The Power of Military Networking: Your Secret Weapon

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.

Chapters

• 0:00 Secret Weapon of Success: Networking
• 2:15 Career Development: Accessing Opportunities
• 8:52 Professional Development Benefits
• 16:35 Personal Relations and Support Systems
• 22:02 How and Where to Network Effectively
• 26:40 Programs and Groups to Join

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Want to know the secret weapon behind some of the most successful people. It's not luck, it's networking. Whether you're climbing the career ladder or building something of your own, who you connect with will change everything. So let's break down why networking is the ultimate game changer, roger Sarn All right, so welcome back to the Roger Sarn podcast, where we talk all things Army and I'm your host, sarnt Cruz. Today we're talking about one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional growth I don't know what the heck that was and that is networking. It's not just about who you know, but about building relationships that open doors, that spark ideas and create opportunities where you never saw coming. So stick around as we uncover how a strong network can be your greatest asset. So we're going to break this down into like four segments. Right, we're going to talk about career development. We're then going to talk about how it benefits you on your professional development, and then we're going to talk about how it, how and where to network. Does that make sense? And in between that, we'll talk about personal relations and stuff. So, career development right, the first thing is you're going to be accessing opportunities. A simple example of that is like, let's say, for instance, you're going to be connecting with a former platoon mate or something that you guys are at some leadership course because we know that we're going to have to go at least three to four times to a leadership course. You got BLC, alc, slc, mlc, and then you got Sergeant Majors Academy if you're on our side, on the E side, right, so you connect with them. That could lead to like a recommendation for like a specialized training program that you didn't even know existed. I can't tell you how many times I've spoken to someone and they put me on game. That's the bottom line being put on game Um. Another type of um career development is knowledge sharing. Steel sharpens steel, right. So if you're, let's say, for instance, you're joining an online army forum that helps you learn about new tactics, techniques and procedures as we call TTPs that are being used in different units, it's giving you an edge in your role. Like, for instance, I know it's on Teams. I have this NCO page that I joined I think I joined it from Facebook and they have everything on there. I'm talking about things that come 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 my life a lot easier, you know. So things like that will really take you a long way.

Speaker 1: 3:39

Another thing about career development you got to seek career advice and guidance right. So as a senior NCO, um, let's say, for instance, um you, you met a senior NCO at a field exercise and they give you guidance on, on navigating, like the promotion board, um, like that process and how to improve for your NCOER. You're not going to get better information or, um, how would I say, not better information. Uh, yeah, you're not going to get better information, knowledge or experience from someone that has done it for twice as long as you have, twice as long as you have. You're going to get different outlooks, 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 information from maybe a sergeant, staff sergeant that's doing it around the same time that you're doing it. Maybe they fast tracked or something. You're going to get different information, but the overarching. You'll probably get better information 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 or that red, that red ink put on multiple NCOERs before we started using EES. So when someone's going to guide you, that's that's help. And senior NCOs are going to guide you, that's help and senior NCOs are going to help you with that. And obviously you have the senior officers. But I'm specifically talking about the ease at this moment. So it also, like when it comes to career development and networking, it also increases visibility. So you want to increase your visibility by volunteering to an organizational like not an organizational volunteering to organize a unit event, or like taking the lead on a project to showcase your leadership skills, right? So making it? It makes you more visible to senior leaders and those are the ones that can influence your career progression.

Speaker 1: 5:51

Whether you like it or not. We, what people think about you, matters. Okay, I know a lot of people say, well, um, I don't care what people think about me this, that and the third. And I would venture out to say that that's low IQ thought process. Because I have to care what my brigade sergeant major thinks of me, what my brigade commander thinks of me, because I literally work on the same floor as them, literally work on the same floor as them, and if I'm out here looking crazy, acting crazy or walking around saying whatever I want to say, irregardless of what they think, that's a problem. Same thing goes like and I use those because I work on the same floor but your platoon sergeant, your platoon leader, your company commander, first sergeant, other platoon sergeants, other soldiers it matters right. And when they see you taking leads and showing off that you can, that you're willing to take responsibility, then they know they can count on you. So increasing your visibility is is is a good one.

