Army Leadership From an Army Physical Readiness Point of View

Leadership

“The American Soldier…demands professional competence in his leaders in battle; he wants

to know that the job is going to be done right, with no unnecessary casualties. The

noncommissioned officer wearing the chevron is supposed to be the best Soldier in the

platoon, and he is supposed to know how to perform all duties expected of him. The American

Soldier expects his sergeant to be able to teach him how to do his job, and expects even more

from his officers.”

General of the Army Omar N. Bradley

Throughout history, the Army has had confident leaders of character and competence.

Leaders develop through a dynamic process consisting of three equally important training

domains: operational, institutional and self-development IAW AR 350-1. The process

incorporating these domains provides the following key leadership elements:

fundamental military specialty experience; education that instills key competencies;

personal and professional development goals that enable leaders to develop the skills and

the knowledge and attitudes needed for success. Leaders at all levels should understand

that physical readiness training (PRT) improves Soldier resiliency which is a vital

component of a combat-ready force. This chapter addresses the importance of leadership

as it applies to PRT.

Ranger Handbook-Shelters

1) Poncho Lean-To. It takes only a short time and minimal equipment to build this lean-to. You need a poncho, 6 to 10 feet of rope, three stakes about 6 inches long, and two trees (or two poles) 7 to 9 feet apart. Before you select the trees you will use (or decide where to place the poles), check the wind direction. Make sure the back of your lean-to will be into the wind. To make the lean-to:

(a) Tie off the hood of the poncho. To do this, pull the draw cord tight; roll the hood long ways, fold it into thirds, and tie it with the draw cord.

(b) Cut the rope in half. On one long side of the poncho, tie half of the rope to one corner grommet, and the other half to the other corner grommet.

(c) Attach a drip stick (about a 4-inch stick) to each rope 1/4 to 3/4 inches away from the grommet. These drip sticks will keep rainwater from running down the ropes into the lean-to. Using drip lines is another way to prevent dripping inside the shelter. Tie lines or string about 4 inches long to each grommet along the top edge of the shelter. This allows water to run to and down the line without dripping into the shelter.

(d) Tie the ropes about waist high on the trees (uprights). Use a round turn and two half hitches with quick-release knot.

(e) Spread the poncho into the wind and anchor to the ground. To do this, put three sharpened sticks through the grommets and into the ground.

(f) If you plan to use the lean-to for more than one night, or if you expect rain, make a center support to the lean-to. You can do this by stretching a rope between two upright poles or trees that are in line with the center of the poncho.

(g) Tie another rope to the poncho hood; pull it upward so that it lifts the center of the poncho, and tie it firmly to the rope stretched between the two uprights.

(h) Another method is to cut a stick to place upright under the center of the lean-to. This method, however, will restrict your space and movements in the shelter.

(i) To give additional protection from wind and rain, place boughs, brush, your rucksack, or other equipment at the sides of the lean-to.

(j) To reduce heat loss to the ground, place some type of insulating material, such as leaves or pine needles, inside your lean-to.

Note: When at rest, as much as 80 percent of your body heat can be lost to the ground.

(k) To increase your security from enemy observation, lower the silhouette of the lean-to by making

two modifications.When at rest, as much as 80 percent of your body heat can be lost to the ground.

(l) To increase your security from enemy observation, lower the silhouette of the lean-to by making

two modifications.

•  Secure the support lines to the trees knee-high rather than waist-high.Secure the support lines to the trees knee-high rather than waist-high.
•  Use two knee-high sticks in the two center grommets (sides of lean-to), and angle the poncho to the ground, securing it with sharpened sticks as above.Use two knee-high sticks in the two center grommets (sides of lean-to), and angle the poncho to the ground, securing it with sharpened sticks as above.

Respect

Treat people as they should be treated.

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be

gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more

likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and to give

commands in such manner and such a tone of voice to inspire in the soldier no feeling

but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to

excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or the other of dealing

with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander.

He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for

himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his

inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.

Major General John M. Schofield

Address to the United States Corps of Cadets, 11 August 1879

Respect for the individual is the basis for the rule of law—the very essence of what the Nation stands

for. In the Army, respect means treating others as they should be treated. This value reiterates that people

are the most precious resource and that one is bound to treat others with dignity and respect.

Over the course of history, America has become more culturally diverse, requiring Army leaders to

deal with people from a wider range of ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. An Army leader should

prevent misunderstandings arising from cultural differences. Actively seeking to learn about people whose

culture is different can help to do this. Being sensitive to other cultures will aid in mentoring, coaching,

and counseling subordinates. This demonstrates respect when seeking to understand their background, see

things from their perspective, and appreciate what is important to them.

Army leaders should consistently foster a climate in which everyone is treated with dignity and

respect, regardless of race, gender, creed, or religious belief. Fostering a balanced and dignified work

climate begins with a leader’s personal example. How a leader lives the Army Values shows subordinates

how they should behave. Teaching values is one of a leader’s most important responsibilities. It helps

create a common understanding of the Army Values and expected standards.

Duty

Fulfill your obligations.

I go anywhere in the world they tell me to go, any time they tell me to, to fight anybody

they want me to fight. I move my family anywhere they tell me to move, on a day’s notice,

and live in whatever quarters they assign me. I work whenever they tell me to work….

And I like it.

James H. Webb

Former U.S. Marine and Secretary of the Navy (1987-1988)

Duty extends beyond everything required by law, regulation, and orders. Professionals work not just
to meet the minimum standard, but consistently strive to do their very best. Army leaders commit to
excellence in all aspects of their professional responsibility.

