Admiral Marc Andrew Mitscher, or “Pete”, was never interested in the Navy at a young age. It always seemed as though he would choose to do some type of outdoor work. However, after his father got him an appointment to the United States Naval Academy against all odds, he started on the path to become an officer. Being a Naval Academy graduate, he put his training to good use as he rose through the ranks of the US Navy. ADMIRAL MITSCHER’S INNOVATIONS ON THE USS LANGLEY HELPED TO FULLY INCORPORTAE AVIATION INTO THE NAVY AND ARE IN USE ON MODERN CARRIERS. AS A LEADER, HIS DECISIVENESS THROUGHOUT HIS COMMAND IN WORLD WAR II AND AFTERWARDS PROVED HIM TO BE ONE OF THE NAVY’S BEST OFFICERS. Born in a small Wisconsin town, Marc Mitscher never seemed …show more content…
to be cut out for a career in any leadership position. He was the son of a high-strung businessman, Oscar Mitscher, who became the mayor of Oklahoma City and served for four years. However, none of those attributes seemed to fall to Marc, who showed little interest in politics. From a young age, he always seemed to be respectful and obedient; however, he rarely demonstrated his emotions. In 1902, his father abruptly voiced that he had always wanted a son to enter the United States Naval Academy. After some string pulling, Marc had received an appointment to the Academy. However, he was forced to resign in 1906 after a hazing incident and also his poor academic performance. His father scrambled to get him a reappointment, and managed to succeed, given that Mitscher would be part of the class of 1910. He continued to perform poorly academically, graduating 113 out of 131, and demonstrated next to no leadership abilities. After graduating in 1910, he began his journey of becoming a pilot. He was transferred to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, where he commenced his flight training. Soon after he was winged in 1916, he began his long career of commanding various aviation departments. He was assigned to the USS Langley, our first aircraft carrier, in 1926. Along with other aviation pioneers, he developed many techniques that pilots then used to train. He also helped design the launching and landing systems that are the base for systems aboard current carriers. After becoming a Captain in 1938, he became the commander of the carrier USS Hornet, which served as the base for the aircraft that bombed Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The Hornet also fought hard during the Battle of Midway, helping to sink 4 Japanese carriers. One of Mitscher’s most notable feats of leadership came after he took command of the Fast Carrier Task Force of the Central Pacific in 1944. On June 20, 1944, Mitscher launched everything he had in hopes they could do some damage to the Japanese fleet that was nearby. However, the enemy fleet was further away than originally thought and the planes only sunk one carrier. With it being the middle of the night, and Japanese submarines in the vicinity, all Navy ships were completely dark to avoid detection. Mitscher made the impossible decision to turn on all of his lights so that the remaining pilots could safely land on the USS Lexington’s deck. They still lost over 100 planes in the attack, but they managed to rescue all but 16 pilots and 22 crewman. Mitscher continued to command the Task Force and launched many more attacks pivotal to American interests in WWII. In March 1946, he was promoted to the rank of four star admiral and assumed command of the Eighth Fleet in Norfolk, VA. After less than a year in this command, he was moved to command the Atlantic Fleet. In February of 1947, Mitscher died of a heart attack. The legacy he left behind, however, would not soon be forgotten as he became known as one of the Navy’s greatest leaders. Mitscher was never known for a dominant leadership skillset through most of his younger years; however, he quickly developed his excellent reactions and decisions that came to make him so successful.
Early on in life, especially during his time at the Academy, Mitscher had a lackluster approach towards school, leadership, and overall performance. This abruptly changed once he started to receive real-world training. For example, early on in his career, he began to help test new flight innovations aboard the Langley. He also was a part of an attempt to cross the Atlantic in a flying boat, which resulted in a Navy Cross for Mitscher and the other pilots. Being Naval Aviator Number 33, he helped to start integrate aviators more into the Navy. His actions clearly prove boldness, bravery, and willingness to put the mission first, all of which are key aspects of a great officer in the Navy. Perhaps his most famous examples of exceptional leadership, though, were his decisions to turn on the lights so his pilots could see to land after attacks, both in the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In both cases, the safety of hundreds of pilots and aircraft returning safely far outweighed the threat of Japanese submarines in his mind, so he made the tough choice that proved overly successful. Even though his ship, the USS Hornet, was a key part of the victory at Midway, he thought he could have performed far better. However, he tended to be forgiving of his subordinates, even though he was harsh on himself. This is further proof that he shed his past of mediocrity and became a significant naval commander. Admiral Arlegih Burke was quoted as saying, “Yet so great was his concern for his people−for their training and welfare in peacetime and their rescue in combat−that he was able to obtain their final ounce of effort and loyalty…” Mitscher’s record speaks for itself on the subject of leadership and serves as remarkable evidence that a person’s early
performance will not always predict their future as an officer. To conclude, Mitscher was one of the US Navy’s greatest commanders. He proved himself over and over, always acting selflessly and heroically. He may have performed abysmally during his teens and adolescent; however, one would struggle to find many instances of his failures after he was commissioned and winged. Becoming a pilot early on in the Navy’s aviation program, Mitscher helped to test and design mechanisms, tactics, and doctrines essential to the program. Later in his career, his judgment saved hundreds of lives. Mitscher embodies the true spirit of a US Navy officer, and those who wish to be great should strive to be like him.
