MAJ Greg Soule'
Student
Command & General Staff College
US Army Combined Arms Center
Ft Belvoir, VA
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author & do not reflect the official policy or position of the Dept of the Army, Dept of Defense, or US Govt.
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At some point during the transition process while out processing a unit, be it following a staff or command position, a Soldier or Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) invariably approached me and said, “We’re going to miss you sir.” It is these types of exchanges that make departing a bittersweet experience, and yet validate why I continue to serve as an Army officer. The bitterness comes from having to leave behind my cohesive unit that I helped train; the sweetness from the “pat on the back” discussed above. As an Army leader, the most important lesson I’ve learned is you must foster the right climate in order to be an effective leader. The best way I’ve found to foster this climate is by realizing for what purpose you have been placed in that leadership role, and by living and cultivating the Golden Rule within your organization.
First of all, too few officers realize why they exist. Perhaps a requisite slap in the face would do the trick. We have been placed in this unique position of authority over numerous Soldiers, oftentimes being straight out of college, and fail to realize for what purpose. Our purpose as Army officers is not to exercise control over Soldiers, but rather to serve them. I learned this early on in my career, and it helped make me successful as a leader. I don’t mean give Soldiers everything they ask for, but rather be their advocate. Our Soldiers need officers who look out for their best interests.
As a new 2nd Lieutenant (2LT), a Staff Sergeant (SSG) of mine was having trouble with the Housing Office. He would never have approached me with this, but I overheard another conversation and approached him. He lived with his wife and three kids in on-post housing. While renovations were being made, his family was moved from one house to the next. They had moved four times in the past year, and had another move scheduled in a few months. I felt this was unacceptable, but also thought what can I do – I’m just a lieutenant. But I felt compelled because it was the right thing to do. Using my chain-of-command, I raised the issue all the way to the Commanding General. Needless to say, my SSG’s next move was cancelled. I was able to help this SSG and his family, yet the benefit I received within the platoon was priceless. The Soldiers in the platoon saw through my actions that I was there for the right reason. They saw that I would be their advocate – their leader.
Another facet of being an advocate for your Soldiers is playing the role of buffer between them and your higher headquarters. Far too often, commanders and their staffs make decisions in a bubble, without having first-hand knowledge of the true situation. When decisions are made in this manner, there is potential for adverse effects upon your Soldiers. I have learned it is our job as leaders to be the buffer to help prevent these adverse effects from rolling downhill. It is our job, even though it might get you a butt-chewing, to ask why and maybe even present a different course of action for the commander and staff to consider. You might be told no, move out and draw fire…but you might actually change the course of action from time to time. When your Soldiers see you advocating for and caring about them in these ways, you’ll be well on your way toward creating the ideal command climate.
Second, in order to be a proper advocate for Soldiers, you must treat others as you would like to be treated (Golden Rule). Would you like it if your supervisor was always in your face yelling at you, and even took off his ballistic helmet and hit you in the head with it? Granted it was just your pride that was hurt as you still had your helmet on, and some situations call for drastic measures, but using this tactic in every situation is not treating others as you would like to be treated. It is not effective leading.
Sometimes you just need to listen. Everyone has one of those people in their organization where at first you try to quietly slide past their door or cubicle because you know if they hear you you’ll get sucked in to a conversation lasting no less than 45 minutes. I used to despise how this “wasted” what little time I had in each day. Then I started to realize I wasn’t applying the Golden Rule. This person just wanted to be heard. By stopping to listen, I showed them that I cared about what they had to say. I was even surprised that oftentimes I learned something valuable from these discussions.
These two ideals of remembering your purpose as a leader, and treating others with respect by applying the Golden Rule, helped me learn my most important lesson as a leader. The lesson of creating the right climate for effective leadership didn’t really hit home until I started teaching leadership at Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). It wasn’t until I was teaching Cadets how to be effective leaders that I realized I’d been applying these two fundamentals all along. Hopefully, many of these Cadets have gone on to make fine Army officers by becoming Soldier advocates and applying the Golden Rule.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Importance of a Fully Developed Commander's Intent*
The most important lesson I have learned thus far in my military career has been the importance of a fully developed commander’s intent. Both the standard definition and the need for a commander’s intent are obvious to most of us. The standard definition includes an articulation of the desired operational end-state as well as quantifications of acceptable loss and criteria for success. A commander’s intent is necessary primarily as a tool to pass the essence of the mission in the absence of other specific orders. The “in order to” section of a mission statement may be expanded in the commander’s intent, as well. Whether on the battlefield or in garrison, a clear and well-understood commander’s intent is often the difference between winning or losing; between good hard training or atrophy of soldiers and units. That said, I believe that a great many commanders stop short in the process of “fully” developing a commander’s intent and thus may unnecessarily lose momentum at some point in the battle.
