Posted on Feb 15, 2017
The Importance of Civilian Control of our Military
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Having served as a military officer since 22 years of age, with deployments to Afghanistan as my formative experiences, I held a sharp skepticism of Congressional Representatives believing that their commitment to their responsibilities was obscured by their need to appeal to the broadest population for their election cycles. In my youthful hubris, I also believed that I intrinsically had the capacity to assess motivations and intentions of said Congressional members through visual cues, without knowing them or even reading about them. I have equally been suspicious of military leaders that are idolized. History that has shown that they are also people, and sometimes commit grievous errors. Time and experience, however, has tempered my criticism to be more reflective about what truly motivates people and not be so critical from the onset. What I always believed, however, was that civilian control of the military was necessary to ensure that “the civil state remains in full vigor”, as Alexander Hamilton emphasized in ‘The Federalist Papers’.
In 2016, I witnessed my first Congressional hearing hosted by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). Getting to see first-hand the execution of our democracy through an annual testimony of Combatant Commanders to the SASC, I learned that there were more similarities between the Congressional domain and the military domain than I had initially realized. The military approaches service to the country through life and death terms in the application of violence. The Congress fulfills their commitment through much broader means and that are centered on the citizenry. What became very clear that day was that they are both staunchly committed to protecting this nation and its citizens.
Over time I have come to appreciate that our country was founded both on freedom and a keen understanding of citizens and their inclinations. Civilian control of the military has been a key principle that has ensured that freedom. The Congressional hearing for GEN (Ret) James Mattis was an awe-inspiring hearing for me. I had developed deep reservations about providing an exception to the seven year moratorium for retired officers. With GEN (Ret) James Mattis, I purposely chose not to read too much about him before watching his confirmation hearing to avoid becoming biased. GEN (Ret) Mattis’ responses, as the first appointee in the past 70 years (since GEN George C. Marshall) to need an exception to the seven year moratorium, truly impressed me as a military professional and patriotic citizen.
GEN (Ret) Mattis showed acuity in fielding hard questions about the civilian-military separation that is critical for the health of the United States’ democratic system. Testimonies earlier in the week by Dr. Kathleen Hicks and Dr. Eliot Cohen supported his nomination in spite of their concerns about the need to constitutionally ensure clear civilian control of the military. Drawing from a lifetime of military experience, GEN (Ret) Mattis emphasized that the role of the Secretary of Defense would require a much wider scope of thinking than his time as a military officer, in order to provide the best military advice to the president. During numerous questions about what he believed the role of the military should be in the national security sphere, he responded with a mix of deep understanding and reflection. Referencing historical context throughout his testimony, he emphasized that the military should not be relied upon to solve all of the nation’s problems. The other instruments of national power: diplomacy, information, and economy needed to be utilized just as much as the military tool in order to achieve strategic ends.
Dr. Cohen stresses in his book ‘The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power & the Necessity of Military Force’, that credible military options that are made clear to potential adversaries work as an effective deterrent measure against their use of force. GEN (Ret) Mattis stressed this very point when answering questions during the hearing. The goal is not for the military to begin engaging in endless conflicts around the world, but rather to selectively apply force in order to clarify US priorities and utilize the other tools of foreign policy in order to advance our goals. The military is not the “golden goose” and cannot achieve victory on its own, rather it needs to work in concert with all the other instruments.
For me, this key point underscores his commitment to civilian control and helps to assuage any concerns about a preponderance to overuse the military. Additionally, the exception is only for GEN (Ret) Mattis and the seven year moratorium remains in effect after his confirmation. Acknowledging that there will probably be conflicts between himself and senior military leaders, there is no person that simultaneously also has the confidence of PEOTUS and commands such broad support. GEN (Ret) Mattis is not infallible, but appears to possess the requisite respect for American democratic traditions and capacity to reflect on deep and multidimensional problems that are needed for the Secretary of Defense.
---
MAJ Vincent Dueñas is an Army Foreign Area Officer, a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an Associate Member of the Military Writer’s Guild. The views represented are his own and do not reflect the position or official policy of the US Government or any of its agencies.
--
IMAGE
“Old Guard Museum” https://www.flickr.com/photos/oldguardmuseum/ [login to see]
In 2016, I witnessed my first Congressional hearing hosted by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). Getting to see first-hand the execution of our democracy through an annual testimony of Combatant Commanders to the SASC, I learned that there were more similarities between the Congressional domain and the military domain than I had initially realized. The military approaches service to the country through life and death terms in the application of violence. The Congress fulfills their commitment through much broader means and that are centered on the citizenry. What became very clear that day was that they are both staunchly committed to protecting this nation and its citizens.
