depths of the ocean and the heights of a superiorly led organization. His insights are valuable to all those who don’t want to be crushed under the everlasting burdens of leadership and ownership. 

Learning the ‘personality’ of an organ...

HUGE THANKS TO JEREMY KOFSKY AND MIKE CIFUENTES FOR THEIR HELP PRODUCING THIS EPISODE. War is everchanging, but its nature is everlasting. Sergeant Major Troy Black, in one of his last speaking engagements as the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (and right before his selection as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC), uses this mantra to guide the way he views Marines and the Marine Corps. This episode provides a unique look into how the Marine Corps is and will be in the future.

This episode provides a glimpse into the conclave k...

‘The Enemy Doesn’t Care About Your Status’ - Upholding the Standard from the Front to Push Subordinates Forward.

This episode is a unique and extremely rare look into what mentorship in the Marine Corps looks like and how Marines address each other and the issues facing the Marine Corps; head on. Lt Gen Bellon and SgtMaj Ruiz are the Command Element for both Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces Southern Command. Lt Gen Bellon is an active and violent supporter of engagement via social media and driving innovation in the Marine Corps. 

This...

This episode is a look towards the past and how the core of a good leader is timeless. Lt Gen Gregory Newbold, the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) commander of Operation Restore Hope and later on the Director of Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a leader with an unwavering desire to be responsible to those he leads.

This episode provides a glimpse behind the curtain into a oft misunderstood, or even mysterious, selection process of being selected as a Marine Corps general and the gut wrenching decisions that must be made to ensure o...

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, host David B. Armstrong spends time with DUSN Victor Minella, otherwise referred to as “Dozen” where they spend time discussing various topics related to leadership from his enlisted time, his officer time, and finally in civilian leadership inside the Department of the Navy.

DUSN Minella covers the importance of leadership in making organizations successful and the differences/similarities in leading civilians and military personnel. DUSN Minella emphasizes leaders should seek to understand their personnel as individuals and not merely names on a chart. He also believes the best organ...

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, host David B. Armstrong invites LtGen Dave Furness back to the show to discuss various topics related to leadership.

LtGen Furness covers the importance of leadership in making organizations successful and the difference in the interaction between the lieutenants and the captains. LtGen Furness emphasizes that leaders should be frequent in praising their subordinates and building goodwill, loyalty, and commitment. He believes that the best Marine organizations are those where the collective goes above and beyond what's required and that this is achieved by leaders who care about t...

Col McClam is a career infantry officer and currently the Commanding Officer of The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. Col McClam discusses the acronym "MOAS," which stands for Mentorship, Opportunity, Advocacy, and Sponsorship.

This episode is filled with great "Moments in Leadership" that should be heard by every leader, both officer and enlisted, especially by TBS Lieutenants and Midshipmen and Officer Candidates. 

Embedded in MOAS is the importance of performance and how it is the currency by which every leader is evaluated for future potential in the Marine Corps. He pulls no...

This episode is filled with great "Moments in Leadership" with everything from becoming an aviator, transitioning to a new Type/Model/Series of aircraft, to a FAC tour with a ground unit   to leading a squadron. This episode is extremely valuable to all the leaders in the aviation community because he shares what it takes to perform and what you can expect from combat operations on the ground and in the air.

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1stSgt Shamus Flynn is currently the Inspector Instructor First Sergeant for Weapons Company 1st Bn 23rd Marines in Austin, Texas. Flynn is a prolific user of Social Media and has a considerable following on Instagram, where he shares not only his knowledge but the knowledge of others. What strikes me about him is that he is an early adopter of social media as a leadership tool, and he refuses to cede the space to others who wish to fill it with negativity and misinformation… something the enlisted side of the house, as a whole, is grasping much more quickly th...

While the panel had a lot of different interesting conversations, one of the things that stuck out to me was a conversation halfway through where we talked about setting the conditions for efficiency and discovering the friction points that lead to those inefficiencies.
 

One of the recent reviews left about the podcast stated that they were amazed at how much actual connection there was between what the company level officers thought should be happening and what the general officers also thought should be happening…
  

And I agree…leaving the question - what's happening between...

Admiral James A. Winnefeld Jr. is a retired US Navy admiral who serves as the chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. While on active duty, Winnefeld served as the ninth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Listen in to hear valiant leadership stories from his military career, highlighting everything from Naval aviation to commanding Naval war ships.

James sheds light on what it’s like to be a young officer leading people who have serious combat experience, the lessons he learned from working with Colin Powell, and why it’s so importa...

Just a few hours before he packed up his home and set off to Georgia to retire, Major General Dale Alford sat down with me to offer his final thoughts on his 37-year-long career in the Marine Corps. Listen in as we discuss some of his most noteworthy lessons learned as well as the key things emerging leaders need to know to be successful in their career.

MajGen Alford reflects on the leadership traits and habits he developed throughout his time in the military, the decisions that led to his success (and struggle), and how y...

Listen in as we discuss SgtMaj Black's experiences as a young Marine, a new NCO, and in leadership roles as a First Sergeant and a Sergeant Major. Hear him tell the stories of young PFC Black as well as his first experience leading his fellow Lance Corporal peers as a brand new Corporal. Hear about and learn what he did well and what he'd do differently. He sheds light on the importance of the different oaths we take and how they shape our leadership responsibilities. He shares some perspective on taking care of the most junior Marine in order...