Allow me to first explain the difference between a text-book commander’s intent and a fully developed commander’s intent. For brevity I will refer to the former as a Standard Commander’s Intent (SCI) and the latter as a Fully Developed Commander’s Intent (FDCI). While both an SCI and an FDCI meet the criteria described above; the FDCI will take an extra step, or two, or ten in the thought process to arrive at definite conclusions about moral and right vs. immoral and wrong. Another key difference is the echelon issuing the guidance. An SCI comes from two echelons up and is incorporated into the unit order. An FDCI should come from as high up as possible. A clear understanding of both the SCI and the FDCI is reflected (or not) in the answers given by the most junior soldier in the unit as to why his unit is executing a particular mission.
It can be said that a junior soldier with a clear understanding of his company commander’s SCI can tell you, for example, that he is conducting his mission to secure key terrain in the vicinity of Objective Blue in order to provide overwatch for friendly forces as they advance toward Objective Green; that he cannot lose his communications equipment; and that success is his continued ability to adjust artillery on any hostile forces threatening in his sector of fires. He understands that. Beyond that he does not have an understanding of the deeper reason for his mission; or at least you should not assume so.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that the SCI from our original example (secure key terrain in the vicinity of Objective Blue) wasn’t so skimpy with reasons and also articulated the SCI for the battalion and brigade commanders. Were that the case the junior soldier might also understand that, in the absence of orders, he should continue to fight north up to but not past Phase Line Kentucky - - Excellent! But this is still not an FDCI. An FDCI is much more.
The FDCI must come from the highest possible echelon of command and articulate:
1. The reason for the fight all the way to the root of the conflict.
2. Detailed and quantifiable goals (criteria for success to include losses).
3. The reason that our side is moral and right and the other side is immoral and wrong.
This may sound like a daunting task. You might say that an FDCI would most probably be of such volume that briefing during the orders process would not be practical. You might guess that to verbalize the three items above would only serve to confuse that junior soldier from our earlier example. You would be wrong. It has been done before to great effect. It can be done now. All it takes is the initiative and commitment to formulate and deliver.
An easy example of an FDCI can be extracted from the many wartime speeches of Sir Winston Churchill in his role as Prime Minister of Great Britain: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.[i]" In other speeches Prime Minister Churchill also articulated the root reasons for the conflict and why the survival of Britain and victory of the Allies over Nazi Germany were right and moral goals. These statements of intent, resolve, and moral judgments about right and wrong were on the minds of many if not most Allied service members as they secured key terrain overlooking “Objective Blue”. In the absence of specific orders, Churchill’s FDCI served as the impetus to victory in the long-term conflict.
I submit that if the commanders and men do not now have fixed in their minds the root reason(s) for the fight, the detailed goals, and why our forces are moral and right and the enemy is immoral and wrong then they do not have the benefit of a fully developed commander’s intent. If this is the case then it is likely that at some point friendly forces will lose momentum. An FDCI is what commanders owe to their troops in peacetime and in wartime. The essential nature of imparting an FDCI to one’s subordinates, to my mind, is the most important lesson I have learned thus far in my military career.
Major Lee Sullenger
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
*The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
[i] http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?p=2580985 quoting an unspecified speech by Sir Winston Churchill.
Allow me to first explain the difference between a text-book commander’s intent and a fully developed commander’s intent. For brevity I will refer to the former as a Standard Commander’s Intent (SCI) and the latter as a Fully Developed Commander’s Intent (FDCI). While both an SCI and an FDCI meet the criteria described above; the FDCI will take an extra step, or two, or ten in the thought process to arrive at definite conclusions about moral and right vs. immoral and wrong. Another key difference is the echelon issuing the guidance. An SCI comes from two echelons up and is incorporated into the unit order. An FDCI should come from as high up as possible. A clear understanding of both the SCI and the FDCI is reflected (or not) in the answers given by the most junior soldier in the unit as to why his unit is executing a particular mission.
It can be said that a junior soldier with a clear understanding of his company commander’s SCI can tell you, for example, that he is conducting his mission to secure key terrain in the vicinity of Objective Blue in order to provide overwatch for friendly forces as they advance toward Objective Green; that he cannot lose his communications equipment; and that success is his continued ability to adjust artillery on any hostile forces threatening in his sector of fires. He understands that. Beyond that he does not have an understanding of the deeper reason for his mission; or at least you should not assume so.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that the SCI from our original example (secure key terrain in the vicinity of Objective Blue) wasn’t so skimpy with reasons and also articulated the SCI for the battalion and brigade commanders. Were that the case the junior soldier might also understand that, in the absence of orders, he should continue to fight north up to but not past Phase Line Kentucky - - Excellent! But this is still not an FDCI. An FDCI is much more.
The FDCI must come from the highest possible echelon of command and articulate:
1. The reason for the fight all the way to the root of the conflict.
2. Detailed and quantifiable goals (criteria for success to include losses).
3. The reason that our side is moral and right and the other side is immoral and wrong.
This may sound like a daunting task. You might say that an FDCI would most probably be of such volume that briefing during the orders process would not be practical. You might guess that to verbalize the three items above would only serve to confuse that junior soldier from our earlier example. You would be wrong. It has been done before to great effect. It can be done now. All it takes is the initiative and commitment to formulate and deliver.
