The Soldiers Of 351st Ordnance Company

“Four-Forty-Second Infantry / We're the boys of Hawai'i nei / We'll fight for you / And the Red, White and Blue, And go to the front. / And back to Honolulu-lulu. / Fighting for dear old Uncle Sam / Go for broke! / HOOH! / We don't give a damn! / We'll round up the Huns / At the point of our guns, / And vict'ry will be ours! / GO FOR BROKE! / FOUR-FOUR-TWO! / GO FOR BROKE! / FOUR-FOUR-TWO! And vict'ry will be ours!” (442nd Unit Fight Song). Just as many historical songs are wont to be subjected to select refinements, the 422nd Unit Fight Song is no exception. Primitively the song had the phrases “One-Puka-Puka” in place of what is currently “Four-Forty-Second” suggesting the song was originally written for the

Through his guidance, mentorship, and active leadership MSG (Ret.) Keith McKinney molded me into the Solider and military intelligence professional that I am today. His strong character lent credibility to the fatherly role he filled for so many in his charge. Those in his charge were not only subordinates, but also his peers and superiors would find his presence reassuring as it invited them to seek his counsel. Keen intellect and natural leadership abilities grounded MSG McKinney’s wise counsel. He used his abilities to develop those within his sphere to achieve results as military professionals and individuals who could contribute to society. During his time in the Army, MSG McKinney had a profound impact on the Soldiers he encountered and the organizations he supported.

SFC (Ret.) Mark C. Daw is the subject of this Leader’s Legacy paper. SFC Daw served for over twenty years in the United States Army Signal Corps. SFC Daw served during the Cold War in the Berlin Brigade, in Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia during Implementation Force (I-FOR), and in Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06. A career paratrooper, SFC Daw’s leadership style involved leading from the front at all times, superior tactical and technical proficiency, a hand of discipline tempered by wisdom, and developing his Soldiers professionally and personally. SFC Daw’s example serves as one worthy of emulation by all Soldiers, regardless of expertise or field. I am the Soldier I am today because of SFC Daw.

Though serving in a highly disciplined, well trained, and well equipped force, I faced mental and physical adversity, a numerically superior enemy, and a dynamic battlefield. I served with fellow Noncommissioned Officers and leaders with vast tactical combat experience, but we were operating in highly restrictive terrain behind enemy lines. As we worked to create breathing room for the Battle Space Owner and defeat the insurgents on their own turf, we took several casualties and would be tested in our ability to remain equally dynamic to the battlefield, bring every asset to bare to accomplish the mission, and adapt our common tactics in order to survive.

The Army’s “Total Soldier Concept” is a concept that Soldiers are proficient well rounded soldiers in all areas to include personal and professional character, technically and tactically capable, are mentally and physically resilient for any given condition and live and project the Army values that epitomize a United States Soldier. With the 13 year “War on Terror” ending many Soldiers that were brought up through the ranks during this time may find themselves challenged by the change in tempo and reorganization of priorities from leadership while in a garrison setting. This can possibly disrupt the overall moral and readiness of Soldiers to include discipline within the unit’s ranks. NCO’s will need to mentor and train Soldier’s, providing them with purpose, motivation and direction to better develop disciplined, trained, and physically fit Soldiers capable of meeting the “Total Soldier Concept”. To do this, NCO’s will need to instill discipline in their Soldiers at all times to manifest proper military courtesy, smartness of appearance and personal hygiene, impeccable equipment maintenance/readiness, zero tolerance for sexual

Purpose. This memorandum outlines my vision on leadership as a senior noncommissioned officer. It also defines my leadership philosophy and principles towards seniors, peers, and subordinates. My philosophy reflects the foundation of my personal and professional beliefs that makes us successful Soldiers.

