My Command
I think that I am
pretty blessed with my command. In
general, most of the other battalions have their share of decent leadership,
but mine seems to be exceptionally well blessed with the whole lot being of
excellent caliber. There is the Lt.
Colonel, our battalion commander, whose
strength is multiplied by his right hand man, the Command Sergeant Major.
The Executive
Officer (XO) is second in command. Some
people would relate this position to a Vice President, but actually the job
seems to cover a different area of operations rather than overlap with the
colonel’s. I like the XO a lot. Although I have heard a few of the junior
officers complain from time to time, my favorite thing about the XO is that he
still feels that he can learn from the situation around him. Too many times, both during my years in
corporate America and this ARMY experience, I have noticed some individuals
that got to a point in their career where they thought they knew
everything. That, my friends, is a
dangerous place to be. For all his
experience, our XO still seems to proceed with caution. He likes to have all the info in hand before
proceeding with a plan. The junior
officers that have foolishly complained, did so because they viewed this hesitance
as weakness, insecurity, or lack of experience.
I say otherwise. The impression I
get, is that it is his experience that causes him to proceed with
caution. I feel sorry for those soldiers
that don’t see this. Some where, I’m
certain, is an old proverb about a wise man and taking care before going forth,
but the cliché alludes me at this time.
Suffice it to say: “Mom, don’t worry, the man ain’t going to do anything
stupid and get your little boy hurt.”
Nuff said.
Under the
Commander, Sergeant Major, and XO are the Company Commander’s and the First
Sergeants. We have 7 companies. These seven companies make up the
Battalion. The Alpha, Bravo, Charlie,
and Delta companies are, for the most part, offensive units. Echo is the engineers who build and blow up
things. There’re quite cool, but will
need there own page or two to talk about.
Foxtrot or FSC (Forward Support Company) fixes all our vehicles and
transports our stuff. They’d feed us too
if we didn’t have private contractors for that.
The last company is HHC or Hellraisers.
All of the command and staff technically belong to HHC for tracking
purposes. HHC also has the Medics,
Mortars, Snipers, and Scouts in it.
I think I could
sum up my opinion of all the company commanders in one fell swoop: Everyone of these guys would be exactly who I
would pick as my drinking buddies. They
would be the fraternity I would join in college, the groomsmen at my wedding
(if I had known them earlier and didn’t already have a great set), my lunch buddies
at work, and “My Crew” if I was ever asked to join the Mafia.
They are the type
of guys a fellow would want to go camping with, the friends who one would road
trip with on spring break, superbowl companions (if I knew anything about
football), hunting partners, and…generally: seven men who I pray to G-D I will
have the pleasure of crossing paths with again someday.
Each has his own
unique personality, but at the same time, share a basic “one of the boys”
attitude that I think facilitates their interactions with the men they
lead. This is a trait I have NOT noted
so ubiquitously in other battalions and I think it contributes to the
homogenous nature of our own.
Just like the
colonel benefits from the support of a Command Sergeant Major, each company
commander has a First Sergeant assisting him.
The difference at the two levels (battalion vs. company) is the
difference in years of experience. The
LtC and the CSM, have both amassed extensive years of experience, although the CSM may have more total years,
their experiences are proportional for their job descriptions.
The company
commanders are still new. This is their
first real command in which they take on complete responsibilities as
commanders including judicial issues.
The First Sergeants who assist them, then play the role of “wise men”,
having “been there, done that, and got a tee-shirt.”
It seems nice to
have the First Sergeants around. In my
position I have no equivalent. The
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in my medical platoon either don’t know to
help me, aren’t supposed to help me, or don’t like me enough to help me…I don’t
know which, but I find myself going to the First Sergeants for guidance
frequently.
The difference I
see between First Sergeants and say, the lower NCOs that make up my own medical
platoon, is that the First Sergeants see the whole picture. They look at me and see a new soldier, in
need of training on just about everything military; yet at the same time they
also see an expert, someone who is well versed in his field (referred to as
“lane”) and can provide those specific services when the need arises, without
issue or hesitation.
It’s the ability
for the First Sergeants to see me in both lights that make me so
impressed. When I need to be squared
away on how to do a safety inspection on an automobile, or operate a radio,
they do so with the simplicity of teaching a young private, while showing me
the respect due to an officer. I can’t
help but be endeared by this.