Over time I have come to appreciate that our country was founded both on freedom and a keen understanding of citizens and their inclinations. Civilian control of the military has been a key principle that has ensured that freedom. The Congressional hearing for GEN (Ret) James Mattis was an awe-inspiring hearing for me. I had developed deep reservations about providing an exception to the seven year moratorium for retired officers. With GEN (Ret) James Mattis, I purposely chose not to read too much about him before watching his confirmation hearing to avoid becoming biased. GEN (Ret) Mattis’ responses, as the first appointee in the past 70 years (since GEN George C. Marshall) to need an exception to the seven year moratorium, truly impressed me as a military professional and patriotic citizen.
GEN (Ret) Mattis showed acuity in fielding hard questions about the civilian-military separation that is critical for the health of the United States’ democratic system. Testimonies earlier in the week by Dr. Kathleen Hicks and Dr. Eliot Cohen supported his nomination in spite of their concerns about the need to constitutionally ensure clear civilian control of the military. Drawing from a lifetime of military experience, GEN (Ret) Mattis emphasized that the role of the Secretary of Defense would require a much wider scope of thinking than his time as a military officer, in order to provide the best military advice to the president. During numerous questions about what he believed the role of the military should be in the national security sphere, he responded with a mix of deep understanding and reflection. Referencing historical context throughout his testimony, he emphasized that the military should not be relied upon to solve all of the nation’s problems. The other instruments of national power: diplomacy, information, and economy needed to be utilized just as much as the military tool in order to achieve strategic ends.
Dr. Cohen stresses in his book ‘The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power & the Necessity of Military Force’, that credible military options that are made clear to potential adversaries work as an effective deterrent measure against their use of force. GEN (Ret) Mattis stressed this very point when answering questions during the hearing. The goal is not for the military to begin engaging in endless conflicts around the world, but rather to selectively apply force in order to clarify US priorities and utilize the other tools of foreign policy in order to advance our goals. The military is not the “golden goose” and cannot achieve victory on its own, rather it needs to work in concert with all the other instruments.
For me, this key point underscores his commitment to civilian control and helps to assuage any concerns about a preponderance to overuse the military. Additionally, the exception is only for GEN (Ret) Mattis and the seven year moratorium remains in effect after his confirmation. Acknowledging that there will probably be conflicts between himself and senior military leaders, there is no person that simultaneously also has the confidence of PEOTUS and commands such broad support. GEN (Ret) Mattis is not infallible, but appears to possess the requisite respect for American democratic traditions and capacity to reflect on deep and multidimensional problems that are needed for the Secretary of Defense.
---
MAJ Vincent Dueñas is an Army Foreign Area Officer, a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an Associate Member of the Military Writer’s Guild. The views represented are his own and do not reflect the position or official policy of the US Government or any of its agencies.
--
IMAGE
“Old Guard Museum” https://www.flickr.com/photos/oldguardmuseum/ [login to see]
Civilians
Leadership
Congress
James Mattis
Command Post
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 9
11
11
0
most interesting... The civilians may need to Control The Military ... But they need to at least have a working Knowledge of the Military and Not View as a dangerous and Foreign Entity... that Poses a threat...
(11)
(0)
LTC Wayne Dandridge
Military Leadership
I believe that we Need Government Civilian (including but not limited to the President, Cabinet, Congressional Leaders, Governors, Mayors, Judges, etc.) and Industry Leaders To Sign Up to this Philosophy of Leadership!
(A Personal View)
Leadership is taking the point position when your flight or unit is expecting contact with the enemy. Leadership is flying a crippled bomber to the ground when one of your wounded crew members cannot bail out. Leadership is keeping your young soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors, and coast guardsmen alive and never leaving your wounded behind. Leadership is duty, honor, and country.
Leadership is writing a dead trooper’s family a personal letter immediately after the battle.
Leadership is not glorifying war. Leadership is not doing “anything” just to get promoted. Leadership is not winning the battle at all costs, nor is it losing a war to avoid causalities. Leadership is not found in the security of a well-fortified command bunker, nor is it found in a plush officers’ field mess.
No compromise of the integrity of one’s word, deed, or signature is leadership. Setting high standards and seeing that they are met is leadership. Intelligence, dedication, creativity, and selflessness are leadership. Stamina, vigor, and commitment are leadership. Spontaneous, contagious enthusiasm is leadership. Initiative, self-improvement, and professionalism are leadership.
