In this case, the battalion commander did not respect his subordinates and was reviled in return. The lessons learned are mostly applicable to company and platoon level leaders. Advice for new lts things to know as a platoon leader youtube. The book highlights the extreme nature of vietnam insomuch as long periods of boredom. The conclusions drawn are exclusively from experience in afghanistan.
I read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a first. Platoon leader is a 1988 cannon films film set in the vietnam war and directed by aaron norris. Last year, the author of this article participated in operation persistent venture, a bilateral exchange program between the british and us armies, during which he observed one classcycle at the platoon commanders division. Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough dzone agile. None of their superiors visited the outpost during that time. A tactical decision game tdg is a situational exercise that is driven by a narrative that provides basic mission, intent, and resources available, allowing leaders to work through their decisionmaking processes tlps, mdmp, etc. Leadership failures in black hearts by jim frederick essay. Mcdonough include basic principles of accountability, responsibility and camaraderie. R eading a post on the military leader one day, a question reminded me of a critical leadership lesson i learned from my time in command. Al bumbry, former oriole, learned lessons in vietnam. You should capture thoughts and lessons, then share them with your expanding network.
Would a distinction between defensive measures and pursuit, help your testing. Much credit goes to 1lt ginther for clearly learning the right lessons as a young leader. Al bumbry learned about duty and responsibility in the rice paddies of vietnam. The combat vignettes of former platoon leaders flow along the arc of a typical 12month tour in iraq. Mar 20, 2012 i first read james mcdonoughs platoon leader about 17 years ago, as i was watching thencol. Learn who in your platoon is licensed for what, when those licenses expire, when they need check rides. Lessons learned continued from part i, part ii, part iii, part iv, part v, part vi, part vii, part viii, part ix and part x.
Mcdonough retired is an impecable example for future and current young lieutenants that are preparing to take command of their first platoons. One of the biggest lessons learned was the importance of crosstraining military occupational specialties moss. That being said, within the first few days, the platoon leader i was replacing, brought up those infamous words, youre going to need to sign for you subhand receipt. See all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Before that gut drenching feeling settled in, i quickly recalled my previous experiences with property, where i. What i loved most about the book is that it was a personal story of a platoon leader during a year of combat in vietnam. Hire heroes usa speaks with medal of honor recipient clint romesha. Vignettes and lessons from current and former platoon level leaders allow newly assigned leaders to learn from those who have gone before.
I first read james mcdonoughs platoon leader about 17 years ago, as i was watching thencol. Platoon leader was a great book to give you a concise glimpse into the reality of one young army leader in vietnam. Mcdonough random house audio, march 2003 abridged audio pages. I often see many test strategies that are highly defensive, but low on pursuit. Platoon leader first edition by mcdonough, james r. This month, we feature excerpts from advice applicable to 2lts as they transition from being cadets to leading soldiers. The platoon leader and platoon sergeant are two of the most important leaders in the u.
Hit by neardaily mortars, gunfire, and roadside bomb attacks, suffering from a particularly heavy death toll, and enduring a chronic breakdown in leadership, members of one black heart platoon1st platoon, bravo company, 1st battaliondescended, over their yearlong tour of duty, into a tailspin of poor discipline, substance abuse, and. It read, when was the last time you heard a unit commander ask for feedback, consider the input, publicly admit hes wrong, and change his opinion. Training lessons learned by a field artillery forward. The lessons learned are mostly applicable to company and platoonlevel leaders.
The company leader is partnering with the combined training centers to share lessons learned and improve the readiness of the force. Oct 31, 2019 the relationship between the drill sergeants and platoon leaders is one of mentorship, teaching, and learning. One platoons descent into madness in iraqs triangle of death, author jim frederick, contributing editor of time magazine, describes being riveted in june, 2006, by a pair of news items. Being an infantry platoon leader is the greatest job in the world. Lessons learned from a distribution platoon supporting a. The timbre and sound of his voice is that of a man old enough to have been a. A military theorist who has helped shape the postcold war armys thinking, he is also the author of the defense of hill 781 and the limits of glory. James starts the book as a fresh faced leader fresh out of west point and choosing to serve in the vietnam war. Then i realized that the other men must be afraid too. This essay will seek to concisely summarize some lessons learned at the platoon level in kandahar province from 20112012.
