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Honourable Soldiers

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Were honourable soldiers (lions) led by incompetent leaders (donkeys)? One of the most greatly asked questions after the great war is whether or not were the commanding officers incompetent in leading honourable men to battle. A commonly held belief is that the officers were notoriously inept and well hated by their subordinates. However, the opposite can also be correct. The main objective of this essay is to prove the point that the officers were not inept and did their best considering their extraordinary circumstances they were placed in. The circumstances required a large amount of human discipline and a loss of human life was expected. The generals can be seen as competent as some displayed valour and courage even in the worst situations. The generals were given the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration to be awarded for valour, for “most conspicuous bravery displayed” (“Victoria Crosses”). This shows that the officers were not all inept as they were gallant and brave enough to receive the prestigious award. One award was earned after they’re landing on Gallipoli and after surviving through enemy fire they managed, despite overcoming odds to gain the cliffs of the …show more content…

Other generals and commanders were in essence, highly careless and lacked the proper understanding of the situations that they were likely to have been placed or made the wrong decisions. So, after seeing through the evidence, an answer can be provided to the question, “Were honourable soldiers, led by incompetent leaders? The answer is that there were both types of commanders, competent and incompetent. It would be unjust to label one or the other as the one and only answer as it would do injustice to the opposing group. Truly the blame of incompetence should not be put on all the generals but only those who are incompetent enough to deserve

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On July 30, 2008, a bloody battle involving Coalition forces took place in the mountainous eastern Afghan province of Nuristan. This was the Battle of Wanat and the devastating amount of Coalition casualties began a vigorous investigation by the United States Army. The village of Wanat, defended by Second Platoon, Chosen Company, Second Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team would fall victim to numerous bad decision made by higher command. Although the men of Chosen Company fought hard, they ended up surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and without any Battalion assets. This paper will argue the reasons for the disastrous outcome of the Battle of Wanat; examining the effective company leadership exploiting effective

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1235 Words | 5 Pages

It is almost universally understood that the winners of war often write history. With this concept comes the acceptance that history can and is construed in a way that benefits the winner and can hide the truth. In George Robert Elford’s book, Devil’s Guard, Elford accounts for the perspective of a former Waffen SS officer who joined the French Foreign Legion upon the conclusion of World War 2. Throughout this story, many obstacles, adventures, and morals are explored that communicate various perceptions on what war (particularly the war in Vietnam during the French occupation) was like. The book conveys various arguments such as the exploration of unconventional warfare and the struggle of decisive action when the chain of command has

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890 Words | 4 Pages

MacDonald detailed several instances throughout Company Commander where he internally second-guessed himself after giving a particular order. Personal turmoil pepper his account of the campaign, and provide a glimpse into the mindset of a young, inexperienced officer during a tumultuous time. Part of being an effective leader is recognizing the inadequacies not only within yourself, but within your

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1174 Words | 5 Pages

From the lesson of training, I also realized the weight that officers hold when it comes to building trust, motivating, and pushing their soldiers. They are going to expect the utmost level of skill as well as professionalism that you must provide as an officer. In return, it is your right to expect the same level of excellence from your soldiers, being there to push them above the standard and holding them to being experts and professionals. This is a trait that no matter how skilled you or your soldiers may be, there will always be room for constant improvement and

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708 Words | 3 Pages

Returning to the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) to assume command as the brigade commander brings me much joy to be reunited with great Non-Commission Officers and Officers that I have previously served with. Unfortunately, this brigade is no longer the brigade I remember when I commanded a battalion within the 4th ABCT not so long ago. In the last 30 days, I have had the opportunity to observe the ABCT and review a multitude of historical documents to assess the state of the brigade. During my observation, I believe the critical leadership problem in the 4th ABCT’s is the lack of vision for the brigade. Therefore, this critical problem has led to other challenging issues within the brigade.

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795 Words | 4 Pages

“There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best--- in a way that cost them nothing. And that is why they let us down so badly” (Remarque 12). Leadership plays an important role in every war, especially those of major importance. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque has many examples of leadership on display. Three types of leadership displayed in the novel are Kantorek’s hypocritical leadership, Himmelstoss’s authoritarian leadership, and Kat’s pack leader qualities.

