From the Editor
By Laura M. Levering
Article published on:
September 1, 2025 in the Fall/Winter 2025 edition of Army
Communicator
Read Time:
< 5 mins
Laura M. Levering
Editor, U.S. Army Signal School
If you are reading this, I am going to assume that you currently serve –
or have served – in the military at some point. And whether you enlisted
or commissioned, had extensive knowledge of the military or joined
“blindly,” I am also going to assume (for the sake of this editorial) that
you had some sort of preconceived idea of what to expect. And
then … reality set in.
The Spring 2026 Army Communicator theme is going to be particularly
challenging for some of you, and we hope you are willing to take on the
challenge. Simply put, the theme is:
Expectations vs. Reality.
Arguably more complex than previous themes, this topic is intended to be
thought-provoking with potential to lead to real change.
Think back to before you joined the military. We want to know what some of
your expectations were and whether those expectations were met – from
day-to-day responsibilities, opportunities for personal and professional
growth, equipment assigned (or not assigned) to you as part of your job,
your leadership (the good and less-than-stellar), the culture as a whole
and everything in between. Think through your personal experiences. Begin
by sharing what expectations you had, then reflect on how close – or how
far – those expectations came to (or ended up far from) reality. Consider
closing with suggestions/ideas on ways the military could change
(transform) for the betterment of its people and organization. What advice
would you offer someone whose service recently began and who is facing
challenges of their own? Please understand that this is
not a call to complain nor the platform to air
grievances. It is a call (directly from leadership) to spend time being
introspective, which leads to growth. It is also an opportunity to bring
forth ideas and possible solutions to leadership – right here – in the
Signal Regiment. Perhaps equally important is that you have fellow
Signaleers who might read what you write and have something to say in
response.
Professional discourse is the heart of the
Harding Project
and the direction in which all the Army journals are going as they evolve.
If you are still unfamiliar with what this means, I urge you to bring
yourself up to speed on it. Whether you joined in recent months or have
decades in, you have something worth sharing. This is the time to get it
out there! Now for a few admin notes …
If your article does not meet the standards outlined below in the
submission guidelines, it may not wind up published. Priority will go to
submissions that are most relevant to the Signal Regiment, support the
Harding Project’s intent to generate professional discourse, and are in
line with the present quarter’s theme.
To read about what some of the other branches are up to, visit
Line of Departure,
where you will find all of the Army’s professional journals housed. If you
have not subscribed to the
Harding Project Substack,
please take a moment to sign up. At minimum, check it out. It was created
by one of the Harding Project’s original founders and is currently managed
by the director/deputy director of the Harding Project. The Harding
Project is evolving, which means the Army Communicator is also evolving.
Submission guidelines
Articles need to be sent in Word. Photos and graphics must be attached
separately (not embedded in Word). Include
a description of each photo/graphic along with the rank, full name, and
unit of person who took the photo (or created graphic). Acronyms
must be spelled out on first reference, with the
abbreviation of the term acceptable on subsequent reference. Between 500
and about 2,000 words per article is ideal. This helps ensure a minimum of
one page and maximum of four pages in publication layout (depending on
photos, etc.). Use APA format when citing sources.
Spring 2026 theme: Expectations vs. Reality
Spring 2026 deadline: March 6