The first article in the series, on physicalfitnessand mental. Things were looking up in the winter of 196364 as i moved successfully through my senior. Home of the infantry chief of infantry reading list junior ncos topic. This volume for new platoon leaders and platoon sergeants contains insights on leadership, training management, army systems, and more. Staff sergeant david bellavia, an army infantry platoon leader in iraq. Learn your equipments capabilities, what it can and cannot do.
If this occurs, the unit must contact their organic property book officer pbo. Thats what makes it easy for the army to slot a new lieutenant into your position and continue moving forward with the platoon. Before that gut drenching feeling settled in, i quickly recalled my previous experiences with property, where i trusted the knowledge i learned from both my. A young officer, just out of west point is sent to vietnam, where the men dont respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his. Its regarded as one of the largest and fiercest battles during the u. I took the time to debrief the platoon upon reentry to the perimeter, pointing out the. Apr 20, 2017 i read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a first hand account of a rookie leader in the vietnam war. Learning leadership principles taken from a military context are some of the most important and hardearned lessons available. The center for army lessons learned, in conjunction with serving and former pls and psgs, has compiled lessons learned and best practices for pls and psgs and those who aspire to these positions to improve themselves and their units. As a new platoon leader, i quickly learned that what was important to me was not going to be the same for the. A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of. The questions below are meant to be used in a guided discussion on the book black hearts by jim frederick. Respect is always a twoway street, and the person responsible for directing traffic is the leader.
I read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a firsthand account of a rookie. Leaders must enforce and implement effective programs to ensure resources are being used without fraud, waste, and abuse. It read, when was the last time you heard a unit commander ask for feedback, consider the input, publicly admit hes wrong, and change his opinion given that i have a vivid example of being humbled while in command, i felt compelled to share my story. The lessons you learn will fast remind you of the sacrifices our veterans made. The book black hearts by jim frederick is an indepth narrative about the 1st platoon, bravo company 1502nd infantry 101st airborne division deployed to iraq in 2005. Platoon leader was a book my dad gave to me saying, here. At the end of the day, the platoon was never your platoon. This book is on the career level officer group of the 20 united states marine corps commandants reading list. I facilitated this by ensuring the distribution platoon trained with battery support platoons and the. The platoons leader was there the whole time, but the company commander was busy elsewhere and only arrived the day before the attack. The ncos here come from a diverse background of experiences and duty stations.
A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. War crimes, hard choices and harder consequences, the final chapter. Now retired from active duty, mcdonough lives with his family in tallahassee, florida. Love is not always a two way street, sometimes you give more than you get, and love is a choice.
The book eloquently captures the chaos that he and his unit operated and how he applied the lessons learned to who he is today. The book highlights the extreme nature of vietnam insomuch as long periods of boredom torn apart by extreme moments of violence and carnage. They have been used throughout history dating back to before the 1800. As a platoon leader in a horizontal construction unit, i had nearly twenty vehicles in my motor pool, and when i first arrived there, i knew what about three of them were for.
Reviewers find this book invaluable for second lieutenants about to assume their own platoon command. Much credit goes to 1lt ginther for clearly learning the right lessons as a young leader, and for taking the time to capture and share them with the force. The lessons to be learned from this book and its followup a company commanders journal for future leaders are extremely valuable. This means youll have to solidify the type of leader you want to be and establish a plan for how youll develop your soldiers and officers. Lessons learned at the expense of blood and sweat, if forgotten, must be relearned at a greater cost. Finally, it will help you become a good officer and leader. I struggled writing this chapter, and barely finished it late yesterday. Platoon leader is a wonderful book that could serve as somewhat of a text book in command and control of men in combat. Platoon leader download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. It will not focus on topics already successfully illustrated by fellow leaders, notably those regarding the intricacies of tribal politics, pashtun culture, and use of money as a weapon. Taken hostage, they had just been found mutilated, beheaded, burned, and booby. Training lessons learned by a field artillery forward support company.
