I am weighting this 1000 word essay on the importance of timeliness, because on the morning of March 2 2014 I was informed during accountability formation that I am expected to report at the deployment warehouse at 0930. I was given this task by Sargent fist class Burns, and was told I would be needed to assist in the packing up of a tent that was destroyed last night. When one of the civilian contractors drove in to it and knocked it down when it was hit with a fork lift or some kind of vehicle, and at 0930 I had over slept and failed to report to the deployment warehouse at the specified time.by doing this I failed to show professionalism and a lack of personal responsibility. This essay will cover my mistake and the lack of timeliness in the military and the importance of it as I perceive it. Timeliness in the army is important any can be measured in 3 ways. One it helps keep accountability of soldiers, two allows “time” for completion on any task that is given to a solider or unit, and three timeliness shows professionalism in a solder or unit to arrive on time. This short essay will cover these three points in more detail. The first point is “timeliness helps keep accountability of solders.” This is shown as when you have large group of solders that need to be at a specific location for a mission, it is important that they get there on time due to efficient organization and protocol. If all of the soldiers arrive or don’t arrive in a timely manner the NCO or who ever is taking charge of the mission is responsible and therefor is blamed for the rude lateness of the soldiers. Soldiers have to be o time to receive necessary orders. If soldiers are late there is a high chance they will not receive the important orders and duties...
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...eep accountability of a soldier or a unit giving the First Sargent or Commander the opportunity to inform the NCOs or soldiers what the task is that needs to be completed for the day to be put out. Arriving at the specified location in a timely manner allows for the directed task to be completed or if a change has occurred to that mission the NCOs can inform the soldiers that are assigned to the duty can proceed with the task accordingly so the mission can be completed. When a soldier arrives to any location specified to him or her it is perceived that that soldier is provisional and ready for the task at hand.to be a efficient soldier it is extremely important to be efficient and timely not just for personal responsibility but to show courtesy and respect to the NCOs and determination to complete the duty assigned to the soldier who is entrusted with that mission.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
The book Black Hearts by Jim Frederick is an in-depth narrative about the 1st platoon, Bravo Company 1-502nd Infantry 101st Airborne Division deployed to Iraq in 2005. The leadership failures documented in this book range all the way from the general officer level down to the lowest private. LT general Ricardo Sanchez failed to understand the climate his command group was entering as they were deployed into Iraq. From then on the entire leadership failures continued to compound upon each other with improper time to plan. It is customary to have a six month lead time to have a proper battle hand off when preparing to take over an AO from another unit. To compound this problem, the entire time the 502nd was in pre-deployment training, they were preparing for the rigors of urban combat. In reality, they were given six weeks to recon their new area of responsibility and were going to a countryside crafted by the heavens for guerilla warfare. As Colonel Ebel said in the book, “It is not going to be an easy road. They are not even sure of what they have in the area. It just feels bad. We can expect a real fight.”
Now for the Army, it becomes an obligation more than“willingness” while you have to be willing to do it as well. Those that are unable to be accountable are the ones that jeopardize the combat readiness of any unit. Basically it is the understanding that from the bottom up. Top down and laterally everyone is going to do and is willing to do the right thing even when no one else is looking. This is practiced at your home base where everyone is assigned tasks and details not only including your own job that you are expected to do and do right but hold others accountable as well as a system of “check yourself, then check your buddy.” Doing the job correctly and ensuring others do it as well and do it safely are all part of accountability in the military as one does not have to experience combat to understand that just being in the military is inherently dangerous given the types of equipment and weapons that are used to train and deploy with. As an example any live weapons range you go to part of the safety brief is “everyone here is a range safety” meaning anyone can call a cease fire if they observe dangerous behavior or a situation regardless of rank and it can be a Colonel or a brand new private, does not matter. As such in that event everyone becomes accountable not only for the operation of the range, the mission objective to have everyone qualify but do it in a safe
Mission command is the commander's use of authority and direction to empower adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations. It helps subordinates exercise disciplined initiative when operating within their commander’s intent. To facilitate effective mission command, commanders must accomplish four consecutive stages of the operations process. They must thoroughly understand the problem, visualize a solution that achieves a desired end state, and then accurately describe this visualization in order to direct the organization. Commanders continually lead and assess their organizations and provide input and influence to their subordinates and staff.