Introduction. Common Attributes of military leaders are just that, common. The accomplished Generals, Colonels and Majors that contributed to the most successful wars of our country have been molded a certain way. They are molded through vigorous training both in scholastic training and in the field along with rigorous mentorship. Colonel Lewis McBride was a rare exception to the rule. As a renowned Chemical museum curator so distinctively puts it, he was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting and industrious officers in the history of the US Army Chemical Corps.
...e leadership characteristic that popped out at me was how Cap. John Goodwin was his resilience to overcome all the horrific parts of this deployment and still stayed with it and worked his hardest with no breaks until he was forced to go on that leave to rest and then as soon as he heard something bad had happened, he stopped everything he was doing and got back to his men as quickly as he could it showed how much he cared, he also listened to his men and what they needed and tried helping them all the time. One thing he did not do a good job of was letting Kunk get to him and knock his confidence down and taking care of his own health so he could be awake and alert as company commander each and every day. His soldiers mentioned how weak, and tired and malnourished he looked from being next to the radio 24/7 which should never happen when you are calling the shots.
... patrols and his men had very little trust in him because he would not do anything that he was asking them to do. He was however a good leader in that he did not give up on his men like SFC Gallagher did. He had a plan going into the situation and did not let his inexperience detour him. He knew the platoon he was going to was a problem platoon and he accepted the challenge and attacked it head on. He held the men to a higher standard than they had been in the past and tried to pick them up and dust them off. He aided 1LT Norton in reviving 1st platoon and building their morale back up, they were just getting back on their feet when the incident at JSB happened where two soldiers went missing and then the rape and murder was investigated effectively ending 1st platoons deployment, but nonetheless SFC Fenlason was there through it all and stuck with his platoon.
...ccess of the P-51. From the early days of the A model all the way to the newly designated F-51D, the Mustang fought through swaths of enemies to allow victory for the Allies and the United States. The P-51 is a recognizable machine that embodies the entire war effort of the time and continues to inspire aviation enthusiasts. Today there are many people and companies that are dedicated to preserving and protecting these pieces of our nations history by reconditioning and donating to capable museums and collectors. Through the work of these individuals the P-51 Mustang will forever be a symbol of air power during the world toughest times.
Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949.” Oct. 2012. Vol. 65 Issue 4, pg. 316-319. 4p. Ebsco Host. Tucker, Phillip Thomas, 1953. Web.2014.
The U.S. Navy nurtured into a challenging power in the years previous to World War II, with battleship construction being revived in 1937, commencing with the USS North Carolina . It was able to add to its fleets throughout the early years of the war when the US was still not involved, growing production of vessels both large and small. In a conflict that had a number of amphibious landings, naval superiority was important in both Europe and the Pacific. The mutual resource...
Abrashoff begins the book by informing the reader of how his story begins; when he is given command of the USS Benfold. The Benfold was the Navy’s most advanced guided missile destroyer the Navy had in 1997 and its command was to be one of the Navy’s top innovators. Unfortunately, Abrashoff points out some flaws with the Navy’s personnel management that I found to be shocking. First, was that “nearly 35 percent of the people who joined the military annually, wouldn’t complete their enlistment contracts.” (p.2) Such turnover can be understood by many business managers in the service industry, but unlike the quick and cheap training process for them, the cost for the military (taxpayers) is astounding. Abrashoff estimates that it cost roughly “$35,000 to recruit a trainee and tens of thousands more in additional training costs to get new personnel to the basic level of proficiency.” (p.2) Curbing this trend on his own ship and eventually helping to achieve a decrease overall in the mil...
