Regardless of the career you choose in your life, whether it be an accountant or a Soldier in the United States Army, someone, somewhere most likely had an influence to bring you to that decision. The Army defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (JP, p. 1). Now imagine you are a young Private, in one of the most dangerous places in Iraq and you have constant leadership changes, and not much support from your direct leadership. I am sure at this point you can imagine, it is not the best scenario to be in. Throughout the duration of this essay you will read about Sergeant First Class Rob Gallagher and Sergeant First Class Jeff Fenlason, their leadership abilities, and the techniques they attempted to use to resolve the issues in this Platoon that was in a downward spiral after losing many leaders to the hell of war. …show more content…
Prior to the deployment he was removed from that position to serve on the MiTT. However, a few months into the deployment, in December 2005, SFC Gallagher was re-assigned as the Platoon Sergeant in order to fix the problems circulating throughout 1st Platoon. Many of his critics described SFC Gallagher as being too critical and dismissive of his own men (Frederick, 2010, p. 175). Upon his arrival back to the Platoon, the overall census seemed to be that the Soldiers were not too happy about his return. Throughout his time serving as the Platoon Sergeant, which was only a little over a month, I believe SFC Gallagher displayed certain attributes that a positive leader should have. SFC Gallagher, unlike his future replacement, SFC Fenlason, was always leading from the front according to the members of 1st Platoon (Frederick, 2010, p.
As the incoming brigade commander, LTC (P) Owens, I see the critical leadership problem facing the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is the inability or unwillingness of Colonel Cutler to lead and manage change effectively. In initial talks with Col Cutler and in reviewing the brigade’s historical unit status reports, the 4th ABCT performed as well as can be expected in Afghanistan, but as the onion was peeled back there are numerous organizational issues that were brought to the surface while I walked around and listened to the soldiers of the 4th ABCT, in addition to reviewing the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) report. One of the most formidable tasks of a leader is to improve the organization while simultaneously accomplishing
1. Purpose. To provide Special Forces Warrant Officer Advance Course (SFWOAC) Class 002-16 a concise overview of ADRP 6-22 Army Leadership.
“Military leadership qualities are formed in a progressive and sequential series of carefully planned training, educational, and experiential events—far more time-consuming and expensive than similar training in industry or government. Secondly, military leaders tend to hold high levels of responsibility and authority at low levels of our organizations. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, military leadership is based on a concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice; we take an oath to that effect.”
Leadership can come in many forms and from many perspectives. In the heat of combat, the leadership from a Navy Seal is much different than that of a leader in a high school dorm. Through reading Extreme Ownership I found how leadership completely changes depending on the perspective. Leadership in combat is completely dependent on quick, decisive execution, whereas leadership in the dorm is more dependent on taking time to work with everyone before arriving at a solution.
... patrols and his men had very little trust in him because he would not do anything that he was asking them to do. He was however a good leader in that he did not give up on his men like SFC Gallagher did. He had a plan going into the situation and did not let his inexperience detour him. He knew the platoon he was going to was a problem platoon and he accepted the challenge and attacked it head on. He held the men to a higher standard than they had been in the past and tried to pick them up and dust them off. He aided 1LT Norton in reviving 1st platoon and building their morale back up, they were just getting back on their feet when the incident at JSB happened where two soldiers went missing and then the rape and murder was investigated effectively ending 1st platoons deployment, but nonetheless SFC Fenlason was there through it all and stuck with his platoon.
Staff Sergeant (SSGT) Louis Moeller shaped me into the Recon Marine I wanted to be and the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) that I am now. By embodying the Recon Creed and always setting the example, he made me want to be an NCO that my troops would look up to and want to follow. Even when not in charge he was constantly the one peers and junior Marines alike, turned to for guidance and inspiration. To this day, I still find myself asking “What would Louis do?” when confronted with a leadership dilemma.
Earning the way into the Army’s Green Berets, a branch of the Army’s Special Forces, is no easy task. Being a part of a military service as prestigious as the Green Berets branch in the Special Forces is a great aspiration. The great leadership skills, intelligence, and overall drive it takes for a person to achieve this type of rank in the Armed Forces is something that are greatly admired in the United States. This elite group offers safety and security to the citizens of the United States and other countries with its unconventional warfare. The Green Berets is an elite career to aspire to because of the lasting knowledge it instills, the job satisfaction behind what this group works towards, and the unique opportunity that these select few get to experience.
