This paper is meant to shed light on how the United State Air Force’s core values are not only morally grounded but also Biblically based. In an increasing secular world, it is important to understand that in order to mandate moral normality, there must first be universal moral absolutes. While there are several functions within the Air Force, the Special Forces personnel face more strain than the norm. The core values and mantras known by these individuals serve as a foundation for nearly every aspect of their lives, and as such morality and general spiritual wellness are an integral facet of their physically, mentally, and spiritually taxing lifestyle. Keywords: core values, moral absolutes, mantra
Introduction Although secular in nature,
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Given the size, reach, and overall structure of this multi-tiered and multi-functional organization it is only through a strict chain of command that the mission can be achieved. From its inception, the military made sure that in order to unify their substantial workforce, leadership must establish a clear vision that would unify the troops and guide them to a singular resolve. The flaw here is that with such a vertical leadership approach, with the upper level leaders having nearly unquestionable authority and the lowest level being purely follower minded, that leadership can very easily go astray with their unrivaled power. This is why the code of conduct is so vitally important (Roche, 2004). Not only does it unify all members to a single ideal, it forces leadership to act in a way that demonstrates the values that they demand their entire organization hold themselves …show more content…
Their level of job satisfaction does not come from accolades or fame, but from the extreme bond with their team members as well as the sense of accomplishment in successfully completing missions for which they have trained. This intrinsic motivation has its limits, and as the deployments accumulate, so does fatigue and burnout. This form of job dis-satisfaction is an interesting paradox when dealing with individuals who have spent years training and excelling to realize their dreams and are incredibly passionate about their responsibility. The only makes members feel guilty for letting negative thoughts impact their work performance, which can seep its way into the team like venom with dangerous and deadly results within a Special Forces unit (Collopy, 2012). This is why Special Forces leadership has recognized the need to shift their ideals from “Mission First, People Always” to “People First, Mission Always”. From an external perspective this shift may seem subtle, however to those affected this new emphasis on personnel is profound. Operator’s head down range feeling reassured that their leadership understands that for missions to be successfully, those completing the missions are their first
As the incoming brigade commander, LTC (P) Owens, I see the critical leadership problem facing the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is the inability or unwillingness of Colonel Cutler to lead and manage change effectively. In initial talks with Col Cutler and in reviewing the brigade’s historical unit status reports, the 4th ABCT performed as well as can be expected in Afghanistan, but as the onion was peeled back there are numerous organizational issues that were brought to the surface while I walked around and listened to the soldiers of the 4th ABCT, in addition to reviewing the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) report. One of the most formidable tasks of a leader is to improve the organization while simultaneously accomplishing
In 2005 the Air Force was devastated by allegations of religious harassment and discrimination at the Air Force Academy. Seven years later, Air Force leaders are still struggling to find an appropriate balance that will continue to allow airmen their religious freedom while honoring their commitment to duty. The debate over religion and duty came to the forefront again in February when Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins gave a presentation titled “Ronnie’s Rules” at his first commander’s call. In it included two references to God. The first was when he stated, “Always put God first and stay within his will,” and the second, “Always remember God is good,” concluded his brief. Some members of Lt. Gen. Hawkins staff were offended by his brief and reported him to a military watchdog group known as the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Airmen throughout the service have mixed reactions towards “Ronnie’s Rules.” Some have said that he should be allowed to talk about his personal beliefs, while others viewed this as undue pressure on subordinates to follow his faith. It is these types of views that are dividing the Air Force.
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...
Loyalty, Duty, Service, Honor, Integrity, Courage, Commitment. The seven Army values, the three Navy core values, and the three Air Force core values: each branch of service possesses a codification of values and characteristics embodied by servicemen and women for generations; simply picking a handful of these qualities presents a logical and justifiable option for defining the essential qualities of a military officer. It is true an officer must personify and uphold such values, however, interpersonal skills and self-confidence are also invaluable traits necessary for the highest level of leadership and excellence demanded of a military officer.
The United States Army, in its current state, is a profession of arms. In order to be considered a profession, the organization must have an ethical code rooted in values, strong trust with its clients, and be comprised of experts within the trade. These experts are constantly developing the trade for the present and the future and hold the same shared view of their trade culture. The Army currently has an ethical code embodied in the Army Values, which provides guidance to the individual and the organization. These values are universal across the Army, regardless of an individual’s personal background or religious morals.
The topic of leadership has been explored and written about by thousands of authors who are considerably more qualified than I am to write about the subject. However, I’ve always maintained that developing, evolving and articulating one’s own leadership philosophy is an essential part of a professional’s growth. Through academics and experience, I’ve concluded that leadership is a “soft” skill, more art than science, and that leadership principles can be universally applied. As a topic of discussion, leadership can be ambiguous and seldom does everyone agree on a single definition. Organizations and the people they consist of crave leadership, even if not overtly. Undeniably, strong leadership is essential to achieving
Being in the military I have came across a number of different leadership/management styles and tried to adopt some of those that I thought were effective. The values that we hold in the military are expected to be at a higher standard then our civilian counterpart. This is something that I do not take for granted and try to live by our core values. The core values in the Air Force are what guide our organization and something that I have tried to represent my whole Air Force career. “In May 1995, then-Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall, and then-Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Ronald Fogleman, established the Air Force Core Values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.” If you as a manager can abide by these values while supervising your people, no matter how many that would be, then morally you can feel like you did your best as a manager.