Leadership is rewarding a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coast guardsman, or civilian with the appropriate recognition immediately after exceptional service. Leadership is commanding and managing. Leadership is establishing and meeting, by priority, specific objectives. Leadership is managing by exception, using job enlargement, and seeking job enrichment. Leadership knows that leading is more than just “follow me”, but also “follow my orders”.
Believing in God, family, and country, in that order is leadership. Being humanistic is leadership. Trusting well trained troops ideas and decisions is leadership. Knowing where the mission is at, when the troops and material are to be there, and how many troops and systems are needed to win is leadership. Blocking out periods of “private time” to accomplish creative work and recharge is leadership. Compromising for the good of the whole with sister services and partner leaders on budgeting, planning, and executing is leadership.
Leadership is treating men and women equally without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, or custom. Leadership is visiting your wounded and sick frequently. Leadership is knowing and living by the Constitution, the Code of Conduct, the Geneva Convention, and the basic human rights of all mankind.
A leader is assertive, but not aggressive. Leadership is neither ruthless nor mindless discipline, but it is the ability to do the right thing at the right time, by putting the whole before the parts. Leadership is not a good efficiency report, nor is it paper readiness. Leadership is not a court martial for every mistake nor is it leniency for serious violations. A leader is fair, predictable, and consistent.
Giving a superior sound professional advice, even when you know he or she does not want to hear it is leadership. After you have given your best advice, following all legal, moral, and ethical orders, even when you do not agree with them is leadership. Leading when you can; following when you should; and getting the hell out of the way when you have nothing to offer, is leadership. Learning the language, culture, and customs of a host country is leadership. Staying in top physical condition is leadership.
Leadership is a general who knows the friendly and enemy situation, knows the immediate action sequence for the M16 rifle, knows his driver’s first name and family, and can recite the Lord’s Prayer. Leadership is a private who knows that he or she is in the chain of command and may have to take over when senior in rank. Leadership knows that a water truck in the desert is worth more combat power that an extra armored cavalry regiment.
Not forgetting that the past is our heritage, the present is our challenge, and the future is our responsibility is leadership. Not being overweight, not smoking, saying no to drugs, and not drinking alcohol in excess is leadership. Delegating authority, commanding confidence and respect, and accepting full responsibility for your actions is leadership. Ingenuity, sociability, tact, and tenacity are leadership. Cross training is leadership.
Leadership is not being right all the time, and it is certainly not being wrong most of the time. Leadership fixes problems---not blame. Leadership is adaptability, appearance, cooperation, and decisiveness. Leadership displays knowledge, manages resources efficiently, and plans beyond the immediate requirements of assigned duties. Leadership creates an organization of mutual respect. Leadership is building an organization and environment where it is not necessary to tell troops what to do. Leadership knows that combat without conscience is evil.
A leader knows why there are air, land, and sea forces; why there are cavalry, infantry, armor, artillery, aviation, amphibious, special operations, propositioned, recon, and logistical forces; and why combined arms and concentration of combat power are important. A leader knows about air, land, sea, and cyberspace battle and defense in depth, civil affairs, urban operations, counter insurgency techniques, the advantages our forces have at night, and how to use them.
A wise leader knows that young soldiers spend most of their time worrying about and planning tactics, while older more experienced soldiers spend the majority of their time worrying about and planning logistics.
Leadership can be good or bad, centralized or decentralized, warm or cold, offensive or defensive, macro or micro, or expensive or free. Leadership can be Catholic or Protestant, Jewish or Moslem, Hindu or Mormon, Atheist or Agnostic. Leadership prevents over mobility of junior leaders and troops, by keeping them in their jobs long enough to really learn their jobs and common and collective tasks and to work as team members. Establishing and promoting worker and troop certification and team certification programs are leadership. Leadership provides their troops with plenty of clean water and hot food. Leadership keeps their troops as comfortable as possible, keeps them feed, keeps them clean, keeps them supplied, keeps them informed, and keeps them from becoming depressed and suicidal.
Leaders hope and pray for the best and plan for the worst. Leaders know about the need to wage “total war” to win and the special advantage the defender has in cities, mountains, and jungles. Leaders know how to “own the night” and take maximum advantage of all of the combat arms team, and is skilled in the use of snipers, attack helicopters, counter artillery, naval gun/missile fire, secure communications, and close air support. Leaders know not to keep troops weapons locked up and away from them, but rather train troops to live with a clean, safe, and serviceable weapon that they are an expert in.
