General George Patton

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Synthesis Essay: General George Patton Standing in a crowd of hundreds, anxious about what is to come—combat; waiting for a man whose reputation greatly precedes him…the man who will lead you into battle—into a nightmare. As he took the microphone and declared, “you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.” These words are those of General George Patton…and he has your attention. Inspirational and blunt are just a couple of the many terms used to describe General Patton. General Patton was also a visionary in employment of combat forces; in fact, he was an expert on the subject. The manner in which he led his troops was in itself visionary. Despite his military prowess and formidable leadership, General Patton was humble in leadership and intellect. These three attributes will demonstrate that he was above all, a visionary and ethical leader. General Patton was a visionary in the operational employment of combat forces and tactical strategy. He dedicated the 20-plus years between World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) to honing his combat tradecraft. According to AFSNCOA Student Guide, LM06, Strategic Planning, vision is “ideal state of being or existence in the future” (Department of the Air Force: Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC), 2013). So, the obvious question: does General Patton’s vision regarding operational employment of combat forces stand the test of time? The answer: yes, absolutely. General Patton’s vision is alive and well today, nearly 70 years later, in at least two scenarios: (1) tank combat formations and (2) application of airpower to support ground force maneuvers. Before, and leading into WWII, tank formations were formed into a square-sha... ... middle of paper ... ...Strategic Planning. Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy Student Guide. Maxwell AFB, Alabama, USA. General George S. Patton, Jr.: Main Concepts, Stategy, Tactics, Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2013, from University of North Carolina Wilimington: http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/pattonnew.doc Langston University. (n.d.). Transformational Leadership. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.langston.edu/sites/default/files/basic-content-files/TransformationalLeadership.pdf Oscar Koch... and the Confidence of the Commander. (n.d.). Masters of the Intelligence Art. Fort Huachuca, NM, USA. Province, C. M. (n.d.). George S. Patton, Jr. Retrieved May 13, 2006, from Patton-Mania!: http://www.patton-mania.com/George_S_Patton/george_s_patton.html Sklenka, S. D. (2002). General George S. Patton: Operational Leadership Personified. Naval War College.

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