Here at Spotter Up, we realize the importance of recognizing the heroes who dedicate their lives to the service of our nation. Whether they come from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Firemen, Police, or any of the other professions who dedicate their lives to a higher purpose, they deserve our respect, and our gratitude.

With this in mind, we are proud to announce a new monthly article we will be releasing, appropriately entitled Hero of the Month. This article will feature a profile and interview with one of these modern heroes in an attempt to give them the recognition they deserve, and to provide them a vehicle to deliver their advice to others regarding issues of leadership, integrity, moral courage, and living the Spotter Up way of life. These individuals try to impart others with what they know in order to build community and future leaders.

This month’s hero, I’m honored to say, is a personal friend of mine. I met Monteer while stationed at Ft. Bragg when he was a brand new private. I was immediately impressed with his drive, integrity, and ability to take on a role of leadership with his peers despite his rank. So it came as no surprise to me when I heard several years later that he had been selected to attend the Warrant Officer’s Candidate Course. He is now a Chief Warrant Officer Two in the Army Signal Corps.

Hero of the Month: CW2 Jacob W. Monteer

Job: Information Assurance Manager, Human Resources Command.

CW2 Monteer enlisted into the United States Army in 2005 as a (25F) Network Switching System Operator and Maintainer. After reaching the grade of E-6 he attended WOCS and was commissioned as a (255A) Information Services Technician, Warrant Officer in the US Army Signal Corps.

CW2 Monteer is a soldier, leader, and modern hero who represents the Spotter Up way of life, “I will either find a way or I will make one”.

We interviewed CW2 Monteer to get his input and advice on key issues regarding leadership, morailty, and integrity. Here is what he had to say.

1. What do you believe to be the most important value that a leader should have?

Honor. I thinks it’s paramount for any leader to demonstrate honor with their actions. What you’ll find by doing so, is that the rest of our core values are a subsidiary of the honorable course of action. This sense of honor within each of us is a moral compass for doing what’s right. That means focusing on maintaining and developing yourself to perform at an optimal level and never passing up an opportunity to mentor another in their development. I’ve always prided myself on making sure I’m conduit for my soldier’s success and not a road block.

2. The Spotter Up motto is, “Find a way or make one.” Give an example of when you have applied this concept in your career, or in your day to day life.

That’s a great motto, and just as applicable in the public sector as the private. Life is very results driven and commanders may have a desired end state, but many times they are not really sure of what it’s going to take or the best route to that objective.

My professional career is about being active in maintaining

situational awareness of my organization; making sure I ask my boss the hard questions about how his meeting went, what’s coming down the pipe, or what his long term vision is, and aligning my priorities to support him. Believe it or not, grilling your boss about the mission will ensure both of you have a consistent understanding and any unknowns are clearly identified. This will give you some heading as an action officer.

The most important part for yielding results is building relationships with those around you. Being a good team member that they can trust and rely on. Doing this will ensure that when I need an agenda pushed, my counterparts are completely on board with supporting me.

3. What techniques would you use to bring about comradery and cohesion in a group that lacked these things?

From my experience, the biggest contributing factor to comradery and cohesion is team building. It’s important to participate in both fun and daunting experiences with your team, in order to get to know each other. This will help the element understand each other’s strength and weaknesses, and assist with the development of your team. The time spent investing in team building will pay dividends when the demands of the mission are at their peak.

4. How would you motivate a team to accomplish a task that they view as undesirable?

Providing positive encouragement (motivation), along with purpose and direction are the hallmarks of an effective leader. Most of the time I have found that by meeting challenges head on and soliciting input from the team, this will get them on board with the mission. By making an initial assessment, presenting the task in an accomplishable manner, and appropriately disseminating the workload to the team leaders, I can oversee the mission from a holistic perspective.

5. What are some techniques you have used to gain the trust and support of your team?

It’s important to maintain situational awareness of your element but

not micro manage. Allow your leaders to develop and utilize what you’ve taught them. By being a support mechanism, allowing them to make mistakes, and helping them after they inevitably occur, you send the message that their job is important and you are there to ensure their success. This provides a sense of confidence to allow them to perform their function in an optimal manner.

6. If you could give one piece of advice to the future leaders in the military, what would that be and why?

Be open and honest about something you don’t understand. Ask your boss questions like a child asks his parents about everything in life to gain better understanding. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there by providing your boss with your recommendation based on your experience, but be prepared to execute what they decide. Since they operate above you, they often have a broader perspective of the mission.

Also, be humble. Realize that your success is a reflection of the hard work and competence of those under you. Never pass up an opportunity to demonstrate your appreciation. Always make sure you take care of your people. Invest in developing them.

“The time spent investing in team building will pay dividends when the demands of the mission are at their peak.” CW2 JM

Full Profile:

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER TWO JACOB W. MONTEER Information Assurance Manager Human Resources Command.

CW2 Monteer enlisted into the United States Army in 2005 as a (25F) Network Switching System Operator and Maintainer. After reaching the grade of E-6 he attended WOCS and was commissioned as a (255A) Information Services Technician, Warrant Officer in the US Army Signal Corps.

MILITARY AND CIVILIAN EDUCATION: CW2 Monteer earned an Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC, and a Bachelor of Professional Studies Degree from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. He also earned the COMPTIA SEC+ and the ISC(2) Certified Information System Security Professional Certifications. He completed the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA, Warrior Leadership Course at Fort Campbell, KY, Advanced Leadership Course at Fort Gordon, GA, Warrant Officer Candidate Course at Fort Rucker, AL, and he is also a graduate of the Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon, GA.

ASSIGNMENT HIGHLIGHTS: After enlisting, CW2 Monteer’s first assignment was with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) (Dissemination) at Fort Bragg, NC. He served in 2 two different platoons with C Company. First as a Product Distribution System Operator and Maintainer for 2nd Platoon, and following a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom VII from May 2007 through February 2008, as a Squad Leader for 1st Platoon. In April of 2008 he served as the Satellite Team, Section Sergeant for the Signal Detachment, 4th Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Campbell, KY, where he led his team on a tour in OIF IX from February through August 2010. Upon return CW2 Monteer was selected to serve as the Operations Sergeant for the SIGDET. During his time as Ops SGT he led his team through a 2 month NTC rotation and was among the very last troops to pull out of Iraq following a tour during Operation New Dawn from April through November 2011. Upon return CW2 Monteer was selected to attend Warrant Officer Candidate Course in Fort Rucker, AL, and upon completion he attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course in Fort Gordon, GA. After graduation CW2 Monteer’s first assignment as a Warrant Officer was with 3rd Brigade S6, 1st Infantry Division in Fort Knox, KY. The unit received deactivation orders prior to arrival, and CW2 was selected to serve at his current position as an Information Assurance Manager for PERSINSD, Human Resources Command.

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: CW2 Monteer’s military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with 3 OLCs, Army Achievement Medal with 2 OLCs, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal with 2 knots, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons with numeral 2, and Parachutist Badge.

CW2 Monteer currently resides in Vine Grove, KY with his wife Amber and son Weston.