Speaker 1: 6:59

Another one is uh, you got to build confidence right. So regularly, like engaging with leaders and your peers at professional development, like events, it's going to boost your confidence. Because when you're speaking up in formations and briefings, you're ultimately going to be able to speak up in boards. So all of this translates right. So it builds your confidence. Anytime you can say something relevant, not just saying stuff. To say stuff like a joke or something like, if you could say something relevant and come from a place of knowledge, it's going to build your confidence. And then it builds confidence in others, in you is long-term relationships right. So staying in touch with soldiers you've served with over the years. It creates like a lifelong support system and that can offer you guidance and job leads when you get out. Or job leads to, like, let's say, organizations that they have a gap that you may need to fill and you're trying to PCS and you're trying to work your way in there, interpost transfers, whatever it is, or just jobs outside the military when you transition right. So long-term relationship always helps.

Speaker 1: 8:15

Like I've mentioned this multiple times in multiple podcasts when I was an instructor from 2017, 2020, I still have those guys in a chat. We are all in a chat and we all talk crap to each other. Sometimes we get all political, sometimes we get all helpful, sometimes we just rag on each other. It all depends on how we feel that day, but at the end of the day, we help each other. If there's an NCOER that needs to be looked at, we all look at it and we give our opinions, all right. So let's move on to professional development, right Access.

Speaker 1: 8:54

You need to make sure that you have access to knowledge. So let's say, for example, you're attending a leadership development course, right? Or you're going to your NCO and you, you, you need to make sure that you understand these ttps that we spoke about earlier, because these this is going to enhance mission success. So, with your career development, right, as you are keeping your knowledge and spreading it, right, but you're you're gathering knowledge, you're going to have access to, to, and when it's time to enhance a mission, when it's time to sit down, do MDMP, you're going to be able to understand and process the mission a lot better. Right, you also have to have under develop professional development. You have to have diverse perspective, right, and what I mean by that is you have to collaborate with soldiers from different MOSs, right, especially during joint exercises, because it helps you see the challenges from multiple angles. Right, so it's going to lead to a more effective problem solving in these complex operations that they put us in, right. So if I don't speak the language of a mechanic, right, then I'm not going to get the best help and I'm not going to be able to help myself because I haven't done my due diligence in understanding what codes mean what on the ESR, right, if I'm not understanding logistics, especially as a brigade planner for a medical operation it's a surgeon, so I wouldn't be able to understand how to get my supplies, my class A supplies, on those supply trains in the S4. Does that make sense? So I have to understand what the mission is and I have to see all perspectives on why I can't get my stuff there on time because they have other things to do. So it helps Low density MOSs, combat MOSs. You need to understand the broader picture.

Speaker 1: 10:49

Another part under professional development is the skill development right. So when you connect with fellow soldiers who have mastered, let's say, land navigation, it you like a chance to train together. It helps you sharpen your skills. It helps you um get better for that next field exercise, because you can't always depend on the jbcp, and those of you who are listening you know that jbcps sometimes go down or the three shop is going to be like well, I need your j, your JBCP, and they commandeer it. And now you're stuck trying to read a map or try to get around in a map and you just need to understand that. And that's just an example using land navigation. But you have to develop your skills. Whatever your ICTLs are, whatever your skill levels are, you got to know what your MOS is.

Speaker 1: 11:41

Another part of that professional development is, I think one of the most important is mentorship and guidance Right. So to give you a brief example of that, like when um building a relationship with, like again, the senior NCO. It provides a personalized advice, right, and it's I'm preparing for promotion boards. Like I said, refining your leadership style? Um, okay, and that's a big one, because a lot of us are stuck on whatever style we grew up with or the time that we grew up in, and we're not understanding that times are changing. So we have to adapt and we have to refine how we do it, because soldiers aren't responding to yells and yelling and yelling and getting in their face. It's not happening nowadays, right, and all of this is going to assist you? Well, not all of this. So, and all of this is going to assist you Well, not all of this. Having a mentorship and some guidance is going to ultimately do nothing but help you advance in your Army career. I'm going to tell you that right now, stay flexible like Gumby.