On the flip side,
when a medical issue comes up, I become the authority. They ask and listen, as though they were the
private and I was the First Sergeant.
The lower NCOs in
the medical platoon seem confused. They
see the captain’s bars on my lapel and assume that I should know everything
military that any captain should know.
Then…when I don’t know something, they act like I’m stupid, or just “ate
up”. Some of them seem to have lost
respect for me due to my military ignorance.
As we have
encountered medical issues, those NCOs closest to me, have begun to realize
that I do know something about my lane.
I have been slowly winning back some of their respect, but I fear that
unless something G-d awful happens, and I really have to work my tail off, I
will never have the opportunity to represent my abilities to all of them.
One last example
on this topic and then I’ll move on:
The First Sergeant
for HHC has done the most remarkable job of all, in getting me acclimated to
military life. He also did it without
prompting or request. He made it clear,
in few, but effective words, that he understood my position, that he understood
why I was a captain, but also why I knew so little of ARMY doctrine. He made it clear that he was there to help. He took the initiative on numerous occasions
to ask if I had understood an event or an order as it was given. He was proactive in making certain I had what
equipment I needed when I needed it. And
all the while, he NEVER acted as though he was alarmed or ashamed of my
ignorance. Now THAT is a damn fine
leader.
All the preceding
part about First Sergeants leads me up to my final commentary: The two individuals that I began with.
If First Sergeants
become First Sergeants because they displayed proficiency for seeing the big
picture and recognizing strength and weaknesses of their men, then…the most
proficient, open minded, respectful, big picture First Sergeant of them all,
MUST go on to become Sergeant Major.
Enter our Command
Sergeant Major…
I’VE SAID IT
BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: Here is a man, that will never make a person
ashamed to ask a stupid question or appear ignorant.
And trust me. I’ve felt pretty dumb over the past few
months.
Now, the
colonel…well…he’s a lot of fun…and I think given enough time, a hot tub, good
cigars, and some fine spirits, the two of us could solve most of the world’s
problems, or at least discuss them ad-nausium.
But, the sergeant
major wins out in my “who I’m going to run to first if there’s a problem” category.
(Sorry Colonel, but I suspect you’d agree)
Somehow, one can’t
help but feel, that if the shit hits the fan, the sergeant major’s got some
answers. (or at least knows the quickest
path to those that do)
The only situation
in which I don’t think I’d need to turn right away to the CSM, is if men were
injured. I think I’ve pretty much got an
idea how to handle trauma, or at least get started. It’s the other military issues like getting
shot at or “the sky is falling” I would enlist the CSM’s help for immediately.
My guess though,
is if I did find myself waist deep in a trauma, I wouldn’t have to look far to
find the CSM slapping a few pressure dressings on soldiers as well.
And Finally, the
Colonel:
If you have known
me for any matter of years, and you know the type of people I gravitate towards,
then you already know the colonel. You
know that he is well versed on many subjects.
You know that he has a passion for what he does. You know that he finds himself comfortable in
a variety of social circles. You know
that he is a man with a mission. And
most of all, you know that he is a man with philosophy.
Yes, philosophy…
A trait that is
all to sparse in our society these days.
Too often, men
react “just because.” They do things
because that was the way they were told to.
For every action there is a re-action and that’s just the way it is.
Even in medicine,
I’ve seen a criminally large number of physicians pursue a path of treatment,
not because they understood the cause-and-effect relationship, or desired a
certain outcome based upon some known interaction, but rather because that’s
just the way they were taught to do things.
I feel sorry for
those algorithmic salves. A man’s got to
have a philosophy! Right or wrong, a man
has got to have a goal and an opinion on how he is going to achieve that goal
based upon that facts he was given. The
colonel has just that. He always seems
able to explain the “why” of his actions.
It’s a refreshing trait to see in a leader, especially after having
worked for so many bosses that couldn’t.
And he is willing
to share his “why”. Maybe not
immediately, given surrounding circumstances, but eventually one can always go
back to the colonel and get a good explanation of “why” we did what we did. I like that.
With the help of the sergeants, the XO, and my buddies the company
commanders, it completes the “BIG PICTURE”
(or mine at least)