Leadership is embodied in Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Pope John Paul II, Robert E. Lee, Mohammed, Irwin Rommel, Jesus, Joan of Arc, John Paul Jones, Winston Churchill, Sister Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Mohammad, Nelson Mandela, and many other well known figures. Also leaders are Robert Lee Lightle, J.C. Dandridge, Sam Deloach, Bubba Segrest, Luther Bergen, Gene Booth, Dan Hickman, Wes Komulainen, Brian King, Frank Gordon, Dick Orrell, and thousands of other unknowns.
Commitment to the team and a participatory form of leadership that draws on every troop’s knowledge and skills, at every level is leadership. Encouraging and rewarding suggestions and complaints is leadership. Having an “open door” and “open mind” policy is leadership. Empowering troops, civil service employees, and support contractors with the tools, responsibility, authority, and “accountability” to get the tough jobs done is leadership. Making troops multi-process, multi weapon, and multi-functional experts is good leadership. Good leaders practice servant leadership.
Leaders know that “the bitterness of low quality remains long after the sweetness of low price”. Leaders allow talented soldiers “long leashes” for experimenting. Leaders find ways to satisfy the essential need of troops and civil servants to be both part of a team and be recognized as individuals. Leaders know how to use “internal and external bench marking”, observations, and inspections to rate their organization’s readiness, products, services, and processes against those front runners in their specialty.
Leadership is guiding. Leadership is legendary. Leadership is foresight. Leadership is absorbent, abstinent, and, unfortunately, at times it is abominable. Leadership is baccalaureate, balanced, basic, and too frequently backward and barbaric. Leadership has saved lives, killed, stopped wars, and started wars. Leadership has walked softly and carried a big stick, but it has also been loud and nonviolent.
Saying what you do (in clear concise Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs, Plans, Processes, and Operations Orders) and doing what you say (following those processes) is leadership. Breaking down communication barriers between staffs, line units, support organizations, and sister units is leadership. Getting at least a green belt in Lean Six Sigma techniques is leadership. Asking deep probing questions (five why), finding root causes, and developing sound counter measures to mistake proof processes is leadership. Changing problems into opportunities is leadership. Knowing that you can seldom wait until you have all of the answers is leadership. Repeatedly doing simple things that demonstrate sincerity is leadership.
Leadership is honesty, enthusiasm, loyalty, courage, and wisdom. Taking care of your soldiers’, civilians, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen, and marines and their dependents is leadership. Leadership includes being a good boss, good comrade and friend, father or mother, son or daughter, sister or brother, and husband or wife. Knowing that the profession of arms is much more than just a job is leadership.
Being an unquestionable friend to the environment is leadership. Basing decisions on facts is leadership. Promoting and rewarding continuous improvement and value are leadership. Being a champion of safety and quality is leadership. Staying focused on internal customers, external customers, and the enemy is leadership. Finding and eliminating the eight types of waste (waiting, overproduction, rework, motion, transportation, processing, inventory, and intellect) is leadership.
Performing preventive maintenance, knowing what cellular techniques involve, being skilled in set up reduction, understanding mixed model methods, and understanding rocks-in-the river problem solving and inventory management is leadership. Knowing how to level and balance work load, understanding that distance (to supplies, replacements, ammunition, fuel, etc.) is usually evil, and ensuring things are at least “in-time”, if not “just in time” is leadership.
Leadership is enthusiasm, optimism, helping, training, encouraging, understanding, motivating, disciplining, crying, laughing, standing firm, giving way, counseling, correcting, giving a second chance, and trying again and again. Leaders are tall, short, thin, heavy, male, female, black, brown, white, yellow, old, young, and naturalized and un-naturalized. Leaders are from the city and from the farm. Leadership works hard to close the gap between a soldier’s potential and their performance.
Knowing how to use teams, flow charts (value streams and process maps), simple --- yet powerful statistical methods, set up reduction, simplification, continuous improvement, responsive complaint and suggestion programs, and standardization to get the tough jobs done is leadership.
Leadership makes quality easy to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear, by finding root causes and permanently fixing the problem. Leadership is clarifying processes, identifying the detailed steps of each process, eliminating all non-value added activities, and making every troop an expert at solider common tasks --- everyone should be an Infantryman first!
Leadership is caring, compassion, understanding, concentric, and leading by example. Leadership knows that treating all prisoners and detainees in accordance with the Geneva Convention and other appropriate protections is absolutely essential to having any kind of chance of getting the same humane and dignified treatment for our Prisoners of War (POWs) from our enemies.