An easy example of an FDCI can be extracted from the many wartime speeches of Sir Winston Churchill in his role as Prime Minister of Great Britain: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.[i]" In other speeches Prime Minister Churchill also articulated the root reasons for the conflict and why the survival of Britain and victory of the Allies over Nazi Germany were right and moral goals. These statements of intent, resolve, and moral judgments about right and wrong were on the minds of many if not most Allied service members as they secured key terrain overlooking “Objective Blue”. In the absence of specific orders, Churchill’s FDCI served as the impetus to victory in the long-term conflict.
I submit that if the commanders and men do not now have fixed in their minds the root reason(s) for the fight, the detailed goals, and why our forces are moral and right and the enemy is immoral and wrong then they do not have the benefit of a fully developed commander’s intent. If this is the case then it is likely that at some point friendly forces will lose momentum. An FDCI is what commanders owe to their troops in peacetime and in wartime. The essential nature of imparting an FDCI to one’s subordinates, to my mind, is the most important lesson I have learned thus far in my military career.
Major Lee Sullenger
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
*The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
[i] http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?p=2580985 quoting an unspecified speech by Sir Winston Churchill.
The Reasons Why I Serve My Country
Major Nicola Thompson
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
"The views expressed in this blog are those of hte author and do not refelct the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
The purpose of this essay is to provide you with the reasons why I choose to serve my country. However; I have to be totally honest with you, it was not my country I was thinking about initially, it was my family. So if I may, I would like to be a little more specific and share that, in the beginning, I choose to serve my country because my family needed me to join the Army. So I choose to join the Army for the following reasons: financial stability; higher education and the ability to give back.
In December of 1974, I was born to a young girl who was 15 years old, and an even younger boy who had just turned 13 years old. My mother had no idea what to do with me, so she dressed me up like a doll, while my father decided that dolls were not his thing and left us both to play with one another. By the time I was 11 years old, my mother had been married, divorced and given birth to three additional children. My mother worked two jobs; therefore, my siblings and I rarely saw her. This caused me to have to grow up very fast, and being the oldest; I had no choice but to learn the three C’s; cook, clean and change diapers. By the time I was 15 years old, I was already working my first full time job with a worker’s permit. This enabled to assist my mom with the bills, and whatever else pay check did not cover. This brings me to reason number one, financial stability. I told myself at a young age that I did not want to ever find myself in such a financial low that I would need the financial assistance of one of my own children in order to keep a roof over their heads or to help put food on the table. That is an adult responsibility, not a child. The Army kept me from having to wonder where my next paycheck was coming from and whether or not I was going to be able to pay my bills from one month to the next.
It was also at a young age that I realized, in addition to my mother and all of her siblings, that their mother, along with their mother’s mother, were also teenage mothers. Additionally, none of them had an education past high school. It was at that point, around the age of 15, that I could not help asking myself the question “is there a generational curse holding my family hostage?” It was also at that point in my life that I made a conscious effort to beat the odds and break whatever generational boundaries our family had. This brings me to my second reason for joining the Army and serving my country, higher education. I believed that if I could keep from getting pregnant and focus on getting good grades, there would be a strong possibility that I get into a college by earning a scholarship. I did not know where I wanted to go, but I was determined that I was going to go somewhere. When graduation came, I was only given a partial scholarship. This meant I would have to find a way to earn the rest, and that’s where the Army Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC) came into play. I read about the ROTC program at my college and learned that there was an opportunity for me to earn an additional scholarship that would pay for my school, housing and potentially pay me a check monthly. All I needed to know at that point was where to sign up.
This brings me to my third and final reason of wanting to give back. After watching my mother work two jobs for the better part of her life, I desired to be in a position where I could take care of her one day. Besides, it was because of having to raise her kids at such a young age that helped me get through my teenage years without getting pregnant; it was the best birth control I could have ever had. She was also responsible for me working hard at getting into college, because I was so determined not to have to put my kids through the burden of working while trying to get through high school. And finally, she showed me that hard work, determination, and faith in God could get me through any trial and tribulation.
I know that none of this talked specifically to my country; however, I believe that my family is every bit of this country to me. The war I had to fight started long before I joined the Army, and I know that I have carried all of those leadership skills and tactics with me to the far country of Iraq. The Army gave me financial stability, a higher education, and the ability to give back to my family, and in exchange, I have given the Army 100% of my lessons learned from my childhood. I am extremely hard working and will not stop until the mission is complete. I am dedicated and loyal to those with whom I serve. And I plan to remain in the fight, because ultimately, I needed the Army and now my country needs me.
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
"The views expressed in this blog are those of hte author and do not refelct the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."
The purpose of this essay is to provide you with the reasons why I choose to serve my country. However; I have to be totally honest with you, it was not my country I was thinking about initially, it was my family. So if I may, I would like to be a little more specific and share that, in the beginning, I choose to serve my country because my family needed me to join the Army. So I choose to join the Army for the following reasons: financial stability; higher education and the ability to give back.
