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Legacy Leader Richard D. Winters
Daniel Jimenez
SLC Class 16-003
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.
Richard D. “Dick” Winters enlisted in the United States Army on 25 August 1941. He attended basic training at Camp Croft, SC. He was selected to attend the Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as
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a 2LT on 2 July 1942. Upon graduation he volunteered for the paratroopers where he was assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. During Easy Company’s training program in Aldbourne it became apparent to him that the current company commander, CPT Sobel, did not have the ability to lead in battle. Winters, then a 1LT, outshined CPT Sobel in the training exercises by displaying competence and ability to lead Soldiers in battle. Because of his capabilities to lead others and lead by example, he built trust with his NCOs and Soldiers in his platoon. On 6 June 1944, Winters parachuted into Normandy to begin the invasion. With the fate of his company commander unknown he was able to orient himself, assemble paratroopers around him, and proceed to the unit’s rally point near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. He displayed mental agility and sound judgment by creating a solution to the problem by assuming command and leading Soldiers. Upon linking up with his parent unit in Le Grand Chemin, he was given the task of destroying a German artillery battery that were disrupting landing forces of the 4th Infantry Division. The Brecourt Manor Assault, as it is known, became an example of small-unit tactics in overcoming a larger force. Winters took this assignment with minimal instructions and executed his mission. In this task he displayed confidence, innovation, sound judgment, and metal agility by conducting reconnaissance and destroying 4 artillery guns with a 12-man team. As the company commander of Easy Company, MAJ Winters was revered by his men.
Winters would always lead by example. Winters said “if you’re a leader you lead the way. Not just the easy ones, but the tough ones too.” Winters made it a point to be with his men at all times. It did not matter if the mission was easy or hard, he would always lead from the front. His men were quoted as saying “He always made the right decisions along the way, he was a real Soldier.” “Some of the officers, I don’t think I would follow into water.” “He never thought of not being first or sending somebody in his place.” This speaks on his self-preparedness, warrior ethos, innovation, sound judgment, and his ability to get results.
MAJ Richard D. Winters attributes and competencies affected the Army as a whole by providing examples of what a leader should be. He passed his knowledge about leadership to cadets at the Military Academy at West Point by speaking upon his experience while in command of Easy Company. His actions at the Brecourt Manor Assault was also taught at West Point as an example of how to effectively assault a fixed position with an inferior force. Though Winters did not intend to become one of the famous warriors of WWII, he became one through his actions during the
war. Although I have not been to combat, I try to emulate MAJ Winters. Just how MAJ Winters built his trust by leading by example, I try to do the same. Soldiers need NCOs who are willing to lead from the front and be there. I believe that it starts every morning at PT. If my Soldiers see that I am there leading and participating in PT, they will know that I will be there for anything else. By leading by example I hope to earn the respect and loyalty from my Soldiers. I hope to leave a legacy just like MAJ Winters in regards to the respect he had from his Soldiers. I would like to leave the Army knowing that I did right by my Soldiers. If a Soldier can say that I was always there, I did my job as a leader. For my number one priority as a leader is my Soldiers. MAJ Richard D. Winters is a leader we should all aspire to be. His accomplishment in the Brecourt Manor Assault are to this day being taught at West Point. His attributes and competencies as a leader were instrumental in the successes of Easy Company during WWII. Not only did he improve the organization and accomplish missions, but more importantly gained the respect and loyalty from his Soldiers. For without the loyalty, nothing would have been accomplished.
Things quickly turned around in 1950, once Brigadier General Theodore R. Wessels became leader. He was also respon...
The award-winning novel by Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, discusses one of the greatest examples of mission command in the form of 1st Lieutenant Richard Winters and his role in the Brecourt Manor Assault. This battle is a textbook example of how to fight against a superior enemy force that outnumbered the unit by four times as much. Facing overwhelming odds with just 16 paratroopers against over 60 German Soldiers, 1LT Winters nevertheless prevails and succeeds in achieving his objective while minimizing casualties to just three Soldiers lost. Looking back further into the American Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill on the American side is one of the earliest examples of Mission Command under the command of COL William Prescott.
Sanderson, Jefferey. "GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.” Last modified may 22, 1997. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a331356.pdf&ei=tYbHUtv3HcGs2gX2u4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFU5EzdWjKlt81w8gh_Bj2UEttaZw&sig2=aAz3jIZg7U6peDzL_i8w9w.
To begin with, LT Winters and his company found vital intelligence that pinpointed the exact locations of other batteries and machine gun positions in the area. This not only would save countless lives but also allowed higher to plan ambushes on those positions too, giving tactical advantage to the Allied forces. Additionally, because of the victory by LT Winters and his men, Allied forces at Utah beach were able to successfully land ashore, therefore facilitating a significant Allied advancement in the War. Overall however, this assault laid the foundation for small unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy that is to this day still taught at West Point and ROTC units across the
The difference in leadership styles was that Sobel had chosen a forceful and negative approach. He drove his men harder than any other leader and inflicted punishments whenever he felt the need to. Although he had brutally driven his men so hard, he was incapable of doing most of what was expected of his soldiers who constantly mocked and bet over who would get to shoot him once in combat. Dike had been the exact opposite. Dike had avoided his men, refused to make decisions, and would constantly disappear when he was needed most. Unlike the previous two, Winters had been one of the best leaders WWII could have had. He helped his men perform at the highest level
Their trainer was Captain Sobel who they disliked but was later replaced with Lieutenant Winters. Two of the many things these soldiers learned were brotherhood and leadership.