Leaders look you in the eye, kick you in the ass, cover your flank, and take your place on the most dangerous mission. Knowing there is “a place for everything and everything in its place” is leadership. Leadership admits mistakes and learns from them. Eating last is leadership and leaving the pickup zone (PZ) last is leadership. Going up the hill first and “pulling your troops up behind you” is leadership. Sharing the pains of heat, dirt, cold, wet, insects, leaches, fleas, lice, and other harsh environmental conditions is leadership. “Packing your own roll and digging your own hole” is leadership.
Leadership comes from experience, but experience comes from making mistakes. A leader changes the odds and knows the risks. Leaders develop teamwork. The tides, the channels, the seasons, the winds, the hazards, the weather, the enemy, the terrain, and the best forecast are all known by leaders. Leadership knows that the one most important word is “we” and the least most important word is “I”. Leadership knows there is no end to change, except failure. Leadership knows that if you treat every customer (and trooper) like your last or first, you would never have to worry about repeat business.
Leaders often make good grades in school and have numerous years of formal education and many important degrees. But they also have been known to fail Math, English, and other equally important subjects. Leaders make sure the enemy gives his life for his cause. Leadership ensures his troops always have the tactical advantage, best training, best equipment, and the highest morale, plenty of water, rest, and hot food. Leaders work hard at ensuring the workload is distributed equally among all troops.
Leadership comes from family, friends, teachers, coaches, and pastors. Simple, easy-to-understand orders come from leaders. Complex tasks are changed into short and accurate plans through leadership. Leadership can be learned and taught, but it cannot be forgotten nor brought. Leadership can be seen, tasted, smelled, felt, and heard, and it can come from a blind person with no hands who cannot hear, speak, nor walk.
As Tomas Paine said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way”. Finally, a leader is so in love with life that he or she is willing to die to ensure that others’ live and that our great nation will go on!
Note: The above Leadership article is based on an award-winning speech W. Larry Dandridge gave at the Armed Forces Staff College in 1983 and earlier, shorter versions of the article has been published in over 20 magazines, professional journals, and newspapers and two books, including BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE), in the US, England, and Germany. In some cases, it has been published twice in the same magazines.
Larry
LTC (US ARMY AVIATION Retired) W. Larry Dandridge
Editor, Writer, & Author with Tigers, Vikings, & Vipers Publishing LLC, and AUSA Charleston SC Chapter President and VP for Veterans Affairs, Fisher House Charleston Fund Raising Committee Volunteer Member; RHJ VA Medical Center Volunteer Patient & Employment Assistance Adviser, Customer Service Council Member, Volunteer High Reliability Organization (HRO) Council Member, HRO Safety Sub-Committee Member, and Patient & Family Centered Care (PFCC) Committee Member & PFCC Instructor, Director’s VSO Advisor Council, and Strategic Planning Committee Member; State of SC, VA, and American Legion Trained Volunteer Veterans Service Officer; and US Army Combat Related Service Compensation Volunteer Ambassador (in training).
Charleston, SC , Cell Phone: [login to see] ; FAX: [login to see] ; Email: [login to see]
Web Site: https://www.tvvpublishingllc.com/ and bladesofthunderbookone.com
http://www.rallypoint.com/join/ltc-wayne-dandridge
I believe that we Need Government Civilian (including but not limited to the President, Cabinet, Congressional Leaders, Governors, Mayors, Judges, etc.) and Industry Leaders To Sign Up to this Philosophy of Leadership!
(A Personal View)
Leadership is taking the point position when your flight or unit is expecting contact with the enemy. Leadership is flying a crippled bomber to the ground when one of your wounded crew members cannot bail out. Leadership is keeping your young soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors, and coast guardsmen alive and never leaving your wounded behind. Leadership is duty, honor, and country.
Leadership is writing a dead trooper’s family a personal letter immediately after the battle.
Leadership is not glorifying war. Leadership is not doing “anything” just to get promoted. Leadership is not winning the battle at all costs, nor is it losing a war to avoid causalities. Leadership is not found in the security of a well-fortified command bunker, nor is it found in a plush officers’ field mess.
No compromise of the integrity of one’s word, deed, or signature is leadership. Setting high standards and seeing that they are met is leadership. Intelligence, dedication, creativity, and selflessness are leadership. Stamina, vigor, and commitment are leadership. Spontaneous, contagious enthusiasm is leadership. Initiative, self-improvement, and professionalism are leadership.
