By The Endurance Mandate
The Army doesn’t just teach you how to conduct war; it teaches you how to live with purpose, plan with flexibility, and keep moving forward when everything seems like it’s falling apart. A wise man takes those lessons learned in occupation and applies them everywhere—in his faith, in his work, and most importantly, in his family.
For those who want to dig deeper into Christian war strategy, I recommend Jim Wilson’s Principles of War.
When it comes to running a family, the Army’s staff sections translate surprisingly well. Since I’m training my children for real life, using a framework I already know just makes sense. It keeps me from reinventing the wheel and gives the kids something solid to grow into.
In our home, I’m the Commander, my wife is the XO (Executive Officer) or 1SG (First Sergeant), and the kids? They’re the staff officers in training. Each one has responsibilities that tie directly to real life:
- Personnel (S1) – (HR) Managing relationships, conflict resolution and mediation, organizing important documents (like birth certificates, tax records, and insurance policies), and making sure we know who needs what documentation for upcoming events.
- Operations (S3) – Carrying out daily plans: schoolwork, family worship agenda, activities, events and home budgeting.
- Logistics (S4) – Keeping the household running—cleaning, stocking supplies, maintaining vehicles, prepping materials for home projects and nutrition procurement.
- Plans (S5) – Thinking ahead: 1-3 year plans, vacation ideas, making reservations and planning routes.
- Signal (S6) – Handling communication: wifi, backups for important documents (cloud and hard-copy, creating the GOTWAs, integrating AI tools, maintaining radios for hiking/hunting trips, PACE plans.
Is this overkill? Possibly. But it works, and the kids love having a role. The goal isn’t rigidity—it’s training. By giving them small but meaningful responsibilities now, they’ll grow into adults who know how to handle the real world.
Like any good Army operation, the plan always changes. And that brings me to the first lesson:
1. Plans Are Useless, but Planning Is Essential
In the Army, no plan survives contact with the enemy—or “reality,” in family life. But planning isn’t about perfection; it’s about preparation. When plans fail, as they often do, the key is adjusting with flexibility while trusting God to guide the steps.
At home, this might mean rerouting a trip after a car breakdown or improvising dinner when the pantry is bare. Life throws curveballs, but each adjustment is an opportunity to model resilience and faith for my family. Planning keeps us moving forward, but God’s sovereignty ensures the outcome. Praise God for opportunities to trust him.
These moments remind me that my job is to lead with diligence and humility, adapting as needed while trusting Him with the results. Whether it’s through small pivots or major course corrections, I’m learning to press on—and teaching my family to do the same.
2. Every Team Member Has a Role
In an Army staff, everyone’s job matters. The mission doesn’t succeed unless everyone does their part. The same goes for family life. Kids aren’t passengers—they’re members of the team.
Giving them ownership over a a piece of the home helps them learn responsibility and gives them pride in being part of the overall success of the home. My oldest might plan meals or track logistics, while my youngest is in charge of simple tasks like tidying her room. It’s not about perfection—it’s about teaching them to work hard “as unto the Lord.”
3. Lead from the Front
In the Army, good leadership isn’t barking orders from the back. It’s leading by example. You don’t ask your Soldiers to do anything you’re not willing to do yourself.
At home, this means living the standards I expect from my kids. If I want them to work hard, they need to see me putting in the effort. If I want honesty and respect, they should see it in how I speak to my wife and handle setbacks. Kids follow what they see, not what they hear.
4. Mission First, Troops Always
The Army’s mantra fits family life perfectly. The mission—glorifying God and building a legacy of Faith—comes first. But the people carrying it out, my wife and kids, need care, encouragement, and grace along the way.
At home, this means balancing structure with compassion. Sometimes the schedule gets tossed because a child needs to talk. Sometimes discipline is softened because grace teaches better than the hammer. Staying mission-focused means loving the people God gave me to lead.
The Army helped prepare me for more than deployments; it prepared me to lead my family. Every chore, every lesson, every plan is part of a bigger mission. And while I might act like I’m in charge, the truth is I’m just the deputy. God writes the orders and is my Commander. My job is to carry them out, adjust as needed, and teach my kids to do the same.
You might think this approach is a bit over the top, but consider this: every successful business has domains like personnel, logistics, and planning. They just call it something different. Why wouldn’t I use the same tools to prepare my kids for the “real” world?
The mission is clear. The stakes are eternal. Train them while there’s still time, it’s hard to go back.
“Fight ’til the end—in every area of life.”
-EM
The Endurance Mandate 
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