Joint Force Challenges

Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir was written and published by Joseph R. Owen in 1996. This book gives us a riveting point-of-view of the early and uncertain days of the Korean War through the eyes of Owen himself, as a platoon leader (PL) in a Marine rifle company. As a PL of a mortar section in Baker-One-Seven-Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment- Owen witnessed his hastily assembled men of a few regulars and reservists (who to mention some that have not gone to boot camp) quickly harden into the superb Baker-One-Seven known today. He makes it known quickly (in the foreword and the preface) that some of the major problems he initially encountered was due to how unprepared his unit was. Owen makes the

The connection between the Army culture and the Army ethic begins with highlighting that the profession of arms is not just an individual mandate but also an institutional one. We cannot expect the Army ethic and culture to resonate among all soldiers unless it is echoed at all echelons across the Army. The culture suggested has different levels which include artifacts, surface level things that can be “seen, heard, and felt”, espoused beliefs and values, or what the Army thinks is important based on doctrine, regulations, and policy, and the basic underlying assumptions. Based on the underlying assumptions, we can then gain functionality by deriving “…major cultural dimensions.” (Army, 2010, p. 10) The three cultural dimensions are professional identity, community and hierarchy. The author suggests that these cultural dimensions will never be in balance and it is the challenge of leadership to manage them and find new and innovative ways to solve new problems (Army, 2010, p.

Without knowledgeable and qualified leaders at every level of civilian or military organization people will work in an unhealthy environment and their output and performance will suffer. Management or leadership lacking in leadership qualities will effect organizational culture and climate in a negative way, to the point that it will make the unit organization incapable of accomplishing the assigned mission. After a series of tragic events that occurred within the 4th ABCT during their last deployment in Afghanistan, I have no doubt in my mind that commanding them is going to be challenging. During the last few weeks, I had the opportunity to examine the historical unit records, CALL and CAL assessments, and conversations and observations with leaders throughout the Brigade and Division, which gave me some helpful information. This information has helped me in preparing the plan on how to meet with the upcoming challenge. In this paper, I am going to focus mainly on three aspects, which are going to assist me to be a better leader. First, I will identify the most critical leadership problems that are effecting the Brigade culture and climate. Then I will create my vision, which will lead to solving all the challenges in the brigades.

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. My intent is to provide a clear vision to the 4th ABCT, that states, “Be the best armor brigade in the world, consisting of trained, responsible, motivated, and caring Soldiers and Families; capable of executing any assigned mission with unequaled success.

Now, this is not an easy feat. We have the best profession in the world. We get to serve the small portion of our country who volunteered to serve in this organization, but that bears with it a great amount of responsibility. Human Resources professionals in the Army have an expectation to be an expert at all things administrative. It does not matter how long you have served in the role. Once you put on that Adjutant General shield, you are immediately depended on. This dependence spans outside of just the Soldiers that you see and associate with on a regular basis. Soldiers rely on us, to not only make sure their records are updated accurately and on time, spouses look to us to make sure that pay is submitted correctly and timely, children look forward to the events we help coordinate, parents look to us to make sure we are giving their Soldiers the best information about the benefits they enlisted for. One thing that has always been taught to me is that, we have three tasks that will make or break us: efficiency, effectiveness, and meeting the needs of Soldiers. If we cannot submit documents in a timely matter, we have failed. If we are not accurate in everything we do, we have failed. If we do not keep Soldier’s records up to date, we have failed. This profession is an area that we simply cannot

Many seem to over emphasize the many privileges gained as an officer and seem to completely overlook the ever more important duties that should be the true motivators. I must ensure to maintain this mindset. I must also remember to put “people first”. (Department of Defense, 1988) This will be a cornerstone in every decision I make. 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.