In December of 1974, I was born to a young girl who was 15 years old, and an even younger boy who had just turned 13 years old. My mother had no idea what to do with me, so she dressed me up like a doll, while my father decided that dolls were not his thing and left us both to play with one another. By the time I was 11 years old, my mother had been married, divorced and given birth to three additional children. My mother worked two jobs; therefore, my siblings and I rarely saw her. This caused me to have to grow up very fast, and being the oldest; I had no choice but to learn the three C’s; cook, clean and change diapers. By the time I was 15 years old, I was already working my first full time job with a worker’s permit. This enabled to assist my mom with the bills, and whatever else pay check did not cover. This brings me to reason number one, financial stability. I told myself at a young age that I did not want to ever find myself in such a financial low that I would need the financial assistance of one of my own children in order to keep a roof over their heads or to help put food on the table. That is an adult responsibility, not a child. The Army kept me from having to wonder where my next paycheck was coming from and whether or not I was going to be able to pay my bills from one month to the next.
It was also at a young age that I realized, in addition to my mother and all of her siblings, that their mother, along with their mother’s mother, were also teenage mothers. Additionally, none of them had an education past high school. It was at that point, around the age of 15, that I could not help asking myself the question “is there a generational curse holding my family hostage?” It was also at that point in my life that I made a conscious effort to beat the odds and break whatever generational boundaries our family had. This brings me to my second reason for joining the Army and serving my country, higher education. I believed that if I could keep from getting pregnant and focus on getting good grades, there would be a strong possibility that I get into a college by earning a scholarship. I did not know where I wanted to go, but I was determined that I was going to go somewhere. When graduation came, I was only given a partial scholarship. This meant I would have to find a way to earn the rest, and that’s where the Army Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC) came into play. I read about the ROTC program at my college and learned that there was an opportunity for me to earn an additional scholarship that would pay for my school, housing and potentially pay me a check monthly. All I needed to know at that point was where to sign up.
This brings me to my third and final reason of wanting to give back. After watching my mother work two jobs for the better part of her life, I desired to be in a position where I could take care of her one day. Besides, it was because of having to raise her kids at such a young age that helped me get through my teenage years without getting pregnant; it was the best birth control I could have ever had. She was also responsible for me working hard at getting into college, because I was so determined not to have to put my kids through the burden of working while trying to get through high school. And finally, she showed me that hard work, determination, and faith in God could get me through any trial and tribulation.
I know that none of this talked specifically to my country; however, I believe that my family is every bit of this country to me. The war I had to fight started long before I joined the Army, and I know that I have carried all of those leadership skills and tactics with me to the far country of Iraq. The Army gave me financial stability, a higher education, and the ability to give back to my family, and in exchange, I have given the Army 100% of my lessons learned from my childhood. I am extremely hard working and will not stop until the mission is complete. I am dedicated and loyal to those with whom I serve. And I plan to remain in the fight, because ultimately, I needed the Army and now my country needs me.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Most Important Lesson
The most significant lesson I have learned as a leader is to take care of Soldiers. I believe that taking care of Soldiers is a leader’s primary job and that Soldiers will accomplish any mission if they feel their leader has their best interests in mind. Taking care of Soldiers is significant for multiple reasons. First, my experience has been, that Soldiers who feel that leaders take care of them have higher morale and are more successful than Soldiers who feel neglected by their leaders. Additionally, every leader should recognize that the Soldiers and junior Officers they lead will soon lead the Army of the future. These junior leaders are shaped by their experiences. Leaders who provide quality leadership by taking care of Soldiers serve as an example that will be replicated in future formations. Finally, I have learned that taking care of Soldiers is a more nuanced task than it first appears. Understanding just what taking care of Soldiers means in a given situation is crucial to success. Subordinates that feel their leader cares for them are more likely to accomplish the mission and more likely to be leaders of character in the future. Today’s leader must recognize this requirement while simultaneously understanding the intricacies of how to take care of subordinates.
I believe that the Army is primarily about people. Individual units are often defined by their capabilities. However, in conversations with leaders of all ranks, I hear repeatedly that Soldiers are what make organizations great. Soldiers who feel they are taken care of are more likely to accomplish the mission regardless of their specialty. Leaders must take care of subordinates in order to be successful in their mission whether deployed or at home.
I have always been cognizant of the significance my leadership has on shaping subordinate’s leadership styles, both in the near-term and over the course of their careers. In my brief career, I have had subordinates who went on to fill various roles throughout the Army. It was important for me to take care of them so they would recognize the significance leaders have on their units. If I was successful, these leaders will continue providing quality leadership in the future that places the needs of their Soldiers above their own. As significant as taking care of Soldier is, it is not a simple task.
Taking care of Soldiers is difficult to define. In certain situations, almost any action can be defended as taking care of Soldiers. Leaders must recognize what is truly taking care of Soldiers and be able to discern that from tasks and privileges that do not truly benefit subordinates. Often, releasing Soldiers early from duty is recognized within a unit as taking care of Soldiers. While releasing Soldiers early may sometimes legitimately be taking care of them, this is not the essence of what a good leader does to take care of his or her Soldiers. In fact, there is not a basic checklist of items that should be done. Instead, taking care of Soldiers is a concept. Leaders must internalize the task of protecting, shaping, and training their Soldiers. Taking care of Soldiers means preparing them to accomplish their mission in the toughest environment imaginable while simultaneously arming them with the tools they need to be successful. These tools include life skills, coping skills, military training, and a plethora of other requirements. Sometimes it means releasing them early and sometimes it means taking them to the field to work through the weekend on a challenging task. It is these nuances of taking care of Soldiers that are often neglected, but they should be considered by leaders at every level.