Listen in as we discuss his most powerful moments of combat as a young lieutenant platoon commander, ambushed just moments after stepping out of friendly lines on his very first combat patrol. Hear him debrief himself and learn what he did well and what he'd do differently. He sheds light on how leadership is simple but never easy. He explains how he would adopt a more harmonious approach to company command rather than what he describes as a ruthless drive for "results first." We discuss his new book, Always Faithful – A story of war in Afghanistan, the fall of Ka...

This is a great episode with one of the most experienced combat leaders serving in the USMC today but also a leader with an incredibly diversified career spanning not only recruiting but also tours on Capitol Hill watching the sausage get made.  Listen in as we discuss the most powerful moments of leadership, pride, fear, and influence in David's Marine Corps career. He sheds light on how to make the most out of poor leadership, how to lead Marines that are lacking discipline, his perspective AND reflection on his "Basic Daily Routine" letter to the 2nd Marine Division in 2019, a...

Listen in as we discuss leadership through the lens of Force Design 2030 as it continues to take shape and what this means for the future of the Marine Corps. Personally, I believe changing the Marine Corps to meet our pacing threats is imperative, but others think differently. So, we’re addressing both sides of the debate. 

The U.S. Marine Corps’ updated Force Design 2030 plans continue to make investments in lethality, but with a particular emphasis on loitering munitions and other technology that can add range and precision to what the infantry and artillery communities use to...

Book mentioned in this episode (not an affiliate link)
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E. B. Sledge(2012-03-12): Books - Amazon

Today, I have Major General Dale Alford, USMC on the podcast. He is currently the commanding general of Training Command in Quantico Virginia, which is not to be confused with training and education command or T com. 

Training Command touches the entire marine corps both officer and enlisted which includes close to 90, regionally aligned formal learning centers aligned under 17 unique O6 level commands with 15 commanded by marine colonels a...

On Instagram @norseman_9

SEAC Colón-López’s only official social media is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seac.jcs or tag @SEAC.JCS 

The SEAC’s hashtag is #SEAC4

The Joint Staff resources he mentioned can be found here: https://www.jcs.mil/About/The-Joint-Staff/Senior-Enlisted-Advisor/

The Bottom Line Up Front with SEAC podcast can be found on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple, Audible, Google, etc.).

YouTube: https://youtu.be/C-3ZtYgKlrI

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bottom-line-up-front-with-seac/id1556881367

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Lieutenant General Bellon was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1989. Bellon began service as an Infantry Officer with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. He then served as a Judge Advocate with 1st Force Service Support Group. In 1997, he left active duty and joined the Selected Marine Corps Reserve serving six years with 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion in a variety of positions. After 9/11, he returned to active duty for four combat tours in support of both OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) and OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF). During OIF I, he served as Operations Officer for 4th LAR with both TASK...

Andy is a Marine infantry and special operations officer and has commanded in combat at every grade. As the commanding officer of the Marine Corps’ special operations regiment, he was selected to lead a multinational task force given the mission of defeating ISIS in Iraq. Andy retired in 2019 as the chief of staff of Special Operations Command Central, the headquarters responsible for the conduct of all US special operations throughout the Middle East. Since retiring, he has written a critically acclaimed memoir "When the Tempest Gathers", and a number of articles for national publications.  He is on the adjunct fac...

Vice Admiral Boxall was commissioned in 1984 and went on to become a surface warfare officer whose time in the navy included the commander of carrier strike Group 3 aboard the USS John C Stennis. He had command of the USS Lake Erie the USS Carney and was the executive officer of the USS Hue city. He served tours as a combat systems officer aboard the USS Simpson and the USS Ramage and was a division officer on the USS Merrell and USS Kinkaid. Currently, he is serving as the director for force structure resources and assessment which is the J8 on...

Over his career LtGen Brilakis served in a wide range of assignments including artillery tours in 10th Marines, and several other leadership roles and command such as CG 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Deputy CG of III MEF and Commanding General 3rd Marine Division. In this interview, we discuss his time as a Lieutenant, his combat experience in Beruit, and how that moment shaped his leadership philosophy as a General Officer and taught him about the seriousness of the decisions and choices leaders make in this business.

Retired US Army Brigadier General Craig Nixon discusses the leadership lessons he learned over a 29-year career through combat deployments during Operation Just Cause in December of 1989 where he participated in the airborne invasion of Panama as a Ranger, during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3rd, 1993 (also popularly known as Black Hawk Down) as a member of Task Force Ranger where he led the rescue effort to secure the crash site of Super 64 piloted by CWO3 Raymond Frank and CWO3 Michael Durant and where Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Congressional...

In Part Two of a two-part interview, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Bob 'Boomer' Milstead discusses concepts such as in baseball, a .400 hitter is considered for Cooperstown, while a 60% loser will be fired everywhere else. He discusses his "HEP" Principle (Humor, Enthusiasm, Patience), what he learned about giving second chances after some pilots in his command were involved in a fratricide incident, why how he defines a Maverick, and why he considers himself one too. LtGen Milstead strings together lessons from several different experiences to give the listener insight into his personal leadership style which carried him through 40 years of...