Military

Would you rather be freezing or be hot while on duty?

Soldier shares why freezing beats the heat on duty

So I've done both Afghanistan in the summer, but then also Fort Drum, New York, which is upstate New York, and then J-Bear, Alaska, which is just outside of Anchorage, Alaska, was obviously the cold ones. I would say I prefer the cold. And I just say this because both really suck, but my memories of time spent with, in those moments with those people, it was a lot more fun in the cold than in the heat. And maybe there's a little bit there too with Afghanistan. Granted, I was airborne infantry there as well. So that's a little bit of a different flavor of time during a deployment like that, but definitely the cold, just because of some of the memories I have sharing with people that were cold during training and situations and stuff like that.

I prefer the cold because it brings back more fond memories of time spent with people than in hot conditions.

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Having experienced both extreme temperatures, I would say I prefer the cold. Whether it was serving in Afghanistan during the summer or being stationed in Fort Drum, New York, and J-Bear, Alaska, where it was cold, both situations were challenging. However, my memories of time spent with others in those cold moments were more enjoyable compared to the heat. Perhaps there's a bit of nostalgia there as well, considering I was also airborne infantry during my deployment to Afghanistan. The camaraderie formed during training and tough situations in the cold is something I cherish. So, given the choice, I would rather be freezing than hot while on duty.

What topics would you like to answer more questions about?

Military insights, leadership styles, and mental health: Ask me anything!

I'm really excited to answer any and all questions. You guys have about the military or that relates to it, everything from people that are looking to join the military and help them with finding their own path for what the military is, and what they can get out of it as well as what they're going to put into it. Other things, such as leadership styles. I'm a huge fan of active leadership and servant leadership. I actually wrote some curriculum for the United. States, Army's, non-commissioned officer Academy program for Servant leadership. So, that's a huge topic for me. And then some other things I'd like to get into to our kind of mental health, specifically with PTSD, and TBI eyes. Some of the things that I've been through in combat in Afghanistan and just any questions that you guys have, I'm really open to anything you guys have and I will answer them, honestly, and truthfully. And with the most knowledge that I can for you guys.

I'm an expert in military topics and am excited to answer any questions you have about joining the military, leadership styles, mental health, PTSD, TBI, and my experience in combat in Afghanistan.

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I'm excited to answer questions related to the military and anything that pertains to it. This includes helping individuals who are considering joining the military and guiding them in finding their own path within it. I'm also passionate about discussing leadership styles, particularly active leadership and servant leadership. I have even developed curriculum for the United States Army's non-commissioned officer Academy program on servant leadership.

Additionally, I'm interested in exploring topics related to mental health, specifically PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). I have personal experience with these issues from my time in combat in Afghanistan. I'm open to answering any questions you may have and will provide honest and knowledgeable responses to the best of my ability.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Key Advice for Success: Embrace Patience and the Journey

One piece of advice that I would give my younger self is patience. I always like finding the end result. It's still something that I struggle with today, but trusting the process, opening up to learning and growing from those processes, and the actual journey from start to finish, instead of just trying to get straight to the finish, would definitely be for my younger self to help me even now today, would be definitely patience.

My advice to my younger self would be to have patience and trust the process of the journey, instead of just trying to find the end result.

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If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be to practice patience. I've always been eager to reach the end result and it's still something I struggle with today. However, learning to trust the process, embracing the journey of growth and learning, rather than solely focusing on the end goal, would have greatly benefited my younger self. This advice continues to hold value for me even now. Patience is key.

What is your definition of success and how do you measure it?

Measuring Success: The Key is Personal Growth

What is your definition of success and how do you measure it? So everyone will go into the whole, you know, building goals, setting goals, smart goals, all this stuff, which is great. I do it, especially for cycling and kind of where I'm at professionally. But I would say for me, the biggest one is coming from a place where when you go to sleep that night, you have become spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally better in at least one or two of those areas a day. So you can continue to grow and your only measurement of success you should have to me personally is against yourself, right? I can't compare people to who they are because they have things and don't have things that I do or I don't, right? So continuing to better yourself every day and not taking a step back is my definition of success.

Success is defined by continually bettering yourself in all aspects of your life, and the only measure should be against yourself.

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My definition of success is centered around personal growth in various aspects of life - spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally. Each day, I strive to become better in at least one or two of these areas. Comparing myself to others is not the metric I use to measure success. Instead, I focus on continuous self-improvement and avoiding any regressions. Setting goals, including smart goals, is important for both my cycling and professional pursuits. However, my ultimate measurement of success lies in becoming a better version of myself every day.

What was going for a promotion like in the military?

Unlocking Military Promotions: Right Place, Right Time, Right Uniform

So, what was going for a promotion like in the military? So I'm enlisted so a lot of times it's just right place, right time, right uniform. And as long as you keep those things and you keep your nose clean and you do the job that's asked of you, it's easy enough to go from E1 private all the way up to E6 staff sergeant. Along the way also making sure that you are continuing to educate yourself in your trade and positively affect those around you to continue to produce the best product that's asked of for the day, whether it be training or cleaning weapons or down in the motor pool fixing vehicles or whatever your job or task is in the military. As long as you do it well and you help others do their job well, you're going to be just fine with promotions. It's again, it's the big three things, right place, right time, right uniform that kind of just gets to people sometimes. I don't know what it is, but as long as you keep those things in your wheelhouse of what you do on a day to day basis, you're good to go for promotion.

To get promoted in the military it is important to be in the right place at the right time, wear the right uniform, maintain a clean record and do your job well. It is also important to continue educating yourself in your trade and help others around you.

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So, what was going for a promotion like in the military? As an enlisted member, it often comes down to being in the right place at the right time with the right uniform. By maintaining a clean record, fulfilling assigned duties, and continuously educating oneself in their trade, it's relatively straightforward to progress from E1 private to E6 staff sergeant. Additionally, positively impacting those around you and helping them excel in their roles is crucial for achieving the best outcomes in training, weapon maintenance, vehicle repairs, or any other military tasks. As long as you perform your job well and support others in doing theirs, promotions will come naturally. Ultimately, it boils down to the three key factors of being in the right place at the right time with the right uniform. Keeping these aspects of military life in mind on a daily basis will set you up for success in seeking promotion.

What characterized the period of your life where you experienced the most personal growth?

Overcoming heartbreak led to profound personal growth

So, what characterized the period of your life where you experienced the most personal growth? Have to say about two years ago, I was supposed to get married and found out that I was being emotionally and possibly cheated on by my fiance about three months before the wedding and obviously called it off. I had to do a lot of soul searching within myself to define who I was and come to grips with ensuring that I could be okay being alone before starting a relationship again. It's helped me out quite a bit.

Two years ago, I found out my fiance was cheating on me and had to do a lot of soul searching to figure out who I was and be okay with being alone before starting another relationship.

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The period of my life where I experienced the most personal growth was about two years ago. During that time, I was preparing to get married when I discovered that my fiance was emotionally unfaithful, and there was a possibility of cheating. This revelation led me to call off the wedding. In the aftermath, I had to embark on a journey of self-reflection and rediscover my own identity. It became essential for me to find contentment in being alone before considering another relationship. This experience has had a profound impact on my personal growth and has helped me in many ways.

Swimming

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Veterans Affairs

Still serving with 14+ years experience from Machine Gunner to PSG, Senior Jumpmaster to NCO Academy Instructor, and now at the US Embassy, Guatemala.

Josh Boguslofski