... book to characters in other novels, you begin to see styles of leadership that are used and the effectiveness that they can have on a person’s character and ability to accomplish a mission. I feel as if a constant leadership style was put in charge from the beginning of their deployment that followed the standard that was necessary, then the soldiers would have been unable to commit the crimes they did during their deployment. On the flipside of that coin, I feel as if more competent leaders had existed through the tumultuous time of the deployment, they would have been able to adapt to the situation and control the soldiers they were responsible for no matter how difficult the deployment became. Despite the fact that 11 of 33 original 1st platoon leaders were removed by the end of the deployment a strong leader duo could have prevented the actions that took place.
The following was a submitted report for a U.S. History research paper assignment We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea. First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. Our flag's unfurled to every breeze from dawn to setting sun. We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun. In the snow of far off northern lands and in sunny tropic scenes, You will find us always on the job, The United States Marines. Here's health to you and to our Corps which we are proud to serve. In many a strife we've fought for life and never lost our nerve. If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines." The Marine hymn is eternally etched in the mind's and soul of every recruit and officer who have served in the United States Marine Corps. Every Marine has gone through boot camp, each sacrificing blood, sweat, and tears. One thing that has never deteriorated in their years of existence is the fact that they have yet to lose a war they have put effort in. Is this exceptional record due to their extensive training? Is it because of their aggressive nature and mindset? What is to follow may shed some light on these questions and perhaps give some type of insight on how the Marine Corps was so prevailing and what conflicts had they had conquered. 1775, November 10th. This date is memorized and celebrated by every United States Marine as something of excellence, a date of honor. This date is non other than the "birthdate" of the Marine Corps. It was on this date that the Continental Congress passed a resolution to create two operational battalions of American Marines. These men would ultimately be headed by Captain Samuel Nicholas, of the United States Naval department. It was in Philadelphia that the first Marines were grouped and trained for their inaugural mission. The three hundred Marines that had been recruited, were placed aboard eight transport ships, all destined for the beaches of New Providence (the Bahamas). Upon their landing on March 3rd, 1776, they fought up the beach, sweeping through a barrage of bullets, and took command of two small stone forts and a number of military storage complexes.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army wanted to know how to shape the future of the Army as a profession and the effects the past decade had on our profession.
As a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, preparing myself and rising to the challenge of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club induction sets the right example for my fellow NCO’s, especially the junior NCO’s that look at me as a Leader they aspire to be. Whether it is the NCO’s at my current station or NCO’s from my past Leadership positions, I always endeavor to set a positive example for them to keep moving forward and progressing in their careers. If I remain stagnant, and set the example of mediocrity and established entitlement, they will look to my example and think they have arrive. I aspire to be a member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club for my Soldiers and fellow NCO’s, past, present, and
Readiness is of the utmost importance with training being the most significant aspect that contributes to Readiness. Each Soldier needs an individual training plan. The plan should take the Soldier from enlistment to discharge or retirement. It is each Soldiers responsibility to be proficient in their field craft. This includes being fit mentally and physically, and trained to win in a complex world. It is the responsibility of the NCO to train these Soldiers. Unit training plans will address the readiness and resilience of individual Soldiers to ensure their fitness to accomplish their mission. Units must conduct realistic training at the individual, squad, platoon and company levels focused on Mission Essential Tasks (METs) for their
According to the United States Army’s Field Manual 6-22, leadership is defined as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Department of the Army, 2015). This is an excellent definition of leadership. Leadership, regardless of being the military or civilian sector, does all of this and more. For some, being in a leadership role comes easy, like they were “born to lead” (Dye & Carman, 2006). Others have to work hard, but are able to learn the “competencies” to be successful and effective when serving in a leadership role (Dye & Carman, 2006). When the right people are in leadership positions, the organization will thrive and
I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with a variety of military and non-military leaders who taught me important lessons in leadership. I obtained these lessons through direct mentorship or observation as I watched how they conducted themselves. Those lessons, combined with my own personal beliefs and experiences, have helped me develop my own leadership philosophy. My leadership philosophy focuses on balancing mission accomplishment with Soldier welfare. As a leader, I place significant emphasis on creating an environment built on trust and mutual respect, personal and professional development, and Soldier welfare.
As General Dempsey states in his White Paper, “Leader development is an investment required to maintain the Army as a profession and is a key source of combat power. Leadership entails the repetitive exercise of discretionary judgments, all highly moral in nature, and represents the core function of the Army professional’s military art, whether leading a patrol in combat or making a major policy or budget decision in the Pentagon.”