Lessons From Afghanistan: An Air Defense Platoon Leader’s Perspective

1LT Henry Jang-Milsten graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2014, having played tennis all four years. Upon graduation, he branched into the Air Defense Artillery, and was assigned to 2-44 Air Defense at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Afghanistan as a Battle Captain, but soon took over as Platoon Leader. In this interview, he describes his years at West Point, playing tennis, and serving in Afghanistan. He talks about how he integrated his tennis team experiences into his academic studies and military development. He discusses his deployment to Bagram Air Base, and his efforts at maintaining the health, welfare, and morale of his Soldiers during a long and stressful deployment. He explains the duties of a Battle Captain, and offers advice for being successful in that role. After returning home, he served as a battery executive officer, and he talks about the challenges of that position. Finally, he compares his leadership experiences in the Army with what he experienced as an athletic team captain.