In the thirty-eight years of the United States Naval Submarine Service no United States submarine had ever sunk an enemy vessel. With the ignition of the Second World War the poorly equipped and poorly trained Silent Service, nicknamed for the limited access of the media to the actions and achievements of the submarines, would be thrust into the position American submariners had longed for. The attack on Pearl Harbor left the United States Navy with few options for retribution. The three remaining aircraft carriers were to be “the last line of defense.” Commander Stuart S. Murray made the precarious situation clear to his skippers, captains, upon sending them on their first war patrol. He stressed the importance of smart sailing by warning them not “to go out there and win the Congressional Medal of Honor in one day. The submarines are all we have left.” We entered the war with 55 submarines, 27 at Pearl Harbor and 28 at Cavite in the Philippines. At first our submarine strategies lacked ingenuity and failed to use our subs to their full potential. United States subs were assigned to reconnaissance, transporting supplies, and lifeguard duty, picking up downed airmen and sailors. They were even, on occasion, sent to rescue high profile Americans on the run from the enemy or from islands under enemy siege. Although their ability was, unfortunately, wasted in our entrance to the Pacific Theater the Silent Service would soon gain the recognition its men yearned for.
The name General Carl ‘Tooey’ Andrew Spaatz has become synonymous with the phrase air power and strategist. Air power has come along way since Wilbur and Orville launched the first airplane in 1902 in the city of Kitty Hawk. Famous engineers have taken the Wright-Brothers design and made great improvements to them while slowly integrating these new powerful means of transportation, weaponry and communication aids into the military. Since the onset of World War I there has been a debate on how to most effectively use these new airplanes in the Army’s collection. Most individuals believed that airplanes should be under control of the Army theater commander, while very few felt that these airplanes should be a separate entity from the Army. One of these few people who believed that the Air Force should be separate is General Spaatz. General Spaatz possessed perseverance, leadership attributes and military knowledge; all factors leading him becoming a substantial proponent of a separate Air Force. Spaatz legacy continues to live on; his leadership skills continue to influence people today as General Spaatz is still able to impact air power in the 21st century.
The history of Lieutenant General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller is not well known outside of the U.S. Marine Corps, but as the most decorated marine in history his legend will live on and continue to inspire the marines of tomorrow. The enlisted corps has idolized him, frequently encouraging one another to do that last push up when motivated by fellow marines saying “Do one for Chesty!” The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Chesty, using current day leadership theories, was a visionary and ethical leader who exemplified the characteristics that our nation’s military needed during World War II and still needs today. I will explain how he embodied some principles of Full Range Leadership Development that are taught today. Then I will describe how he demonstrated his ethical leadership through combat actions when faced with general military ethics situations. Finally, I will examine how my own leadership abilities, though noncombat focused, compare to how Chesty led his marines. Let’s begin by exploring the visionary leadership that Lt Gen Puller exhibited.
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
Captain Aubrey exhibits and demonstrates leadership characteristics that inspire his crew to be the best that they can be. One of the most important leadership traits that Captain Jack has is a single-minded focus on his purpose. All of his decisions are held up against the g...
What makes a leader? The Army defines leadership as providing purpose, direction, and motivation while accomplishing the mission and improving the organization. I believe the Army created the definition, competencies, and attributes based on leaders of the past. MAJ Richard D. Winters, I believe, is one of those leaders. MAJ Winters is known for his command of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during WWII.
Donald Trump is known for his eccentricity and unconventional businesses practices. He exhibits an unconventional leadership style. Donald Trump started early to develop his personal brand, this is exhibited by every piece of real estate Mr. Trump owns. Every casino, building or golf course has his name on it. He is eccentric, powerful, but yet he makes very smart business decisions. He is also a risk taker. All these business skills have made him a very well recognized business leader, and one of the nations most known billionaires. Donald Trump has appeared in many magazines, has written a couple of books, and even gotten his own show on NBC called “The Apprentice”. But what makes Donald Trump successful in almost every endeavor he takes on? Was he born a leader? or did he just become a great leader. There are certain characteristics common in all leaders. Some of those are values, skills and cognitive abilities. Mr. Trump exhibits all of these traits. If this is what has made him as successful as he is, why are certain leaders not able to achieve his type of success? Perhaps he has something extra that has propelled him above everybody else. Everything that he touches seems to turn to gold. Donald Trump’s leadership styles have made him rich, powerful, famous and known through out the world. This paper will examine some of those leadership styles.
For everyone in the business world, Mark Zuckerberg is not a very oblivious name to them. He is a young successful businessman and that is undeniable. However, Mark is also a very successful leader in his own company as well as to the world. His impact from creating Facebook is more than just impressive. Mark created the social media website where people get connected virtually and lead the company incredibly successful. Mark’s leadership style can be seen with inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and idealized influence. With all those components above, Mark Zuckerberg is a great example of transformational leadership.