Becoming A 1st Lieutenant : Applying The Lessons From Platoon Leader

SPC Hall achieved the XVIII Airborne Corps Noncommissioned Officer Basic Leader Course graduation requirements with an overall 91.11% grade point average. He exceeded the standard by accumulating 283 points on the Army Physical Fitness Test. He communicated well in writing as he understood the importance of the Army writing style, associated regulations, and completing a recommendation for award. During Squad Drill and Physical Readiness Training, he executed all movements with precision and exhibited a command presence. He successfully communicated during a brief to his peers and contributed well to classroom discussions. SPC Hall led his squad confidently by following the eight Troop Leading Procedures and squad movement techniques during

The most important thing I learned about myself as a Non-Commissioned Officer during multiple deployments happened at the nine month mark of my third deployment. I learned that as a leader you must put yourself in front at all times to ensure the safety and security of your soldiers. I also learned that no matter how difficult the situation, everyone will fall back on the training they received in order to ensure mission success. Extensive training coupled with strong leadership all the way through the Army level are necessary for the accomplishment of some of the most difficult missions.

SPC Mackey achieved the XVIII Airborne Corps Noncommissioned Officer Basic Leader Course graduation requirements with an overall 95.58% grade point average. SPC Mackey met the standard by achieving a score of 265 on the APFT. He passed all performance evaluations the first time and displayed exceptional Squad Drill skills. He demonstrated an outstanding ability to communicate by establishing an effective communication channel to conduct daily business. When placed in a leadership position as the student Platoon Sergeant, SPC Mackey immediately took charge setting the standard and tone for peers, bringing high motivation to the team. His leadership abilities were on full display during the Situational Training Exercise, which led to his

As a Sergeant First Class (SFC) there are certain amount of skills, knowledge, and leadership abilities my command, peers, and subordinates expect of me. One of the knowledge I feel I should know as a SFC is what it takes to become a First Sergeant (1SG). I will outline the eligibilities, criteria, and trainings required of a 1SG through different sources. Based on that information, I will give you my opinion of what I feel I should know before becoming a 1SG.

Officers are taught to lead by example which means learning from the officers who came before them. As a leader in the army, a solider is constantly watched and must uphold the army core values at all times. Setting a good example for the young, non commissioned officers (NCOs) in the battalion is vital to the battalions cohesion and morale. In order to lead by example an officer is taught different leadership styles to incorporate in the field For instance, participating leadership style is especially appropriate when there is time receive input, information, and recommendations of your subordinates. The primary goal of the army is to develop the leaders of tomorrow. Leadership can always be improved on throughout life.

The lesson today was about Mission Command. This is a topic that has caused some confusion within the Army and to an extent across DoD. Just like anything else we do in the Army, we have to label it, write the doctrine, teach it, and power it down, mission command is no different. However, this is not a noble or new concept. We have been conducting mission command since the birth of our Army, we just decided to label it different. I believe mission command is not a process; instead, it’s a philosophy and state of mind that affects organizational culture. Mission command is leadership exemplified; it is getting people to execute your intent on their own accord. The end of the day, you want your subordinates to trust you, think on their own and

Leadership development in the military is critical to its mission and objectives. Understanding and embracing leadership will foster an agile culture and facilitate attainment of strategic goals. People desire quality leadership to assist with achieving their goals, albeit personal or professional development. Having a clear vision and the motivation to perform at high-levels influences others to work synergistically together to achieve organizational goals. Insomuch, employees value being treated respectfully, fairly, and ethically. Leaders serve people best when they help them develop their own initiative and good judgment, enable them to grow, and help them become better contributors.

SGT Galindo also taught me to not fear inexperience, but treat it as an opportunity for growth. He had just arrived from Ft. Huachuca, after reclassifying to 33W (later 35T). He readily admitted that while he had much more Army and tactical experience than I did, he knew that my peers and I had more technical experience in electronic maintenance. He wasn’t afraid to learn from his subordinates. This reinforced an earlier lesson: arrogance has no place in the Army. The only things that matter are mission accomplishment, taking care of Soldiers, and improving the

Lt. Audie L. Murphy’s name stands as one of the most prominent in American military history. He was a figurehead of leadership and the epitome of the seven Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage). He was a model for every soldier to follow, one that overcame every odd that was ever against him and rose to conquer every challenge. In his personal memoir “To Hell and Back”, he expressed a very personal view of what it takes to embody these characteristics which would eventually encourage anyone who reads it. In the next few paragraphs I will expound on his leadership and analyze what it really takes

The book Black Hearts opened my eyes to how leadership from a single Officer can have a grappling effect on such a wide range of soldiers from the lowest of ranks. One of the best takeaways from Black Hearts is to never do anything: illegal, unethical, or immoral. Although this is a easy statement to repeat, Black Hearts demonstrates the difficulties that lie behind these words. It has also painted a picture of how leadership can topple extremely quickly from a top down view. The Army is portrayed in a bad light throughout the book relentlessly. This is due to the concentration of poor leadership of the 1-502nd Regiment (Referred to as “First Strike”), a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division.

When moving to new position of platoon leader I have planned to exercise the four steps of leadership when taking a new position. When I first was assigned platoon leader my first step was though I had forgotten the four steps was to observe. I wanted to see if I could tell who wanted to be here, who is shy and who I thought would be a troublemaker in the platoon. After I had looked at my platoon I was immediately satisfied with what I saw but I knew like all platoons they would need work.

I found the Pride Saves Lives class given by Chief Jacobs to be valuable. Any face time a supervisor can get with the Chief I believe is of value. By spending time with the Chief supervisors can gain insight into what is expected of them and into what the Chief’s commander’s intent is. That is, how they should supervise and

Once selected, this opportunity will enable me to provide leaders, soldiers and my unit with invaluable knowledge, regarding political and strategic issues affecting the entire U.S. Army. This experience will also enable me to positively enhance my command influence in regards to, future plans and operations specifically, training and sustaining the force. Certainly, this experience will significantly increase my leadership skills: encompassing coaching, developing and mentoring future leaders to successfully adapt to the constantly changing environment in preparation to engage in combat operations.

Being given the title of “commander” was itself a humbling and awesome responsibility. I was responsible not only for the actions of the entire squadron, but also for keeping everyone motivated. The most challenging job that I was tasked with, however, was to bring new cadets into the program after weekly attendance had dropped to the point where only one or two cadets attended sporadically.

A troop commander needs to make good decisions and a good level of judgement is essential in the decision making process. This ability to understand and apply information also affects the essential relationship between a troop commander and the NCO’s within his platoon. A troop commander (as Sydney Jary points out and repeatedly demonstrates in 18 Platoon) must be able to work with and use the experience of his NCO’s in order to come to the best course of action and a good sense of judgement in order to establish when to use or reject suggestions by those under ones command is an important quality in building and maintaining the professional relationships essential in commanding a troop. Tied into this is the ability to judge the best method of managing the troop and individuals within the troop, to establish whether or not firmness or a greater degree of informality is best for achieving a grip on the troop.