Noncommissioned Officers are the backbone of the Marine Corps. Each leader is vastly different from the other. Some Marines enjoy being a corporal only because of the increase in rank and pay. A few become the tactless leaders junior Marines try to avoid. Fortunately, many others mature into Marines who strive to become the leader that other Marines wish to emulate. They know what it means to be a good leader. Those Marines have the traits of a leader; they get to know their Marines; and they adhere to a sound leadership style. This paper will discuss the story of Dakota L. Meyer, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Corporal of Marines during

Junior leaders found themselves fighting a counterinsurgency campaign for which they lacked the necessary expertise and equipment. Thanks to innovative and heroic leaders, the Army was able to adapt its doctrine, materiel, and operations to change the course of the Iraq war over a period of two to three years (The Profession of Arms page 9)”. As we try to adapt, NCOs as professionals and leaders must get through to the Soldiers and tell them that what we do is not just a nine to five job but a calling. We also need to look deep in ourselves and see if our alignments have changed as well. Are we here just to finish out and get our retirement?

When I joined the Coast Guard 21 years ago, I would never have guessed I would be writing a memo based on my leadership philosophy. My first two years and ten days in the Coast Guard was the most miserable I have ever been. I was one of two females at a Small Boat Station in Rockland, Maine. My roommate and I were treated differently, to say the least. We were the only two mess cooks out of 20 non-rated personnel. Her and I would switch every other month for more than one year. It took us twice as long as the men to get communication room and boat crew qualified. We had to do colors only in the rain or snow. We were assigned Extra Military Instruction (EMI), like throwing heaving lines for hours on the pier, because we were “weaker” than men. Our BM3, who was the Master at Arms (MAA) would unlock our barracks room and try to climb in bed with us when he was drunk. We had to move furniture in front of the door to keep him out. My Chief Boatswains Mate put me in a Gumby suit and he dropped me off the side of the small boat, in to the water, in October, at night - to see if they could “find me” again. I was in the water for more than one hour. These things are important to know, because as an 18-year old girl from a small town, the actions, as well as lack of action of these men would shape almost every aspect of the leader and person I have become today.

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

Since birth, there is an exposition of the human being to different types of Leadership. From mother emanates a sort of gentle Leadership, where she is constantly protecting her offspring, and preventing it from danger. She is capable of precluding her offspring from getting harm or maybe having singular experiences just to make it feel safe. The mother will support her offspring on each decision they make, even the dumbest ones. From father, there is a somewhat more aggressive Leadership style, where he also protects his offspring however; he encourages it to try different adventures, even if they are dangerous, to make his offspring as experienced as possible. This way when the father sets the example, his offspring will know that whatever moment of its journey it fails, he will support it because it has tried. The father 's primary goal is to make whatsoever he can in order to his offspring reach higher levels of proficiency, effectiveness, and success. The father wants his offspring to do better than he did. There are also Leadership styles that emanates from the grandparents. This kind of Leadership is between the Leadership style of the mother, and the father. It is protective like the mother 's nevertheless it is as well comforter when it concerns to the father 's aggressive Leadership style. The scenario above illustrates that Leadership is constant in the human life.

In the fall of 2015 I was given orders to report to Baumholder, Germany. I had anticipated my first assignment eagerly ever since I signed up for the Army in March of that same year. Without any idea what to expect, I dove in blind. The early days of my assignment in Germany were lonely, confusing, and misguided. I know that I was extremely anxious to impress my peers and supervisors. I knew that if I showed I was the best, I would not have to worry about being seen as the child I was used to being seen as. All of the pressure from coming to a new unit had me on edge. I met Sergeant Phillips shortly after my arrival to Germany, and needless to say we did not ‘hit it off’. We had troubles in the beginning but I would not have integrated into this Army so well if it weren’t for the guidance and example of Sergeant Adam Phillips. Sergeant Phillips made a lasting impression on my life professionally and personally.

As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several

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.

As a Non Commissioned Officers we need to seek what is best for our soldiers. It is our duty to guide them through this Army process. How are we going to do this? By maintaining discipline, training soldiers and ensuring welfare.