Black Hearts is a great example of the reality on how severe bad leadership skills can ripple throughout a unit and impact its overall mission. This book serves as a guide for future leaders of America and will set the examples of what not to do in leadership positions. The lessons we can take from these soldiers can help us as potential leaders to become more competent and effective. The fact that this book focused on the hardships, poor decisions and sound judgment of the soldiers it helped emphasize on what was not the best choice of action and leaves a moment for you as the audience to think how you would of done it better. So right or wrong there was a lesson to be learned and the book did a good job including the reader. This book puts you in the shoes of a small group of soldiers from the 502nd Infantry Regiment and gives you an up close and personal take on the experience of the soldiers, from the bottom of the the ranks all the way up to the commander. 502nd Bravo Company 1st platoon deployed in the fall of 2005 into one of the most dangerous battle zones in Iraq known as the “Triangle of Death”. Thrown into the heartland of a growing insurgency, with undefined goals and a shortage of manpower, Bravo Company began piling up casualties at an alarming rate. They suffered many losses, as well as mental anguish. Because of the long and tragic deployment, a collapse in leadership began to unfold causing one of the most tragic, brutal, and infamous deployments in U.S Army history. There were many reasons that caused the deconstruction of leadership, and eventually, the actions of the soldiers accompanied by the lack of control, lead to the rape and murder of an innocent Iraqi girl and her family. This is a story about character...
Introduction According to the Oxford Dictionary, a leader is defined as “the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2013). Though there is a definition for what a leader is, people still have different ideas about what a leader should be and how he or she should act. There has never been a concrete idea of what a leader is; the only thing we know is that this person is the one in charge of the unit. We look at characteristics of those people we see as leaders and use those attributes to compare other people to see if they are able to be as good as, or even better than, those aforementioned leaders. We have to keep in mind that in different situations, leaders must do different tasks which indicates the need for different qualities.
George Patton was enrolled in Virginia Military Institute in 1904 “George Patton biography.” A year later, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point New York, graduating on June 11th, 1909 “George Patton biography”. Patton married Beatrice Ayer, whom he dated while he was at West Point on May 26th, 1910...
Dwight David Eisenhower (1955), the 34th President of the United States, gave an explicit definition of leadership, “The job of getting people really wanting to do something is the essence of leadership….” The Army, like any other civilian organization, defines different levels of leadership depending on a size of a unit a leader is in command of. Tactical and organizational leaderships are two first interconnected levels of leadership in the Army. Both levels of leadership have many commonalities regarding duties and responsibilities; yet they are very different in the way the leaders develop themselves, train, and take care of their soldiers.
... understood and emulated the tenets of mission command throughout the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was able to understand his orders and ensure that the orders he disseminated were concise and easily understood. He visualized where his weaknesses were on the hill and described to his engineers how to overcome their lack of soldiers and build a defensive position that could repel British forces. Throughout the entire battle COL Prescott would run the ramparts making assessments and adjustments to his lines and shouting orders to his soldiers. Facing an enemy he knew he could not defeat in a full fight COL Prescott accepted a high level of risk and moved to destroy as many British soldiers as he could before abandoning his post. While considered a loss by American forces, COL Prescott’s use of mission command attributes to later victories in the American Revolution.
All soldiers, especially leaders, are highly recommended to keep a certain set of values that radiate throughout the entire U.S. Army. They are challenged to keep them near and dear to their hearts and to define and live them every day. A leader is one who takes these challenges serious and abides by
Standing in a crowd of hundreds, anxious about what is to come—combat; waiting for a man whose reputation greatly precedes him…the man who will lead you into battle—into a nightmare. As he took the microphone and declared, “you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.” These words are those of General George Patton…and he has your attention. Inspirational and blunt are just a couple of the many terms used to describe General Patton. General Patton was also a visionary in employment of combat forces; in fact, he was an expert on the subject. The manner in which he led his troops was in itself visionary. Despite his military prowess and formidable leadership, General Patton was humble in leadership and intellect. These three attributes will demonstrate that he was above all, a visionary and ethical leader.
The Webster Dictionary defines leadership as an office or position, the capacity to lead, the act or an instance of leading (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Leader is defined as; a person who directs a military force or unit, a person who has commanding authority or influence (Merriam-Webster, 2011). The Army defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization. (Department of the Army, 2006 pg 1-2)
What is leadership? Leadership is defined as a process by which a individual will influence others to obtain goals. Leaders will guide, direct motivate, or inspire others. Leadership is defined by not only traits but actions as well. Leaders are inspirational, trustworthy and charismatic. Many people may think a manger is leader. Although leadership and management go hand in hand, they are not the same. Everyone has their own beliefs about what characteristics an effective leader should have. To me, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and having a vision are few characteristics of becoming an effective leader. A leader is not only born, but made. Some are born as leaders or some are made to be leaders.