Taking Care of Soldiers Essay

As leaders, we must maintain a clear separation between ourselves and those we lead, both, on and off duty. I’m not saying that you and I are better than anyone else; however, as leaders we are charged with tremendous responsibilities and are held to higher standards. To put in bluntly, “we cannot lead soldiers and act like the soldiers”. Do not be a soldier’s buddy! We cannot get away with the indiscretions that out soldiers may because we must lead by example.

A leader unwilling to sacrifice individual goals for the good of the unit cannot convince other unit members to do so. The mission suffers with potentially devastating effects. While personal goals often coincide with Army goals, there is no room for personal agendas at the expense of the institution or the American people. It is a standard in the hierarchy of military customs and courtesies that the leader must display to his subordinates that he is willing to put in extra effort, sacrifice personal time, and show initiative and motivation in order to achieve the same from his Soldiers.

Leadership goals should always contain methods of a continuous process of learning through education, training, and individual experiences that help ensure that the message will be communicated in a confident and competent manner when leading troops. Soldiers tend to follow leaders that demonstrate and live the Army values, while displaying their confidence in every decision that affects change. Leaders are not born as organizational or tactical leaders; but grown by their genetic determinism, which is inside and the characteristics they work toward; that mold is which type leader they will become. Not just anyone can lead; you must have the desire to lead, be willing to make the commitment to being a leader, and prepare yourself properly, then you have the desire to become a leader. (Fulton, 1995).

In the US army we are taught to live by the 7 army values. They are broken down to us in the acronym ‘LDRSHIP’. Loyalty “Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers.” Duty “Fulfill your obligations.” Respect “Treat people as they should be treated.” Selfless Service “Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates above your own.” Honor “Live up to the army values.”

Being in a Leadership position doesn’t mean that the managers or supervisors get to do whatever they want, but they do have to lead by example. There have been times where the both of us have experienced certain events where we can hold specific friendships with our soldiers. Better way to explain is when the uniform comes on, it’s strictly business. We couldn’t hang out with the soldiers outside of work so that there wouldn’t be any favoritism in any working environment with our soldiers. It’s all about the way he treated his soldiers and how he took care of his soldiers. From his words, “If you take care of your people, your people take care of you.” It’s not all about dictatorship, yelling at your soldiers and the rank on your chest. “Taking care of your people is a manager’s first priority” coming from Brian. Being the umbrella or the shield for you people is basically what managers do to take care of their employees.

This is our job as NCO’s to keep the culture and climate of our profession at its peak. We cannot be the ones that “talk the talk” but not “walk the walk” bring that culture down. It is one of our areas of expertise to take care and nurture young soldiers. They are the future of the profession, the future experts that will keep the profession strong and thriving. We as NCO’s must do our best to shield our young soldiers from “toxic” leadership, to show what good leadership is, and mold young soldiers into the professionals of

Fifteen years of continuous combat deployments have strained many of our Soldiers to their breaking point. To ensure the continued readiness of the troops and the welfare of their families, the use of positive psychology and MRT can bridge the gap and prevent many issues from becoming more serious. The tri-signed letter by Gen Odierno in March of 2013, states the United States Army’s ready and resilient campaign will, “…improve the physical, psychological, and emotional health in order to enhance individual performance and increase overall unit readiness.” Dedicated leader involvement specifically from the Command Sergeant Major (CSM), or Sergeant Major (SGM) is the single most critical component in fostering a positive command climate through

The constant presence with his troops was the most significant act of building cohesive teams through mutual trust. In Fact, “how he found the time and energy to be constantly with his frontline troops and still direct the overall activities of the division was a mystery.” 1 Interacting with your subordinates shows that you care. A leader that trains with his subordinates also earns credibility. How Soldiers trust, weights leader’s sound judgment for leading troops and accomplishing missions, regardless complexity.

As a First Sergeant in WTU, my responsibilities/duties included the health and welfare of Soldiers who were placed under the Commander’s authority. One question I asked myself when accepting this change of responsibility was… how am I going to achieve the responsibilities of identifying the needs of a Wounded Warrior without the proper training and knowledge? As a First Sergeant working for a Warrior Transition Unit, I experienced many trials while trying to understand and learn these triads of Care, and the Triad of Leadership techniques, followed by the challenges in dealing and understanding each Soldier’s needs.

soldiers is a tragic example of how, if that leadership is lacking, awful things can

In the United States, soldiers are currently returning home from war broken and scarred. While some physical wounds are clearly visible others are often hidden/invisible to the naked eye, but men and women proudly wear these wounds as a badge of courage and honor for protecting our nation. These men and women come home rightfully expecting help, assistance and care and get hit with the reality of poor care from the Veteran Health Administration and Department of Defense.

They want to become that fearless leader as you have shown them. Dr. Kaurin mentions how a leader good or bad affects their soldiers, “Kirkland argues that trust is the essential factor in maintaining ethical behavior and unit cohesion. If the soldiers can see their leaders share their and the institutional values, they are more likely to uphold these values on their own, which is more effective than coercion; in short, the leaders set the group identity and values” (Kaurin, 2006, p. 03-03). So the idea with loyalty is that if everyone is loyal to each other within a unit and amongst the junior enlisted and senior enlisted and that there is a unit cohesion, each solider will put in what was given out. Thus, the more you put in the more you will get out which will build upon teamwork and trust amongst each other.

Throughout history our country has had many leaders. Whether you’re the leader of a business, military platoon, or the leader of our great nation you were withheld with the honor and trust to govern the actions and best interests of fellow Americans. But just because you have achieved the title of a leader does not by default make you a good leader. A good leader is a person who has risen above and beyond to show cooperation, perseverance, and respect to decisions made by those still above you at one point in time. “As a seasoned member of the military, you’ve risen through the ranks because you understood your mission and performed your duties with distinction. At this stage of your career, your most important contribution may be how well you take care of the service members and

Leadership, according to the Army doctrine, represents individuals’ ability to influence people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization (“Leadership” FM 6-22). However, the varying characteristics of individuals that the Army attracts may instill this doctrine in many different ways, leading to different representations of leadership. Some individuals choose to lead their subordinate in a stern matter, only displaying matured emotions and a “tough-loving” attitude to guide them in the right direction. Others

A successful leaders use praise effectively. Identifying shortcomings and then telling soldiers what must be improved are a leader’s responsibility. Praising soldiers for their improvement and proper performance is even more important. To have a soldier to continue on the right step you need and will have to give them a positive counsel more often than what you probably want to. A sincere and honest praise lets soldiers know that their leader appreciates their efforts. Praising subordinates is a simple act that takes little time but will provide many benefits. With a few positive, encouraging words and a pat on the back, the leader can recognize and reinforce desired behavior and performance. A soldier who feels that their best efforts are