Speaker 1: 12:50

Another thing is you got to stay updated 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 and leadership 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 S one guru, or I'll go to army resource commands, um and CEO professionals, but it doesn't matter. I, I'm always throughout all of this, all of these pages and um, I make sure that I stay up on it. A lot of times I get some stuff in there and I just don't. I don't share it cause I don't have time. But I'm aware, right, got some stuff in there and I just don't. I don't share because I don't have time, but I'm aware, right, um, and these policies are are going to need, are going to um, get you. It's going to keep you out of trouble because you're not going to make the wrong correction, you're not going to take the wrong avenue of approach to assisting a soldier. Um, it's just going to make sure that it cuts your your time in half when you're trying to help soldiers.

Speaker 1: 13:52

Another thing you need to do with professional development and this is a good one too is constructive feedback, right, sharing after action reviews like your AARs. You share them with your peers. It gives you a lot of valuable feedback on like your performance. Right, it helps you fine tune your tactics and it helps you fine lot of valuable feedback on, like your performance right. It helps you fine tune your tactics and it helps you fine tune your leadership abilities. You can't be a punk when you do an AAR. You got to say give me some goods and some bads, however you want to phrase it, but don't restrict it to three, because if you got six or seven goods or bads, then you need to know that. Because if you got six or seven goods or bads, then you need to know that. And what we used to do is we used to put it up on DTMS. We put it in on DTMS no-transcript have. So there are many ways and reasons why you need to understand that AARs are important and accept constructive feedback.

Speaker 1: 15:08

Another thing under professional development is going to be motivation and accountability. Oh man, so when you're training with your battle bro or you're joining a PT group, that it creates a system of accountability, right it? Everyone is pushing everyone to stay disciplined and they ultimately are going to achieve their fitness goals, right. That's why a lot of people I've noticed a lot of influencers they started out by just posting what they're doing to hold themselves accountable and six months a year, two years later, they have grown into the body that they want because of that small portion of just holding themselves accountable or the world holding them accountable, right, it's like, oh, I can't just fall off now, right, same thing when you exercise with your battle bro. You'd be like or battle sis, whatever you want to call it you guys exercise together, you come up with a plan and you guys go with that journey together. It just helps when you're in a group, steel sharpens steel and everyone's going to hold each other accountable.

Speaker 1: 16:19

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 you that. All right, so we're going to move on to personal relations, relations, right, and this is kind of like what you're with support and guidance. So you're going to need emotional support. Um, I'm gonna tell you right now, so, like when you connect with your battle buddies that that understand the stress of the military life, that you kind of. It gives you a space, like a space to vent, right, your frustrations, right. It gives you a space to celebrate, like your small wins or any wins, and at the end of the day, you're going to feel supported during these times, whether they're good or bad, you're going to get some type of support. So I think it's very, very important to have an emotional support.

Speaker 1: 17:17

Another thing is going to be excuse me, another thing is going to be shared experiences, and everyone knows that if one, the more people that embrace the suck is better. That's why I said you don't have to embrace the suck if you got the right tools in your ruck. And I say that because it's not just knowledge, it's just um, having that fellow soldier who's navigating like a deployment, a pcs or a time away from family, right, it helps you feel less alone and um, you gain like practical advice for for handling similar, similar challenges. You guys are together. So when you have a jacked up piece or a rough pt session, it's cool because everyone's having the same pt session. So afterwards you gotta talk about man, those, those squats really, really did me. And everyone starts making fun of it or be like, yeah, next time we gotta do this or whatever it is. Everyone's going through the same struggle and I think that brings it together. What is that? Trauma bonding that's what it's called. It's trauma bonding.

Speaker 1: 18:22

Another good thing under personal relationship right, or personal relations, is personal growth right. So regular conversations with like motivated soldiers or leaders that push you kind of like to step out your comfort zone. I don't care if it's like taking a new responsibility or pursuing additional training. That is how you get better, right? Not many individuals have progressed to their full potential by staying in their comfort zone. I say again not many individuals who have reached their full potential have done it by staying in their comfort zone and doing what's easy, what comes natural. So always make sure that you push yourself to the best of your ability and that's why it's good to have a support system, because you guys can hold each other accountable.