Leadership is rewarding a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coast guardsman, or civilian with the appropriate recognition immediately after exceptional service. Leadership is commanding and managing. Leadership is establishing and meeting, by priority, specific objectives. Leadership is managing by exception, using job enlargement, and seeking job enrichment. Leadership knows that leading is more than just “follow me”, but also “follow my orders”.
Believing in God, family, and country, in that order is leadership. Being humanistic is leadership. Trusting well trained troops ideas and decisions is leadership. Knowing where the mission is at, when the troops and material are to be there, and how many troops and systems are needed to win is leadership. Blocking out periods of “private time” to accomplish creative work and recharge is leadership. Compromising for the good of the whole with sister services and partner leaders on budgeting, planning, and executing is leadership.
Leadership is treating men and women equally without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, or custom. Leadership is visiting your wounded and sick frequently. Leadership is knowing and living by the Constitution, the Code of Conduct, the Geneva Convention, and the basic human rights of all mankind.
A leader is assertive, but not aggressive. Leadership is neither ruthless nor mindless discipline, but it is the ability to do the right thing at the right time, by putting the whole before the parts. Leadership is not a good efficiency report, nor is it paper readiness. Leadership is not a court martial for every mistake nor is it leniency for serious violations. A leader is fair, predictable, and consistent.
Giving a superior sound professional advice, even when you know he or she does not want to hear it is leadership. After you have given your best advice, following all legal, moral, and ethical orders, even when you do not agree with them is leadership. Leading when you can; following when you should; and getting the hell out of the way when you have nothing to offer, is leadership. Learning the language, culture, and customs of a host country is leadership. Staying in top physical condition is leadership.
Leadership is a general who knows the friendly and enemy situation, knows the immediate action sequence for the M16 rifle, knows his driver’s first name and family, and can recite the Lord’s Prayer. Leadership is a private who knows that he or she is in the chain of command and may have to take over when senior in rank. Leadership knows that a water truck in the desert is worth more combat power that an extra armored cavalry regiment.
Not forgetting that the past is our heritage, the present is our challenge, and the future is our responsibility is leadership. Not being overweight, not smoking, saying no to drugs, and not drinking alcohol in excess is leadership. Delegating authority, commanding confidence and respect, and accepting full responsibility for your actions is leadership. Ingenuity, sociability, tact, and tenacity are leadership. Cross training is leadership.
Leadership is not being right all the time, and it is certainly not being wrong most of the time. Leadership fixes problems---not blame. Leadership is adaptability, appearance, cooperation, and decisiveness. Leadership displays knowledge, manages resources efficiently, and plans beyond the immediate requirements of assigned duties. Leadership creates an organization of mutual respect. Leadership is building an organization and environment where it is not necessary to tell troops what to do. Leadership knows that combat without conscience is evil.
A leader knows why there are air, land, and sea forces; why there are cavalry, infantry, armor, artillery, aviation, amphibious, special operations, propositioned, recon, and logistical forces; and why combined arms and concentration of combat power are important. A leader knows about air, land, sea, and cyberspace battle and defense in depth, civil affairs, urban operations, counter insurgency techniques, the advantages our forces have at night, and how to use them.
A wise leader knows that young soldiers spend most of their time worrying about and planning tactics, while older more experienced soldiers spend the majority of their time worrying about and planning logistics.
Leadership can be good or bad, centralized or decentralized, warm or cold, offensive or defensive, macro or micro, or expensive or free. Leadership can be Catholic or Protestant, Jewish or Moslem, Hindu or Mormon, Atheist or Agnostic. Leadership prevents over mobility of junior leaders and troops, by keeping them in their jobs long enough to really learn their jobs and common and collective tasks and to work as team members. Establishing and promoting worker and troop certification and team certification programs are leadership. Leadership provides their troops with plenty of clean water and hot food. Leadership keeps their troops as comfortable as possible, keeps them feed, keeps them clean, keeps them supplied, keeps them informed, and keeps them from becoming depressed and suicidal.
Leaders hope and pray for the best and plan for the worst. Leaders know about the need to wage “total war” to win and the special advantage the defender has in cities, mountains, and jungles. Leaders know how to “own the night” and take maximum advantage of all of the combat arms team, and is skilled in the use of snipers, attack helicopters, counter artillery, naval gun/missile fire, secure communications, and close air support. Leaders know not to keep troops weapons locked up and away from them, but rather train troops to live with a clean, safe, and serviceable weapon that they are an expert in.
