Transitioning is something that is never easy, even though it is a normal part of life. People have a way of getting comfortable in the places that they are in. Even in the military, where change is often; something that was once new, becomes familiar until it’s time for change again. Loss is something that no one wants to face or even imagine. In the military, it is something that is always present in the back of one’s mind.…
Operation HUSKY was ultimately an Allied victory that met its objectives, but its planning and execution highlighted significant deficiencies in command and control and integration of Allied forces. Senior commanders, primarily General Eisenhower and British General Alexander, failed to adequately provide their staffs and subordinate commanders with clear intent, nor did they fully exploit the combined ground, air, and naval capabilities available to them. This essay identifies the shortcomings in Allied planning and execution in relation to mission command and the integration of joint functions during HUSKY. These shortcomings were not so grave as to bring about defeat, but they do provide vivid examples of faulty planning and execution when…
Assuming command of the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is an honor and a privilege. It is truly a humbling opportunity to be selected to command an exceptional unit with a storied history of mission readiness and success. The past few weeks of observing the unit, in addition to, careful analysis of more recent historical documents from Army research organizations such as the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) and Center for Army Leadership (CAL) have provided necessary insight in understanding the unit’s current state of readiness, culture, and organizational structure. However, derived from this insight, it is supposed that the 4th ABCT’s current operating conditions contain numerous culture gaps and friction points between…
POSITION PAPER ON BUDGET CUTS AFFECTING MILITARY READINESS 1. The United States (US) military is the strongest, most lethal military in the world. Leading the way in global defense, the US military is a force to be reckoned with. Having a strong military not only ensures the freedom and safety of American citizens, but ensures that it is able to protect and defend those around the world that cannot defend themselves. Like many of the US federal and state institutions, the military is currently facing steep budget cuts.…
It is not the first time when the uncertainties create additional pressure on personnel and has negative influence on the climate within the brigade. The ABCT experienced the same situation during the deployment to Afghanistan. The Army decision to align two battalions with Security Force Advisor Team (SFAT) mission just prior to Mission Readiness Exercise (MRE) required the leaders to rethink combat organization. It was mentioned in the report of a Center of Army Lessons Learned (CALL) that many key leaders and Soldiers were aware of the strain between the SFAT mission and the combat role of the…
Junior enlisted Soldiers have not obtained the level of experience and expertise to hold a leadership role. The absence of these key attributes in junior enlisted Soldiers is what prevents them from meeting the definition of professionals. Even though not all members of the Army can be considered professionals, there is still the potential to become professionals therefore the Army is still a profession. It is the duty of Officers, Warrant Officers and NCOs as stewards of the profession to develop Soldiers into professionals as well as further professionally develop junior leaders. “Stewardship is the responsibility of Army professionals to strengthen the Army as a profession”.…
Chief among these gaps is the lack of trust by the civilian populace that the Army is an effective organization. Effective means not only fighting wars but also winning them and while minimizing cost. I believe a strong sentiment has arisen in the civilian sector that the military is just a vessel of waste that has not brought a successful resolution to a conflict since World War Two. The military is not entirely at fault in this matter since national policy certainly has its own impact. To ensure the success of both and avoid finger pointing, the Army professional must apply strong stewardship in providing unique and vital expertise to the decision making process on both sides of the aisle (ADRP 1, p. 6-10).…
In June 2010, I was a newly promoted Private First Class in the United States Army. I’ve been in the active service for less than a year at that point and I was already outshining my peers. My First Sergeant, the most Senior Enlist Personnel in my Company, came up to me and gave a challenge. This Challenge would result in a complete change of direction in my career, my physical toughness, and my mental capacity to learn.…
Talent Management is utilized to shape how the Army is meeting the priorities established by the highest levels in regards to taking care of the force. Army priorities over the years change alongside national values and leadership. In recent years, the Army has set a focus on Soldiers and their management throughout the lifecycle of their career. The current Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark A. Milley communicated the Army’s priority to take care of Soldiers in his Initial Message to the Army when he stated under his number one priority of Readiness, “We must never send our Soldiers into harm’s way untrained” and in his number 2 priority of Future Army, “We need to listen and learn…developing a lethal, professional and technically competent force requires an openness to new ideas and new ways of doing things in an increasingly complex world.” He also states “Our Soldiers are the crown jewels of the Nation.”…
During the past decade of war, we as soldiers have seen numerous styles of leadership and command. These leadership styles have been the result of mission commands reactive measures to best adapt to the operational environments currently face. Ongoing operations in Afghanistan and again in Iraq have been complex, involving constant interactions between civilians, enemy organizations, and friendly forces as well as interaction with other factors which affect the mission such as terrain, time, and local political dynamics. While on the battlefield, many commanders face challenges with making immediate decisions that drive and or turn the tides of conflict at the tactical and operational level. Simply giving subordinates task and purpose is not enough for effective mission command.…
Accountability is the lifeblood of the United States Army. It is the first step in every activity and the foundation for every unit and organization. This vital concept takes many forms, ranging from property accountability to personal accountability to personnel accountability. This paper will discuss the importance of personnel accountability in the Army, especially for Army Leaders.…
You know that feeling when your stomach drops and you instantly feel nauseous? When I heard that my brother was getting deployed on a nine month long deployment to Afghanistan I felt exactly that way. With tears pouring out of my eyes I couldn’t help but to think of the worst case scenario possible. My brother joined the Army in 2013. In fact, he joined the Infantry Branch.…
Before a Citizen decides to join the U.S. Army they have a preconceived notion of what an Army soldier is, what an Army soldier represents, and how life as a United States Army Soldier will be like. They contemplate how their friends, family, and the public will perceive them when they wear the uniform. Past and present Army leaders have worked diligently to form and maintain an Army image of disciplined, well trained, and true professional soldiers. Over the past 15 years, this outstanding image of Army Soldiers has dwindled to an image of soft, undisciplined, and lazy soldiers who care more about themselves and less about what it means to wear the uniform. The Army has brought forth an idea to combat this growing problem with a campaign…
Over the last 1.5 years, the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) has undergone significant change. Following a nine month deployment to Afghanistan, the Brigade appears to be overcome by stress, fatigue, leadership, and ethics issues. While many might categorize these as normal post deployment occurrences, they appear to run much deeper. The events of the previous deployment coupled with the death of the Brigade Commander, Brigade Sergeant Major and a Battalion Commander appear to be the critical events that triggered the downward slide of the Brigade.…
My Reflection of Mission Command During my career I have been involved in several situations that I could make decisions using the philosophy and principles of mission command, but I have had lack experience and knowledge about these issues. As a direct leader, I was joint with my Soldiers following orders, many times without think about aspects in connection with the mission command activities. Nowadays, after the mission command lessons in the Sergeant Major Course (SMC), I can understand and visualize how is crucial these aspects when I have to work with subordinates, superiors, and make decisions. Thus, I believe that these topics are in relation with what I could learn during the mission…