Speaker 1: 19:28

Another thing is problem-solving support, right. So when you're faced with, like a tough decision, like reenlisting or pursuing a new MOS, or brainstorming, like you guys have to like come up with ideas with someone you trust, right To help you weigh your options, and that in itself, by default, is going to help you come up with a more informed decision. So I think you'll make the best choice when you have third parties around you. Brainstorming that's what I was going to say, brainstorm I don't know why I went out of that Brainstorming because you're going to get different perspectives. You're going to get other reasons on why you should or should do the decision that you're trying to do or make. So that's why, with the military decision-making process, mdmp is not just one person doing it or everyone doing it in a separate room, it's the entire staff and all its support. They're all there because the more brains together the better and you get more perspective.

Speaker 1: 20:45

And back to the accountability right. You have to have an accountability partner. Again, you're going to be setting PT goals. You're going to work with that partner. If you're trying to study for a board, you're going to come, you're going to be with that fellow troop and it's going to create some type of accountability system. You guys are going to push each other and you're going to stay disciplined and focused. That's the bottom line for that.

Speaker 1: 21:11

And I go back to the same thing long-lasting friendships. What starts as a professional connection during training exercises turns into lifelong friendships. I promise you, even if you didn't like that individual during that time, later on, if you see him again, if you're, but if you're resilient and I mean this in the most heartfelt way if you are a resilient individual, you will get past what people do to you that you feel isn't right. Okay, so you're going to create lifelong friendships. You're going to build on the shared experience and you're going to come up and you're going to have some type of mutual respect. That's just the bottom line. That's my humble opinion.

Speaker 1: 21:57

Now let's talk about how and where to network. So the first thing we're going to push into is ways to network. You got mentorship programs. You're going to be seeking out formal mentorship initiatives, like within your branch, within your MOS, which in your, your unit, however it is that you want it, but you have to have a mentor, you have to get part, be part of a mentorship program. Um, you're going to be cross training and joint operations.

Speaker 1: 22:25

I did a lot of that when in my 10 year stint in Germany. I'm talking about uh, armies from all over. I have patches from multiple countries because we um, we had so many joint exercises, right. So when you engage with other units and other branches during these joint exercises, you build friendships. Actually, like seven months ago, sometime last year 2024, yeah, 2024 one of my students found me on facebook and just hit me up and and like, hey, how's it going, whatever it is, and friendship request me, you know. And then from there on it's just like like they just they just have like some type, like you build a bond and if I ever went back to germany then I already have someone to hang out with other than the people I already know, right, um, social events you got to attend unit gatherings gatherings you gotta attend dinings, dining inns, you gotta attend the balls. That all builds relationships in a more relaxed setting. Um, what do they call that? Um, uh, what is it called? Uh, uh, mandatory fun that's what it's called, right, and mandatory fund turns into regular fund.

Speaker 1: 23:39

You're going to have to have informational interviews, reach out to other experienced leaders, right, and ask for career advice. Just sit down, have a coffee and a quick chat it don't got to be an hour, just hey, I got a question and write down the stuff that they're telling you and take it with you and process it and then put it into practice. And you got to have volunteer roles, right, whether you're volunteering for the MOVSM or you're going to learn, like I did my MOVSM when I was in Alaska, I met so many people. We used to drive the SAD program Soldiers Against Drunk Driving right, we would drive, pick up soldiers that were drunk come back. And I met so many people there and I still have them in my Facebook today. Right, so that's going to. It's just better, right? Like I said, offer to organize events, lead like morale building activities or just join an outreach program.

Speaker 1: 24:37

Another place, another thing I want to talk about is like locations to network. Right, this is the how and where to network. Something simple, the base gym recreational centers, like casual conversations during workouts, can build strong bonds. Think about it. You guys have something in common. You're trying to get gains. So the defect I'm going to tell you. It's so funny because when you sit with different peoples at at, at meals, it, it expands your, your circle. I'm going to give you an example.