Leaders are tasked to accomplish missions. Subordinates that are well taken care of are more likely to accomplish these missions to standard and on time because they are motivated to contribute to the goals of the organization. These well led Soldiers are likely to continue to take care of their Soldiers throughout their career. Taking care of Soldiers requires that a leader invest time in determining what is truly important and what will aid Soldiers to be successful, both in the Army and in life.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
MAJ Victor Deekens
Student, ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
I believe that the Army is primarily about people. Individual units are often defined by their capabilities. However, in conversations with leaders of all ranks, I hear repeatedly that Soldiers are what make organizations great. Soldiers who feel they are taken care of are more likely to accomplish the mission regardless of their specialty. Leaders must take care of subordinates in order to be successful in their mission whether deployed or at home.
I have always been cognizant of the significance my leadership has on shaping subordinate’s leadership styles, both in the near-term and over the course of their careers. In my brief career, I have had subordinates who went on to fill various roles throughout the Army. It was important for me to take care of them so they would recognize the significance leaders have on their units. If I was successful, these leaders will continue providing quality leadership in the future that places the needs of their Soldiers above their own. As significant as taking care of Soldier is, it is not a simple task.
Taking care of Soldiers is difficult to define. In certain situations, almost any action can be defended as taking care of Soldiers. Leaders must recognize what is truly taking care of Soldiers and be able to discern that from tasks and privileges that do not truly benefit subordinates. Often, releasing Soldiers early from duty is recognized within a unit as taking care of Soldiers. While releasing Soldiers early may sometimes legitimately be taking care of them, this is not the essence of what a good leader does to take care of his or her Soldiers. In fact, there is not a basic checklist of items that should be done. Instead, taking care of Soldiers is a concept. Leaders must internalize the task of protecting, shaping, and training their Soldiers. Taking care of Soldiers means preparing them to accomplish their mission in the toughest environment imaginable while simultaneously arming them with the tools they need to be successful. These tools include life skills, coping skills, military training, and a plethora of other requirements. Sometimes it means releasing them early and sometimes it means taking them to the field to work through the weekend on a challenging task. It is these nuances of taking care of Soldiers that are often neglected, but they should be considered by leaders at every level.
Leaders are tasked to accomplish missions. Subordinates that are well taken care of are more likely to accomplish these missions to standard and on time because they are motivated to contribute to the goals of the organization. These well led Soldiers are likely to continue to take care of their Soldiers throughout their career. Taking care of Soldiers requires that a leader invest time in determining what is truly important and what will aid Soldiers to be successful, both in the Army and in life.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
MAJ Victor Deekens
Student, ILE
Fort Belvoir, VA
Reasons I Chose to Serve My Country
Major Sarah Hinds
Student, Command and General Staff College
US Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government."
The reasons I serve my country numbered only a few at the start of my career and, happily, have increased during my tenure as an active duty service member.
It wasn’t until I began veterinary school as an older student matriculating among the twenty-somethings and married only 2 years that I discovered the Army offered advanced training to veterinarians. With the Army’s option to potentially pay for vet school under a scholarship program, my husband suggested I look into this. He was a prior US Navy medical corpsman who had served on the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk during the last few years of the Viet Nam war; he knew the educational benefits the military offered, having used them for himself. The health professions scholarship program and potential for quality advanced training was the first “hook” to get me to see what the military offered; it was, to juxtapose President Kennedy’s line, what my country could do for me. Answering the call itself derived from other motivations. I realized, largely from discussions with my husband, that I grew up not ever really learning the importance and significance of the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, freedoms largely gained through efforts of the American service member. If I had to answer Kennedy’s question on what I could do for my country, my response was “I can now give something back.” While I never did get the scholarship, I was able to collect enough information to make the decision to volunteer my service, become a commissioned officer, and give something back.
I also learned, in large part through my mother’s own history of not realizing her dream to become a pilot because she was a female, that the concept of women as Warfighters has only been embraced widely in America as recently the 20th century. Growing up, I may not have known much about the war in Viet Nam, but I certainly knew about women’s equality and the societal changes marked by the sexual revolution. The Army is largely egalitarian; it is one of the few employers where men and women with similar background, training, and years of experience are paid the same. I supported this concept without qualification and wanted to support an organization that understood this.
I stayed in the military to complete my advance training. For most of us, we serve roughly 9-10 years when we finally complete the training. As many as half of my colleagues have chosen to leave at this “half-way” point, citing various reasons, to include feeling as though their efforts were never fully recognized and they were superseded by people who are praised for doing unoriginal or less than stellar work. A common joke is that a slipshod job is good enough for government work, and this is demoralizing. Active duty service obligations notwithstanding, for me staying in and going forward means upholding excellence as well as setting and even exceeding the standard in my field, hopefully in a manner that takes away some of the tarnished corporate image some people joke about.