Leadership is embodied in Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Pope John Paul II, Robert E. Lee, Mohammed, Irwin Rommel, Jesus, Joan of Arc, John Paul Jones, Winston Churchill, Sister Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Mohammad, Nelson Mandela, and many other well known figures. Also leaders are Robert Lee Lightle, J.C. Dandridge, Sam Deloach, Bubba Segrest, Luther Bergen, Gene Booth, Dan Hickman, Wes Komulainen, Brian King, Frank Gordon, Dick Orrell, and thousands of other unknowns.
Commitment to the team and a participatory form of leadership that draws on every troop’s knowledge and skills, at every level is leadership. Encouraging and rewarding suggestions and complaints is leadership. Having an “open door” and “open mind” policy is leadership. Empowering troops, civil service employees, and support contractors with the tools, responsibility, authority, and “accountability” to get the tough jobs done is leadership. Making troops multi-process, multi weapon, and multi-functional experts is good leadership. Good leaders practice servant leadership.
Leaders know that “the bitterness of low quality remains long after the sweetness of low price”. Leaders allow talented soldiers “long leashes” for experimenting. Leaders find ways to satisfy the essential need of troops and civil servants to be both part of a team and be recognized as individuals. Leaders know how to use “internal and external bench marking”, observations, and inspections to rate their organization’s readiness, products, services, and processes against those front runners in their specialty.
Leadership is guiding. Leadership is legendary. Leadership is foresight. Leadership is absorbent, abstinent, and, unfortunately, at times it is abominable. Leadership is baccalaureate, balanced, basic, and too frequently backward and barbaric. Leadership has saved lives, killed, stopped wars, and started wars. Leadership has walked softly and carried a big stick, but it has also been loud and nonviolent.
Saying what you do (in clear concise Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs, Plans, Processes, and Operations Orders) and doing what you say (following those processes) is leadership. Breaking down communication barriers between staffs, line units, support organizations, and sister units is leadership. Getting at least a green belt in Lean Six Sigma techniques is leadership. Asking deep probing questions (five why), finding root causes, and developing sound counter measures to mistake proof processes is leadership. Changing problems into opportunities is leadership. Knowing that you can seldom wait until you have all of the answers is leadership. Repeatedly doing simple things that demonstrate sincerity is leadership.
Leadership is honesty, enthusiasm, loyalty, courage, and wisdom. Taking care of your soldiers’, civilians, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen, and marines and their dependents is leadership. Leadership includes being a good boss, good comrade and friend, father or mother, son or daughter, sister or brother, and husband or wife. Knowing that the profession of arms is much more than just a job is leadership.
Being an unquestionable friend to the environment is leadership. Basing decisions on facts is leadership. Promoting and rewarding continuous improvement and value are leadership. Being a champion of safety and quality is leadership. Staying focused on internal customers, external customers, and the enemy is leadership. Finding and eliminating the eight types of waste (waiting, overproduction, rework, motion, transportation, processing, inventory, and intellect) is leadership.
Performing preventive maintenance, knowing what cellular techniques involve, being skilled in set up reduction, understanding mixed model methods, and understanding rocks-in-the river problem solving and inventory management is leadership. Knowing how to level and balance work load, understanding that distance (to supplies, replacements, ammunition, fuel, etc.) is usually evil, and ensuring things are at least “in-time”, if not “just in time” is leadership.
Leadership is enthusiasm, optimism, helping, training, encouraging, understanding, motivating, disciplining, crying, laughing, standing firm, giving way, counseling, correcting, giving a second chance, and trying again and again. Leaders are tall, short, thin, heavy, male, female, black, brown, white, yellow, old, young, and naturalized and un-naturalized. Leaders are from the city and from the farm. Leadership works hard to close the gap between a soldier’s potential and their performance.
Knowing how to use teams, flow charts (value streams and process maps), simple --- yet powerful statistical methods, set up reduction, simplification, continuous improvement, responsive complaint and suggestion programs, and standardization to get the tough jobs done is leadership.
Leadership makes quality easy to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear, by finding root causes and permanently fixing the problem. Leadership is clarifying processes, identifying the detailed steps of each process, eliminating all non-value added activities, and making every troop an expert at solider common tasks --- everyone should be an Infantryman first!
Leadership is caring, compassion, understanding, concentric, and leading by example. Leadership knows that treating all prisoners and detainees in accordance with the Geneva Convention and other appropriate protections is absolutely essential to having any kind of chance of getting the same humane and dignified treatment for our Prisoners of War (POWs) from our enemies.
