The critical leadership problem facing the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is disengaged leadership has created a unit culture tolerant of sub-standard and inappropriate behavior of and indifference. While deployed 4th ABCT’s leadership fostered an elitist unit culture, tolerant of, and indifferent to individual development and personal needs. The demands of the short notice deployment coupled with the SFAT mission change create a stressful environment and planted seeds of separation within the Brigade Combat Team (BCT). The change from offensive operations to security and stability operations negated the Mission Essential tasks 4th ABCT completed during their Mission Readiness Exercise and resulted in 4th ABCT not receiving proper training or manning during their deployment. The leadership then allowed the SFAT mission to compromise the integrity of the combined arms and maneuver battalions, leading to degradation of individual and unit specialized skills, and ineffective brigade sustainment battalion support. Additionally, the physical separation of SFAT battalions combined with solid performance while assigned to a different brigade established a separate unit identity for the “War Hawks” and they distanced themselves from 4th ABCT.
Although improper training, organizational constructs, and manning and equipment challenges were all contributing factor, I believe the catalyst for 4th ABCT’s culture decline was the deaths of the brigade Commander COL Timmons, the brigade command sergeant major, and one of the battalion commanders’. The catastrophic loss of the 4th ABCT command team took a tremendous toll on the brigade staff and key leaders, especially the deputy commander, LTC (P) Tagoli. After this eve...
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...of 4th ABCT during the upcoming NTC rotation.
Most importantly, immoral or unethical behavior, poor discipline, and substandard performance diminish teamwork and destroy organizational effectiveness. 4th ABCT is an impressive organization filled with dynamic and intelligent leaders and manned by skilled and highly capably soldiers. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye towards rumors or allegations of misbehavior, nor ignore consistent substandard performance because it gives our soldiers the perception that it is condoned. Being a member of this unit mean living and embody the army values and consistently demonstrating superior performance in all assigned duties and responsibilities. Our leadership is engaged and protects our soldiers, their families, and our team by upholding our standards and professionally correcting or punishing those that do not.
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
The critical leadership problem facing the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is disengaged leadership has created a unit culture tolerant of sub-standard and inappropriate behavior of and indifference. While deployed 4th ABCT’s leadership fostered an elitist unit culture, tolerant of, and indifferent to individual development and personal needs. The demands of the short notice deployment coupled with the SFAT mission change create a stressful environment and planted seeds of separation within