As an extension of the concepts of setting the standard and giving even more back, my newest reason for serving my country now includes nation building. Serving currently in Bangkok, Thailand, I have made close connections with members of the Thai laboratory animal medicine community. Thailand is on the cusp of increasing its involvement in biomedical research, to include standing up new animal research centers. In an almost exclusively Buddhist country, the concept of taking a life weighs heavily on the collective consciousness, and Thais are never quite certain about a decision to euthanize even the sickest of animals. They nearly exclusively look to the success of the United States with its extensive history of creating regulations to govern the use of animals in research. I am one of the very first to offer training and education to Thai PhD students who are studying to be principal investigators, teaching them (among several things) their roles and responsibilities as future principal investigators. This puts America out in front of others, in one of the best ways possible.
I serve my country to make a difference—for Warfighters, for people. Serving as chief of busy veterinary medicine department I acknowledge the progression of creating a vaccine or therapeutic may take more than twenty years, but I also acknowledge that small steps will get us there. I am the vet who takes care of the mouse or monkey who serves as the control who gets the disease from the agent for which we are creating a vaccine that will go into Warfighters to protect them. It’s possible to go to work every day, happily, knowing this much.
The evolution and expansion of my reasons to serve my country seem a natural progression. Giving something back, setting the standard and supporting collective excellence, and making a difference are laudable reasons to work for any organization. Serving a country for which a fundamental, basic concept includes bettering the world while improving oneself leaves one wanting little more.
Student, Command and General Staff College
US Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government."
The reasons I serve my country numbered only a few at the start of my career and, happily, have increased during my tenure as an active duty service member.
It wasn’t until I began veterinary school as an older student matriculating among the twenty-somethings and married only 2 years that I discovered the Army offered advanced training to veterinarians. With the Army’s option to potentially pay for vet school under a scholarship program, my husband suggested I look into this. He was a prior US Navy medical corpsman who had served on the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk during the last few years of the Viet Nam war; he knew the educational benefits the military offered, having used them for himself. The health professions scholarship program and potential for quality advanced training was the first “hook” to get me to see what the military offered; it was, to juxtapose President Kennedy’s line, what my country could do for me. Answering the call itself derived from other motivations. I realized, largely from discussions with my husband, that I grew up not ever really learning the importance and significance of the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, freedoms largely gained through efforts of the American service member. If I had to answer Kennedy’s question on what I could do for my country, my response was “I can now give something back.” While I never did get the scholarship, I was able to collect enough information to make the decision to volunteer my service, become a commissioned officer, and give something back.
I also learned, in large part through my mother’s own history of not realizing her dream to become a pilot because she was a female, that the concept of women as Warfighters has only been embraced widely in America as recently the 20th century. Growing up, I may not have known much about the war in Viet Nam, but I certainly knew about women’s equality and the societal changes marked by the sexual revolution. The Army is largely egalitarian; it is one of the few employers where men and women with similar background, training, and years of experience are paid the same. I supported this concept without qualification and wanted to support an organization that understood this.
I stayed in the military to complete my advance training. For most of us, we serve roughly 9-10 years when we finally complete the training. As many as half of my colleagues have chosen to leave at this “half-way” point, citing various reasons, to include feeling as though their efforts were never fully recognized and they were superseded by people who are praised for doing unoriginal or less than stellar work. A common joke is that a slipshod job is good enough for government work, and this is demoralizing. Active duty service obligations notwithstanding, for me staying in and going forward means upholding excellence as well as setting and even exceeding the standard in my field, hopefully in a manner that takes away some of the tarnished corporate image some people joke about.
As an extension of the concepts of setting the standard and giving even more back, my newest reason for serving my country now includes nation building. Serving currently in Bangkok, Thailand, I have made close connections with members of the Thai laboratory animal medicine community. Thailand is on the cusp of increasing its involvement in biomedical research, to include standing up new animal research centers. In an almost exclusively Buddhist country, the concept of taking a life weighs heavily on the collective consciousness, and Thais are never quite certain about a decision to euthanize even the sickest of animals. They nearly exclusively look to the success of the United States with its extensive history of creating regulations to govern the use of animals in research. I am one of the very first to offer training and education to Thai PhD students who are studying to be principal investigators, teaching them (among several things) their roles and responsibilities as future principal investigators. This puts America out in front of others, in one of the best ways possible.
I serve my country to make a difference—for Warfighters, for people. Serving as chief of busy veterinary medicine department I acknowledge the progression of creating a vaccine or therapeutic may take more than twenty years, but I also acknowledge that small steps will get us there. I am the vet who takes care of the mouse or monkey who serves as the control who gets the disease from the agent for which we are creating a vaccine that will go into Warfighters to protect them. It’s possible to go to work every day, happily, knowing this much.
