DECISIVENESS, HOW THE CORPS IS CHANGING LEADERS

Sergeants of Marines are considered the backbone of the Corps, but a steady rise of fearful NCO’s, is now a common trend. Not ones that fear the terrors of war, violence, or bloodshed, but Marines that fear the pen on a piece of paper, both in combat as well as in Garrison. These are Sergeants that wait for the answer and accept what their being told without debate as opposed to taking split second moves that could be the lifesaving moments needed for their team in a real world scenario. The first step to correcting this problem is at the NCO level. Decisiveness is a leadership trait that is detrimental to the noncommissioned officers reputation within the Marine Corps. By encouraging outside the box thinking and making decisions with full confidence, Marines gain what is needed to ultimately decide when it matters, and most importantly influence junior marines by reinforcing this leadership trait.
“Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines.” This is an expert from CPL Jason Dunham’s Medal of Honor Citation awarded to him posthumously. The moving words written in this citation merely scratch the surface of CPL Dunham’s courageous actions were that day and how his decisiveness saved the lives of his squad and junior Marines. His acts were not only influential, but also motivational to the Marines underneath him. This is a moment in our history that has been spread throughout the Marine Corps as a prime example of quick decision-making amongst unit leaders. Sgt. Dakota Meyers is another supreme example ...

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...e reasoning behind how we lead should not change no matter what environment we are in. Troops listen and absorb our demeanor no matter what disposition we display. When Leaders fail to take initiative as problems present themselves in the rear, junior marines observe this complacent attitude and accept indecisive attitudes that decrease the unit’s ability to problem solve and act as issues arise. Breaking down our role as Marines we are expected and known by the outside world as hard charging, fearless men who ruthlessly wage and win wars by crushing our opponents with relentless force. However, with the ever evolving Marine Corps and the vast differences in MOS and job training we have to hold these Marines accountable, and in order to do so we must continue our long tradition of confident men, who trust their own skills and who make decisions without hesitation.