Speaker 1: 25:07

I sat there I can't remember who I was, oh, with the, with the Sergeant First Class Gonzalez. He's now a first sergeant. I replaced him at um, at where I'm at now, second brigade, and we were sitting down eating and we just Joe, sat down like a couple chairs from us, and we were talking and I found out a website that it was to like um. I can't remember what the website was for, but we were talking and then Joe was looking at 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 into the conversation and the reason why he was staring is because he wanted to tell me hey, this website is really good and you can find good deals on that Right. And just like that boom, I found a good deal on what I needed at that moment because I was sitting there talking with my, with with my battle, and a random joe that I didn't know I would. I probably wouldn't have seen him if I wouldn't have been in the um, in the defect, and he solved my problem. Simple as that.

Speaker 1: 26:04

Like the common area, like coughs are good areas, like spend time in the like um, in the uso, like lounges or rec rooms, and you're just going to connect with peers there. They got post clubs, base clubs and back in the day they had all NCO clubs. They have community centers, many places right, transition assistance offices, right, and there you're going to meet service members that are preparing for civilian life and they're going to share insights and you're going to find out. Find out, like, what you need to do if you ever get out the army right, especially if you're going through it um, some groups to join, let's talk about that. You got the ausa right, the association of what is that called association of the united states army and it's great for meeting professionals and accessing career resources. You got the Non-Commissioned Officer Association. It focuses on supporting enlisted members, us. You got the VSO Veterans Service Organizations. They help group the American Legion and the VFW. They provide strong military support network. You got Military affinity group.

Speaker 1: 27:19

A lot of places, like a lot of bases, do have these clubs for like hobbies, fitness, faith and other cultural like interests that you may have. And, like I told you earlier, online communities like you can join military specific Facebook groups, facebook groups um subreddits, discord servers and um this just you get like instant internet, like instant um um accessing connections with people, and people are more like liberal like sometimes on the internet because they don't have that social pressure of trying to like be something they're not, so sometimes it turns out a lot better for that, for like the introvert. Another thing is some programs to participate. I'm giving you guys a lot, a lot of game. I'm telling you these are things that I've been looking up and I've been finding them and I want to put this out for you guys. So, programs to participate you got leadership development programs right. These are like courses that are geared towards like growing leadership skills and they often like have, like, like get like unit participation involved, right, you got skill bridge for the transitioning service members is going to provide, obviously, the civilian work experience while still in the service.

Speaker 1: 28:32

You got TAP. Actually, my unit safe, my brigade safety officer. He was an old SAR major, retired SAR major, just retired, like a year ago max or something like that a year, maybe two and um, he used to work at tap and this dude has so much information. Anytime I talk to him there's always value. Shout out to you, mr Martin Um right It'sin, um right it's.

Speaker 1: 28:55

Uh, tap is is just good for networking, for those getting that that are trying to prepare for, like military, um, their exit from the military, all right. And then, um, veteran mentorship programs. You're going to pair the transitioning service member with a veteran who's already made that jump, who was already done it. Right. So just know, networking in the army isn't just about advancing your career, it's about building meaningful connections that offer support, guidance and opportunities, both in and out of uniform. Say it again, both in and out of uniform it doesn't matter if you're finding a mentor, if you're pushing towards, uh, pushing each other to like getting in PT, like pushing each other to getting your PT scores up or your physical fitness up, or just having someone to lean on through tough times, or the relationship is going to is going to build and it's going to last a lifetime. It's going to build and it's going to last a lifetime.

Speaker 1: 29:55

So if you found this episode helpful, download and review it and share it with your fellow soldier. And if you're ready to take your leadership to the next level, check out my video on YouTube, or you can listen to it here, on how to run an effective PT session. It is packed with tips to help you spice up your PT sessions. And that's it for today. But before I go, remember you don't have to embrace the suck if you got the right tools in your ruck. I'm Sarn Cruz and I'm out. Peace, roger Sarn.