Jan 28, 2009 the platoons leader was there the whole time, but the company commander was busy elsewhere and only arrived the day before the attack. Along the way, mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking, the importance of allies, and the strategic dilemmas and shortsighted thinking now facing our nation. Enjoy every minute of it, even the difficult times, and give of yourself freely to your mission and your men. Nov 29, 2017 im about to take on the job as an executive officer for my company, so before i forget some of the things that i learned as a platoon leader, i thought i would share them. This month, we feature excerpts from advice applicable to 2lts as they transition from being cadets to. Jul 16, 2015 r eading a post on the military leader one day, a question reminded me of a critical leadership lesson i learned from my time in command. A true story of american valor, a firsthand account by medal of honor recipient clint romesha, who lost eight members of his platoon. You were part of the platoon, you contributed to the platoon, you led the platoon, but in the end the platoon belonged to the ncos and soldiers.
Platoon leader details mcdonoughs time in vietnam commanding an undermanned platoon assigned to protecting a village in the strategic hamlet program. Lessons learned from the armys first field feeding company. Mcdonoughs experiences as a combat officer in the vietnam war from 19701971. Once a month, all weapons and electronic equipment in my platoon receive preventive maintenance checks and services, by the book, and results are logged in our platoon 2404 book. The first 100 days of platoon leadership handbook us. In conclusion, the various leadership lessons learned from platoon leader by james r. The author commanded the 2d battalion, 14th infantry, 10th mountain division light infantry, in somalia in late1993, and wrote the series at the request of the division commander. I tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. Mcdonough train up his infantry brigade for bosnia. The platoon often struggles to turn in 5988es and struggles to maintain. The distribution platoon in an fsc is best described as a miniature version of a. Reviewers find this book invaluable for second lieutenants about to assume their own platoon. This handbook addresses the csdp every unit must establish and enforce. You will be investing in the future of the army, so make the effort to build the type of leader you want to work for.
Apr 23, 2014 i n his 2014 article, army first lieutenant scott ginther related 20 lessons from his path from west point cadet to platoon leader in afghanistan. A brief synopsis of the book is reprinted below from amazon. Vignettes and lessons from current and former platoonlevel leaders allow newly assigned leaders to learn from those who have gone before. They represent the leading edge of leadership on and off the battlefield. I originally got this book as a young officer in the u. The first 100 days of platoon leadership handbook this volume for new platoon leaders and platoon sergeants contains insights on leadership, training management, army systems, and more. You have the ability to mold men and make our country stronger 24 hours a day. Pauls journal helped him and his fellow soldiers, ten years later, find solace in a time when some of his fellow soldiers were having trouble dealing with their experiences during their time in combat. The osut platoon leader experience the company leader. I n his 2014 article, army first lieutenant scott ginther related 20 lessons from his path from west point cadet to platoon leader in afghanistan. As a leader, i know i will have to be accountable for the actions, both good and bad, of the people i command. Platoon leader quotes showing 11 of 1 the roads that lead young men to war are not political roads, or national and international roads, but individual roads. They understand that the osut platoon leader role is partially a role meant to prepare lieutenants for service in line units.
This book presents some of his experiences as he grows as a leader. However, higherechelon leaders may find it worthwhile reading to reacquaint themselves with the effects of their actions on what actually happens on the ground. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his first platoon. A junior officers experience and lessons learned during vietnam. I do turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. Army combat in iraq sourced from incountry interviews of this generations platoon leaders from 20032008. The command supply discipline program csdp is a commanders program.
The objectives of military police are to inform, motivate, increase knowledge, improve performance, and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. The way platoon leaders and sergeants work together as a team can cause the success or failure of companies, battalions, brigades, and divisions. One of the things that has always intrigued me about vietnam war stories is the attempts to. He acted as a guest instructor throughout the pcbc, observing, assessing, and evaluating newly commissioned second lieutenants recently graduated from the royal. It was operation packed, heartwrenching and even funny at times.
Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough i tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. I first read james mcdonoughs platoon leader about 17 years ago. From the outset mcdonoughs platoon was undermanned, undersupplied and in need of a strong commander to pull things together. If the greatest quality of human beings is the ability to collectively learn, i urge all. Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, mcdonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a u.
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