In order to receive a victory in the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton used Mission Command Analysis in order to understand how he can be successful for this mission. The first thing of understanding t...
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...
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
The American Revolution was a struggle for the American military from the beginning. The British Army was a better trained and equipped force. The Battles of Lexington and Concord following the battle of Bunker Hill were significant to the victory of the American forces over the British. The Battle of Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula north of Boston on June 17th 1775 was arguably one of the key events that set in motion American victory. The battle was a loss for America, but the audacity and strength the American militiamen showed in the face of adversity inspired later actions by other forces in America to fight against a far superior enemy. This paper will analyze the tenets of mission command as exercised by Colonel William Prescott, to include: understanding the battlefield, visualizing weaknesses, and directing reinforcements throughout his leading and assessment processes. COL Prescott also used his presence on the hill to motivate his men to hold their positions in the face of overwhelming odds.
This piece serves to describe acquired PL499 course concepts and their relevance to my project team and the West Point Leader Development System (WPLDS).... ... middle of paper ... ... Even though the external consequences of breaking trust (perhaps by not completing my interviews on time like I said I would) are not as severe as breaking trust in combat, establishing the pattern at West Point that it is acceptable to fall short on commitments when they are “not important” is a terrible habit.
As a Non-commissioned Officer you can expect me to be a professional leader dedicated to taking care of soldiers, the mission, and the army way of life. You can expect me to use Army Regulations, Technical Manuals, and direct orders from my superiors as my guidance on what actions to take in each situation faced whether tactical or technical. I will not be afraid to make sound and timely decisions in the absence of my leadership’s orders. When left in charge I will take charge.
...es too much room for error. Giving yourself enough time prior to your appointed formation also deters you from making up an excuse for being late. A squad cannot function to its full potential if a soldier is late. It reflects onto your superiors and your unit presentation as a whole. Another reason why showing up at least thirty minutes prior is beneficial, is for you to be in a relaxed state of mind. You do not want to be waking up stressed because you were in a rush, it never reflects well on you and yet again, leaves too much space for error. Lastly, arriving thirty minutes prior is for you to make sure you are well equipped to be prepared for the day. Always arrive early so you will have moments to relax, plan your agenda, connect with peers, get informed and organized for daily tasks.
Since the Army puts everything down on paper, from how to perform maintenance on an M4 weapon (“Rifle…”, 2003, para. 1.4) to how to write a letter to your commander (“Preparing…”, 2001, p. 30), a good NCO must know and follow the rules and instructions that apply to him or her on a regular basis. For example, a good NCO must be able to correct a soldier’s uniform to the exact standard. In order to order a soldier to tuck in his or he...
...d me with our staff and Soldiers we have been given the opportunity to lead. The time and effort spent will be well worth it. Possessing a shared understanding of the operational environment will aid in our planning process when conducting operations throughout our theater of operation. In every operation we execute we know that we will accept prudent risks, identification and mitigation of those risks will determine our ability to accomplish our mission. 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. My involvement in all aspects of mission command is critical to the success of our organization.
As I strive on to be a better soldier and take the initiative to be a leader in today’s Army, I look a little closer at each of these values. There is always something to work on personally and objectively. To me, being late to PT wasn’t that big of a deal, but if I look at the whole picture it is. If I look deeper as to what m actions are saying, I realize just how important appearance really is. If I am perceived to be a bad soldier that that is the way I will be treated. I will continue to strive to do the right thing and follow the advice of my leaders.
The lack of Soldier discipline, is a direct reflection of the Soldier’s leadership. The first line