The evolution and expansion of my reasons to serve my country seem a natural progression. Giving something back, setting the standard and supporting collective excellence, and making a difference are laudable reasons to work for any organization. Serving a country for which a fundamental, basic concept includes bettering the world while improving oneself leaves one wanting little more.
The Reason I Serve
MAJ Kerryn Story
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, VA
13 May 2010
The Reason I Serve My Country
People join the military for various reasons. For many, it’s a means of escape, or a way to finally break away and have some independence. For some, it’s a way to make ends meet, a monthly paycheck. Some join for the educational benefits, and every now and then you hear a good news media story about someone who joined the military out of pure patriotism. I have been asked on numerous occasions, as most career military professionals are at some point in their careers, why I joined and continue to serve my country. After all, my career options were endless upon graduation from college. Yet, I chose this path. I echo the same answer each time I am asked. While I joined the military initially for the educational benefits, I serve today and will continue to serve because I enjoy taking care of Soldiers.
I am currently assigned within the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) where our daily mission and duty is helping Soldiers heal and return to duty, whether they are suffering from injuries sustained on the battlefield, or seeking routine care. I am a registered dietitian, and while I do not directly treat battlefield injuries as a physician would, I do take care of Soldiers by helping them heal nutritionally. My job involves management, clinical dietetics, research, and nutrition education. I am an integral part of the process which helps keep Soldiers and their family members healthy.
I would like to elaborate on what I mean by healing nutritionally with the following example. With the operational tempo of today’s Army, many Soldiers are facing their fourth or fifth deployment, while some have even more than that. Once Soldiers get into theater, many will improve their fitness levels immensely because they have much more time to work out, while some will lose fitness because their jobs take precedence over physical training. Additionally, some will watch their diets more closely, eating healthier foods, while others will overindulge simply because the food is available.
I will address the later in reference to helping Soldiers heal nutritionally. Those Soldiers who are unable to maintain their fitness levels or develop poor dietary habits in theater often gain excessive weight while deployed. Upon return from theater, they must go through rigorous efforts to lose weight, regain fitness, and comply with height and weight standards in accordance with Army Regulation 600-9. I have been fortunate in my military career as a health care professional to help numerous Soldiers in such circumstances through application of appropriate medical nutrition therapy and monitoring. Most of these Soldiers have been able to successfully recondition, return to higher levels of fitness, and vastly improve their eating habits.
Helping Soldiers heal nutritionally is not something which is only done when Soldiers return from theater with nutritional issues or medical complications. It is something that is practiced as a means of preventive medicine as well. Nutrition clinics throughout the Army have a host of nutrition education programs in which Soldiers can participate as needed. These range from teaching about on-going disease processes, to teaching specific medical nutrition therapy management of new onset diseases, other complications, or a host of diets. All of these educational opportunities involve taking care of Soldiers first and foremost, which is what I enjoy most about my job.
Even though my job specialty does not involve direct patient care, my profession is an integral part of the Soldiers’ healing process. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of this process, hence the reason I serve and will continue to serve in the military, particularly the Army Medical Department. I am proud to be a part of the team providing leading edge healthcare to our Warriors and family members. So, even though I commissioned into the Army initially for the educational benefits it could provide for me, I do not regret the decision to stay in the force and continue to serve. If I had been asked a few years back whether or not I wanted to make the Army a career, I would have said, “no.” However, after having served for almost 13 years, I cannot think of another profession which I would enjoy more than this one. The rewards for me in helping Soldiers are numerous. Proud to serve!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
The Most Important Lesson I Have Learned as a Leader
MAJ Donald Sifuentes
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
13May2010
Throughout my military career, I have been fortunate to have learned many lessons through enlisted and commissioned service. This learning process has continued as I have advanced and developed as a leader of Soldiers in a variety of assignments. Beyond developing as a leader, perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is that the solid foundation of a good leader is based on a sum of many sometimes conflicting parts. A good leader should have the flexibility to balance many aspects of human behavior and speaking skills.
A good leader is often a good motivator. Directing someone to perform a task can be a challenge when that person does not want to perform that task. A leader is required to motivate that person to perform that task. Not all people respond to the same motivation. A leader must be able to discern what would motivate that person to act or what is motivating that person not to act in the performance of that task. The leader must decide which style of leadership to apply in motivating that person. Some people respond to a directing leader who will give abrupt instruction to perform the task. Others may respond to a sensing leader who will find the motivation to perform the task within the individual. Still others will respond to a more democratic leader who will explain the nature of the task and achieve a consensus of the person or within the group of followers to perform the task.
A leader must be able to communicate intent and the task. Some leaders will communicate what is to be done in a directing context; other leaders will gain empathy of the group. A leader that is directing will generally not change the mode of communication, perhaps only to be louder. An empathetic leader will often change the tone of communication to gain empathy. In explaining the nature of the task, a leader will oftentimes change the tone to match the specific item of communication. That is, a leader will change volume or pace or inflection to match the importance or urgency of the material discussed. If a group of followers is mixed, so must the leader mix the modes of communication to ensure the followers will complete the task.
