Photo By Spc. William Rogers | 4th Infantry Division leaders discuss efforts to revitalize Army publications during...... read more read more
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Fort Carson, Colo. - The 4th Infantry Division hosted The Harding Project team, who met with over a hundred Ivy Division personnel to discuss the project's history and purpose, best practices for drafting and editing articles, starting a unit writing program, and getting published, Sept. 25, 2024, at Fort Carson.
The Harding Project is an effort to renew professional writing in the United States Army, unite individuals interested in revitalizing professional military publications, digitally share information within the military community, and generate ideas for future publications.
“It’s so important to be at places like Fort Carson and meeting with the Ivy Division because what the Army is doing is happening here,” said Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths, director of the Harding Project. “We need our people at our Divisions, like the 4th Infantry Division, to share their best practices and lessons learned and write those down for the Army Journals.”
Last July, Griffiths was called into the Chief of Staff of the Army’s office, General Randy A. George, after publishing an article titled “Bring Back Branch Magazines.” Griffiths’s research explained the need for more quality content published in Branch Magazines. He found that changes in accessibility and staffing would lead to the Army producing more high-quality content in their branch magazines. The conversation with Gen. George led to the creation of the Harding Project.
During the morning portion of the day, the Harding Project team advised the audience about drafting and editing articles.
Sgt. 1st Class Leyton Summerlin, deputy director of the Harding Project, said there is no traditional format for writing articles and advised writing in three main sections: the hook, the message, and a call to action. The hook should be compelling enough to capture the reader, and the most successful hook paints the picture for the reader.
“A journal article should be as short as it can be to capture whatever you are trying to convey and share with the rest of the force,” said Summerlin. “If you don’t capture the reader in the first 26 seconds, why will they read the rest of it.”
The message is the main reason for the article, the lessons learned, and the argument for the article. The call to action is where the change comes from and how to propose it. It also explains which people can be involved in the change, how those involved can help change structures, and why the call to action is necessary.
The audience asked about using artificial intelligence (AI) to help write articles. The team suggested that AI be leveraged correctly as a writing partner or assistant rather than a solution. One suggestion is to use it as a sounding board to make minor edits, such as word phrasing, a thesaurus, or generating ideas.
The audience was also introduced to two Harding Fellows: 1st Lt. Mackenzie Schott, the Field Artillery Harding Fellow and editor-in-chief of the Field Artillery Professional Bulletin, and Capt. Vincent Kirk, Army Communicator Harding Fellow, at The Cyber Center of Excellence. The Harding Fellows explained why individuals should apply for the Harding Project Fellowship and how writing articles for branch magazines is essential to advancing the field.
Schott said that being a Harding Fellow allows you to participate in the process that reinvigorates professional writing within the Army. You’re at the center of ideas and get to work with many people from different branches.
In addition to the Harding Project, the team introduced The Muddy Boots Project. The Muddy Boots Project will be a subsection of the NCO Journal, contributed to by senior nominative command sergeant majors, providing invaluable knowledge from years of experience and directly call-to-action the rest of the noncommissioned officer corps to contribute to the project.
“The NCO Corps holds the lion's share of tactical expertise,” said Sgt. 1st Class Summerlin. “Being able to capture the experiences, insights and ideas of our junior leaders is incredibly important to improving the organization as a whole.
Efforts like the Harding Project and Muddy Boots aim to modernize the Army's professional publications by updating policies, educating the force and improving archives. This renewal will foster critical debates and facilitate the sharing of ideas essential for adapting to the evolving complexities of modern warfare.
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| Date Taken: | 09.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2024 18:08 |
| Story ID: | 482006 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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