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1638 Words | 7 Pages

General Patton’s ethical and visionary leadership styles showed when he utilized his open-mindedness and team dynamic role of “creator” to incorporate an aerial assault into his operational strategies and avoided the ethical trap of uncertainty when he combined the two tactics without any pre-established policy. General Patton also displayed visionary leadership by his use of inspirational motivation, constant presence on the battle field,

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Over all, this story allows us to observe changes within the mentalities of army officers. First, the trauma of living in a war zone can add a significant amount of intangible weight into someone’s life. In “The Things They Carried,” we discover that Cross’s men “carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die (443).” Given that the majority of humans have experienced some form of trauma, we can understand how some men were driven to suicide and others into

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1405 Words | 6 Pages

Ethical Issue Facing the Army The purpose of this paper is to briefly and identify an ethical issue facing the Army, identify the root cause and discuss its impact on the force. This research will address the ethical issue using the ethical lenses of rules, values, and outcomes, and will recommend a solution to correct the root cause. The ethical issue identify throughout the research is the abuse of power or position which leads to other underline issues affecting good order and discipline in the organization. Identifying the Root Causes

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

Among these five characteristics; military expertise, honorable service, trust, esprit de corps, and stewardship of the profession, I believe that military expertise and stewardship of the profession are the two characteristics that make a leader excel in the presence of their peers. ADRP 1 defines military expertise as, “Military expertise is the design, generation, support, and ethical application of land power, primarily in unified land operations, and all supporting capabilities essential to accomplish the mission in defense of the American people”. In order to gain trust from your subordinates for them to follow your guidance, a leader must have military expertise. Without being an expert in your field, subordinates will not trust your guidance provided unto them. ADRP 1 defines Stewardship of the Profession as, “Stewardship is the responsibility of Army professionals to ensure the profession maintains its five essential characteristics now and into the future”.

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990 Words | 4 Pages

The Importance of Accountability in the U.S. Army Every living thing on Earth demands discipline and accountability, but when it comes to U.S. Army, soldiers are trained specifically in these subjects. There are extreme costs at risk if these principles are not held high by the Armed Forces. Most organized Armies focus on the importance of accountability and teach it in the very beginning stages of readiness. Accountability includes things such as showing up on time to safeguarding sensitive records, keeping account of resources to watching out for fellow soldiers. Almost everything can be tied back to the importance of accountability.

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1178 Words | 5 Pages

All leaders no matter how great or revered make mistakes. As someone who strives to be a leader I strive to learn from not only my mistakes but also the mistakes of my leaders. I recently made a mistake I disrespected a leader in front of other leaders. Thus proving that no matter how much I thought of myself as a leader I am not yet a leader. The Marine Corps values rank structure

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648 Words | 3 Pages

Lastly, as a Warrant Officer I am expected to be the subject matter expert in my field. With no knowledge of my personality or past, Soldiers will expect me to have a high amount of knowledge on my particular field; therefore, I will need to ensure their trust in my knowledge is not wasted. The new found responsibilities that await me offer up challenging new challenges. I have always been a firm believer in the value of hard work.

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838 Words | 4 Pages

That is the wrong answer. Leaders should feel obligated to be the prime example and enforce the Army Values and Warrior Ethos not only thru their action on duty but also off duty. For example cutting edge to get the job done quicker is the wrong answer, it show that you don’t live the army values. It show that you have loyalty to you task, respect to the leader that told you complete the task, and the personal courage to do the right thing when no one is looking. Not only should a leader live the army values and warrior ethos while on duty but a leader should live them off duty.

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1012 Words | 5 Pages

When a squad leader listens and shows interest in soldiers’ performance, they are likely to appreciate and put effort in their work. Accountability saves time and finances. When soldiers in an organization are answerable and responsible for their actions, utilization of time and funds is adequately spent in among others, identifying solutions towards a challenge as opposed to trying to determine the problem. In this situation, accountability means that every soldier conducts their roles competently, and if a problem occurs, they raise it up instead of keeping quiet and letting it eventually create a bigger consequence. In conclusion, the building of accountability in an organization is crucial.

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