Part of fulfilling duty is to exercise initiative—anticipating what needs to be done before being told
what to do. Army leaders exercise initiative when they fulfill the purpose, not merely the letter, of the tasks
they have been assigned and the orders they have received. The task is not complete until the intended
outcome is achieved. When a platoon sergeant tells a squad leader to inspect weapons, the squad leader
only fulfills a minimum obligation when checking weapons. If the squad leader finds weapons that are not
clean or serviced, a sense of duty alerts the leader to go beyond the platoon sergeant’s instructions. To
fulfill that duty, squad leaders must correct the problem and ensure that all the unit’s weapons are up to
standard. When leaders take initiative, they also take full responsibility for their actions and those of their
subordinates. Conscientiousness is a human trait where duty is internalized. Conscientiousness means
having a high sense of responsibility for personal contributions to the Army, demonstrated through
dedicated effort, organization, thoroughness, reliability, and practicality. Conscientiousness consistently
alerts the leader to do what is right—even when tired or demoralized.

In rare cases, a leader’s sense of duty also has to detect and prevent an illegal order. Duty requires
refusal to obey it—leaders have no choice but to do what is ethically and legally right

BUILDING TEAMWORK AND COHESION

Teamwork and cohesion are measures of climate. Willingness to engage in teamwork is the opposite
of selfishness. Selfless service is a requirement for effective teamwork. To operate effectively, teams, units,
and organizations need to work together for common Army Values and task and mission objectives.

Leaders encourage others to work together, while promoting group pride in accomplishments. Teamwork
is based on commitment to the group, which in turn is built on trust. Trust is based on expecting that others
will act for the team and keep its interests ahead of their own. Leaders have to do the hard work of dealing
with breaches in trust, poor team coordination, and outright conflicts. Leaders should take special care in
quickly integrating new members into the team with this commitment in mind.

Leaders can shape teams to be cohesive by setting and maintaining high standards. Positive climate
exists where good, consistent performance is the norm. This is very different from a climate where
perfectionism is the expectation. Team members should feel that a concentrated, honest effort is
appreciated even when the results are incomplete. They should feel that their leader recognizes value in
every opportunity as a means to learn and to get better.

Good leaders recognize that reasonable setbacks and failures occur whether the team does everything
right or not. Leaders should express the importance of being competent and motivated, but understand that
weaknesses exist. Mistakes create opportunities to learn something that may not have been brought to
mind.
Soldiers and Army civilians expect to be held to high but realistic standards. In the end, they feel
better about themselves when they accomplish their tasks successfully. They gain confidence in leaders
who help them achieve standards and lose confidence in leaders who do not know the standards or who fail
to demand quality performanc

Army Leadership-Formal and Informal

LEADER TEAMS

Leaders at all levels recognize the Army is a team as well as a team of teams. These teams interact as

numerous functional units, designed to perform necessary tasks and missions that in unison produce the

collective effort of all Army components. Everyone belongs to a team, serving as either leader or

responsible subordinate. For these teams to function at their best, leaders and followers must develop

mutual trust and respect, recognize existing talents, and willingly contribute talents and abilities for the

common good of the organization. Leadership within the teams that make up Army usually comes in two

forms:

•  Legitimate (formal).
•  Influential (informal).

FORMAL LEADERSHIP

Legitimate or formal leadership is granted to individuals by virtue of assignment to positions of

responsibility and is a function of rank and experience. The positions themselves are based on the leader’s

level of job experience and training. One selection process used for the assignment of legitimate authority

is the command selection board. Similar to a promotion board, the selection board uses past performance

and potential for success to select officers for command positions. NCOs assume legitimate authority when

assigned as a platoon sergeant, first sergeant, or command sergeant major. These positions bring with them

the duty to recommend disciplinary actions and advancement or promotion.

 

The Uniform Code of Military Justice supports military leaders in positions of legitimate authority.

Regardless of the quality of leadership exhibited by organizationally appointed leaders, they possess the

legal right to impose their will on subordinates, using legal orders and directives.

 

INFORMAL LEADERSHIP

Informal leadership can be found throughout organizations, and while it can play an important role

in mission accomplishment, it should never undermine legitimate authority. All members of the Army

could find themselves in a position to serve as a leader at any time. Informal leadership is not based on any

particular rank or position in the organizational hierarchy. It can arise from the knowledge gained from

experience and sometimes requires initiative on the part of the individual to assume responsibility not

designated to his position. Therefore, even the most junior member may be able to influence the decision of

the highest organizational authority. As the final decision maker, the formal leader is ultimately responsible

for legitimizing an informal leader’s course of action.

How to Prepare and Eat Fowl-Ranger Handbook

Fowl. Your first step after killing a fowl for eating or preserving is to pluck its feathers. If plucking is impractical, you can skin the fowl. Keep in mind, however, that a fowl cooked with the skin on retains more food value. Waterfowl are easier to pluck while dry, but other fowl are easier to pluck after scalding. After you pluck the fowl--

• Cut off its neck close to the body.
• Cut an incision in the abdominal cavity and clean out the insides. Save the neck, liver, and heart for stew. Thoroughly clean and dry the entrails to use for cordage.
• Wash out the abdominal cavity with fresh clean water. You can boil fowl or cook it on a spit over a fire. You should boil scavenger birds such as vultures and buzzards for at least 20 minutes to kill any parasites. Use the feathers from fowl for insulating your shoes clothing, or bedding. You can also use feathers for fish lures.