Leaders look you in the eye, kick you in the ass, cover your flank, and take your place on the most dangerous mission. Knowing there is “a place for everything and everything in its place” is leadership. Leadership admits mistakes and learns from them. Eating last is leadership and leaving the pickup zone (PZ) last is leadership. Going up the hill first and “pulling your troops up behind you” is leadership. Sharing the pains of heat, dirt, cold, wet, insects, leaches, fleas, lice, and other harsh environmental conditions is leadership. “Packing your own roll and digging your own hole” is leadership.
Leadership comes from experience, but experience comes from making mistakes. A leader changes the odds and knows the risks. Leaders develop teamwork. The tides, the channels, the seasons, the winds, the hazards, the weather, the enemy, the terrain, and the best forecast are all known by leaders. Leadership knows that the one most important word is “we” and the least most important word is “I”. Leadership knows there is no end to change, except failure. Leadership knows that if you treat every customer (and trooper) like your last or first, you would never have to worry about repeat business.
Leaders often make good grades in school and have numerous years of formal education and many important degrees. But they also have been known to fail Math, English, and other equally important subjects. Leaders make sure the enemy gives his life for his cause. Leadership ensures his troops always have the tactical advantage, best training, best equipment, and the highest morale, plenty of water, rest, and hot food. Leaders work hard at ensuring the workload is distributed equally among all troops.
Leadership comes from family, friends, teachers, coaches, and pastors. Simple, easy-to-understand orders come from leaders. Complex tasks are changed into short and accurate plans through leadership. Leadership can be learned and taught, but it cannot be forgotten nor brought. Leadership can be seen, tasted, smelled, felt, and heard, and it can come from a blind person with no hands who cannot hear, speak, nor walk.
As Tomas Paine said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way”. Finally, a leader is so in love with life that he or she is willing to die to ensure that others’ live and that our great nation will go on!
Note: The above Leadership article is based on an award-winning speech W. Larry Dandridge gave at the Armed Forces Staff College in 1983 and earlier, shorter versions of the article has been published in over 20 magazines, professional journals, and newspapers and two books, including BLADES OF THUNDER (BOOK ONE), in the US, England, and Germany. In some cases, it has been published twice in the same magazines.
Larry
LTC (US ARMY AVIATION Retired) W. Larry Dandridge
Editor, Writer, & Author with Tigers, Vikings, & Vipers Publishing LLC, and AUSA Charleston SC Chapter President and VP for Veterans Affairs, Fisher House Charleston Fund Raising Committee Volunteer Member; RHJ VA Medical Center Volunteer Patient & Employment Assistance Adviser, Customer Service Council Member, Volunteer High Reliability Organization (HRO) Council Member, HRO Safety Sub-Committee Member, and Patient & Family Centered Care (PFCC) Committee Member & PFCC Instructor, Director’s VSO Advisor Council, and Strategic Planning Committee Member; State of SC, VA, and American Legion Trained Volunteer Veterans Service Officer; and US Army Combat Related Service Compensation Volunteer Ambassador (in training).
Charleston, SC , Cell Phone: [login to see] ; FAX: [login to see] ; Email: [login to see]
Web Site: https://www.tvvpublishingllc.com/ and bladesofthunderbookone.com
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LTC Wayne Dandridge
The above Leadership speech is in Chapter 2 of BLADES OF THUNDER (Book One). The speech and article is based on an award wining speech given at the Armed Forces Staff College. That speech and article has been published in over 23 magazines and news papers and three books in the USA, Germany, England, and Canada.
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MAJ (Join to see):
I am in accordance with these concepts. Let freedom eternally ring!
I believe thoroughly that: my Brothers and Sisters should not be over-extended.
I send my most fervent prayers to all of my Brothers and Sisters who are deployed into combat.
God Bless America!
-With My Sincerest regards to You Sir,
Margaret C Higgins US Army (Ret)
I am in accordance with these concepts. Let freedom eternally ring!
I believe thoroughly that: my Brothers and Sisters should not be over-extended.
I send my most fervent prayers to all of my Brothers and Sisters who are deployed into combat.
God Bless America!
-With My Sincerest regards to You Sir,
Margaret C Higgins US Army (Ret)
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MAJ (Join to see) I can see some of your points of view, but in the long run, I believe without being in the Military, experiencing the Military and knowing the Military ....it's not enough that there are similarities with the Military and Congress. I that any one sitting on the Armed Services Committee should have some Military experience whether it is active duty or serving through the reserves.
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