The behavior of a leader is often used as a means to lead. Some leaders will remain removed from the group followers and aloof, while others will “roll up their sleeves,” and join in on performing the task. The behavior of the leader is driven by the situation. A leader will often know what behavior to apply to a given situation. However, there are times where the leader is compelled toward participation in the task. Often the leader will be inundated with other tasks, decisions, problems, or supervision of the larger goal. Again, this is driven by the situation. Even if a leader is inundated with other tasks, decisions, problems, or with the supervision of the larger goal; there are times when a task is so critical that the goal will not be achieved without the completion of that task. This key task will become the immediate focus of the leader. If the followers are not motivated to complete the task or are only motivated by a complete buy-in of the leader, the participation of the leader in the task becomes paramount, notwithstanding the other tasks, decisions, problems, and supervision of the larger goal.
One area a leader should not be flexible is in respect of the group of followers. A marionette-leader who berates the follower(s) will achieve results through fear, but often not through any other means. If the task is to protect the group from an apparent danger, that would provide motivation for the group. However, if fear is the only motivation, the followers will often seize any opportunity to undermine the leader.
I have learned that leadership is not only an art and not necessarily innate, it is the sum of many parts. To be a good and effective leader, many skills are developed and refined. These skills and behaviors will vary from follower to follower and within groups. A leader must possess leadership skills of motivating the follower, good communication, leading by example, and maintaining mutual respect. But a good leader will be flexible in the application of leadership skills. This leader will know when to be a directing leader and when to empathize with the follower and how to communicate to achieve motivation from a follower or within a group to ensure a task is complete. If the key task to achieving a goal is at risk, the leader will know where and how to focus the group and what method to apply. As a commissioned officer in the Army, developing as a leader is paramount. The most important lesson I have learned is that flexibility in the application of leadership skills is necessary.
“The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
13May2010
Throughout my military career, I have been fortunate to have learned many lessons through enlisted and commissioned service. This learning process has continued as I have advanced and developed as a leader of Soldiers in a variety of assignments. Beyond developing as a leader, perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is that the solid foundation of a good leader is based on a sum of many sometimes conflicting parts. A good leader should have the flexibility to balance many aspects of human behavior and speaking skills.
A good leader is often a good motivator. Directing someone to perform a task can be a challenge when that person does not want to perform that task. A leader is required to motivate that person to perform that task. Not all people respond to the same motivation. A leader must be able to discern what would motivate that person to act or what is motivating that person not to act in the performance of that task. The leader must decide which style of leadership to apply in motivating that person. Some people respond to a directing leader who will give abrupt instruction to perform the task. Others may respond to a sensing leader who will find the motivation to perform the task within the individual. Still others will respond to a more democratic leader who will explain the nature of the task and achieve a consensus of the person or within the group of followers to perform the task.
A leader must be able to communicate intent and the task. Some leaders will communicate what is to be done in a directing context; other leaders will gain empathy of the group. A leader that is directing will generally not change the mode of communication, perhaps only to be louder. An empathetic leader will often change the tone of communication to gain empathy. In explaining the nature of the task, a leader will oftentimes change the tone to match the specific item of communication. That is, a leader will change volume or pace or inflection to match the importance or urgency of the material discussed. If a group of followers is mixed, so must the leader mix the modes of communication to ensure the followers will complete the task.
The behavior of a leader is often used as a means to lead. Some leaders will remain removed from the group followers and aloof, while others will “roll up their sleeves,” and join in on performing the task. The behavior of the leader is driven by the situation. A leader will often know what behavior to apply to a given situation. However, there are times where the leader is compelled toward participation in the task. Often the leader will be inundated with other tasks, decisions, problems, or supervision of the larger goal. Again, this is driven by the situation. Even if a leader is inundated with other tasks, decisions, problems, or with the supervision of the larger goal; there are times when a task is so critical that the goal will not be achieved without the completion of that task. This key task will become the immediate focus of the leader. If the followers are not motivated to complete the task or are only motivated by a complete buy-in of the leader, the participation of the leader in the task becomes paramount, notwithstanding the other tasks, decisions, problems, and supervision of the larger goal.
One area a leader should not be flexible is in respect of the group of followers. A marionette-leader who berates the follower(s) will achieve results through fear, but often not through any other means. If the task is to protect the group from an apparent danger, that would provide motivation for the group. However, if fear is the only motivation, the followers will often seize any opportunity to undermine the leader.
I have learned that leadership is not only an art and not necessarily innate, it is the sum of many parts. To be a good and effective leader, many skills are developed and refined. These skills and behaviors will vary from follower to follower and within groups. A leader must possess leadership skills of motivating the follower, good communication, leading by example, and maintaining mutual respect. But a good leader will be flexible in the application of leadership skills. This leader will know when to be a directing leader and when to empathize with the follower and how to communicate to achieve motivation from a follower or within a group to ensure a task is complete. If the key task to achieving a goal is at risk, the leader will know where and how to focus the group and what method to apply. As a commissioned officer in the Army, developing as a leader is paramount. The most important lesson I have learned is that flexibility in the application of leadership skills is necessary.
“The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”
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