Earlier in March 2014 the senior leadership of the Air Force, to include the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff, and the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, made a statement to all airmen. They stated that “being an Airman is more than a job, when we voluntarily raised our right hands and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, we became members of the profession of arms”, they also said that along with our profession of arms we are given and accept a sacred trust given to us by the American people, that to be worthy of this trust we must “build our lives and shape our service on the foundation of our core values”, and that when Airmen fail to live up to our core values, the reputation of all who serve is tarnished” (letter to airman, Mar 2014). Recently, I was tasked to deliver a briefing for the J3 monthly training day. This tasking was a result of my negligence in updating a certain system that is vital to the J3 watch floor. My briefing, although filled with correct information and guidance, was also slaked with profanity and unprofessional gestures. Regardless of any circumstances that may have been the cause for these actions, the actions needed correction. Correction was given, which was responded to by more profanity and provoking actions. After I showed such disrespect to my non-commissioned officer in charge, he escorted me to my supervisor and my actions were made known to him. During this time I was still acting very contentious and disrespectful, making snide comments and standing with such contempt as if to say “are you done now”. This of course escalated into more serious action by my leadership which very well could have been avoided had I done my duty correctly in the first place. The...
Leadership is contagious throughout the world and most importantly in the Army. It is not just my view, but of all leaders, at all levels, that organizations are responsible for setting conditions that lead to long-term organizational success. As I reflect on my experiences, through experience and observation, I realize how my values, beliefs, and perspectives about leadership continuously evolve over time. Recognizing these changes over time helps me better understand that people in organizations have different perspectives in life. This leadership narrative serve as important guiding principles for how I will lead at the organizational level and represents my thought, values and beliefs.
Sir, I am honored by the privilege to once again serve in 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). Over of the last 30 days, I had an opportunity to reconnect, and reflect on the current state of the Brigade. The 4th ABCT has a rich history of success and glory. It is my goal to put in place the systems and practices for this great organization to exceed all past and present accomplishments. As a result of my assessment, I identified three areas of focus that will improve our organization: a unit vision, a change in organizational culture and climate, and building organizational teams. I have no doubt that with the implementation of these three areas of focus, I will be the transformational leader that 4th ABCT needs as we prepare for the upcoming National Training Center (NTC) rotation and tackle the task of the Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) mission.
We can identify three major cultural dimensions that help us to understand what leaders must focus on as they guide the transition of the Army. First, professional Identity, which is guided by Soldiers at all levels who are striving for excellence in their functional specialty, i.e., HR Sergeants. Soldiers who have goals and ideals of the Army to ethically put service and duty first. HR Sergeants are trained and well educated in their field. They are taught to put Soldiers first and have great customer support skills. Second, community, the sense in which Soldiers stop thinking about “I” and start thinking “we”. The bond among units who not only believe in cohesion with Soldiers, but their families too. The HR Sergeants are there to take care of Soldiers when financial issues arise with them or their families and don’t back down until the situation is solved. Last, hierarchy, which leads to order and control and provides Soldiers with moral reference and a sense of direction. The HR Sergeant has the mentality of mission first, knowing who to contact at the next level for assistance helps get the mission
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed writing by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend a NCO’s school. For most of us this is what our creed has become because we learn to narrate or recite. The military from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard has an overabundance of NCOs who fall under their pay grade of E-5, E-6 and etc. Yet somehow there still not enough leaders. I believe that the largest problem afflicting the military today is our lack of competent leaders, ineffective leader development, and how we influence our subordinates under us who are becoming leaders.
Regardless of the career you choose in your life, whether it be an accountant or a Soldier in the United States Army, someone, somewhere most likely had an influence to bring you to that decision. The Army defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (JP, p. 1). Now imagine you are a young Private, in one of the most dangerous places in Iraq and you have constant leadership changes, and not much support from your direct leadership. I am sure at this point you can imagine, it is not the best scenario to be in. Throughout the duration of this essay you will read about Sergeant First Class Rob Gallagher and Sergeant First Class Jeff Fenlason, their leadership abilities, and the techniques they attempted to use to resolve the issues in this Platoon that was in a downward spiral after losing many leaders to the hell of war.
The most effective commanders through their leadership build cohesive teams. Mutual trust, shared understanding, and accepting prudent risk serve as just a few principles for mission command. Mutual trust is the foundation of any successful professional relationship that a commander shares with his staff and subordinates. The shared understanding of an operational environment functions, as the basis for the commander to effectively accomplish the mission. While my advice for the commander on what prudent risks to take may create more opportunities rather than accepting defeat. Incorporating the principles of mission command by building cohesive teams through mutual trust, fostering an environment of shared understanding, and accepting prudent risk will make me an effective adviser to the commander, aid the staff during the operations process, and provide an example for Soldiers to emulate.
As stewards of the Army Profession, they are the epitome of what Soldiers aim to be. Through professional and personal experiences, Sergeants Major (SGM) acquires necessary skills and tools to effectively deal with adversity. It is for this reason that in the midst of challenges, chaos, and difficult situations Sergeants Major are the beacon of light, the common sense in the equation, the “Go To” person for guidance and hope, or the solution for all issues. Applying positive psychology, Sergeants Major are able to provide sound judgment and advice to commanders, staffs, and subordinates. Additionally, the application of positive psychology fosters camaraderie, builds a healthy work environment, and creates a positive culture within the organization. The purpose of this paper is to describe the concepts of positive psychology, positive leadership, and master resilience training (MRT) and how Sergeants Major promote these factors to enhance organizational