“Discipline and pride build individual morale and a collective esprit de corps” resulting in high performance and conduct. Today, the legacy of esprit de corps is continuously promoted though customs, traditions and ceremonies; and is present in all levels of the Army profession. Contributions to esprit de corps can be manifested in: high motivation, teamwork, commitment to organization, and promotions to name a few. Having esprit de corps in a group not only boost morale, but it is also the driving force that helps lead to effective mission

As people and technology continue to evolve so do the ways we fight wars. There is currently a gap in the knowledge and skills between current Noncommissioned Officers (NCO) and the NCOs future operations will demand. This paper goes over what the NCO 2020 Strategy is and how it will close that gap. It will identify the reasons for the NCO 2020 Strategy, the end state, and tasks NCOs must complete in the interim to realize that end state. This paper starts with the statement of the overall vision and intent of this strategy before delving into the three Lines of Effort (LOE). The three Lines of Effort being Development, Talent Management, and Stewardship of the Profession are the three primary areas of focus in the major objectives which simultaneously

The emphasis of US Army on the diversity and inclusion has proven effective to enable the Army in maintenance of competitive future advantage. The strategic programs have increased minority representation and have enabled the Army to reflect American society. These programs combined with emphasis on broadening assignments as integral element of leader development has allowed the Army to benefit from two positive results of diversity (Erbe, 2014). An inclusive Army is known to be a positive manifestation of nation for espoused commitment to equality and it is specifically important while deploying because Army represents America all across the globe. The cognitive diversity gained by exposing leaders to

Beyond Command and Control, the joint functions include intelligence, fires, movement and maneuver, protection, sustainment, and information. As the largest operation in WWII up until that time, Operation Husky was a proving ground for integration of joint function. Given the command and control struggles, it follows that joint integration in Operation Husky was less than optimal, especially because “joint force components have different function-oriented approaches, procedures, and perspectives.” Presented below are examples of how shortcomings in intelligence and movement and maneuver resulted in lost momentum or lost opportunity for the

In 1943 Allied forces had seen some success in North Africa against the Axis forces. Allied commanders were at odds whether to continue the Mediterranean campaign or execute a cross channel invasion. By January of 1943, Allied commanders seemed content just to keep pressing Axis forces in the Mediterranean, Sicily would be next. Operation Husky, the Allied code name for the invasion of Sicily, eventually led to Allied victory. However, the victory was in spite of numerous Joint Command and Control and function integration deficiencies. Proper planning, execution and leadership, in accordance with joint doctrine, would have provided for a more decisive victory. Additionally, doctrinally correct prosecution of Operation Husky would have likely shortened the battle, prevented Axis forces from evacuating and conserved Allied resources.

Homosexuality, for decades, was not accepted in the military. They would be punished if their secret became uncovered, and eventually discharged. In 1992, Bill Clinton made it possible for gays to join, but they could not discuss their sexual orientations, in accordance with the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. If their secret came out, they would face a negatively impacting discharge, still. December of 2010 was the biggest accomplishment for homosexuals involved in the military, with the repeal of DADT, allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the United States Armed Forces.

I propose the development of a Task Force that includes, but is not limited to the J1 staff, Judge Advocate General staff, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), and civilian sector human resource professionals such as SHRM. The Task Force Chairman should come from the Under Secretary of Department of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R)). The chair would have the resources available to assist in the development of focused objectives to adopt such a policy change. The timeline to achieve such a broad, pre-launch recommendation is two to three years based on funding and implementation schedules. The most important phase is pre-launch whereby the right stewards are selected to sell the story, creating the start for cultural change. This Task Force should be charged with developing the recommendation outlined above into actual policy language that can be presented to the Secretary of Defense. The main objective for the Task Force is changing the fraternization policy, considering the second and third order effects of reenergizing the “profession”, eliminating dual-military personal relationships, enhancing mutual respect amongst the force, developing professional only relationships within the force, reducing sexual harassment, and eliminating sexual assault. The policy should also be evaluated so that it is simplistic for ease in interpretation and

Despite indications that AAFES provides above average employee compensation, benefits, and recognition, the decline in the overall AAFES employment experience is of concern. Employee dissatisfaction can result in reduced performance, diminished customer service, and ultimately reduced customer satisfaction. The issues identified pertaining to promotion potential, and training deserve immediate attention, particularly deficiencies noted in relation to the management of contingency support activities. My recommendation is that AAFES should develop education and training plans for employees and managers. A structured training and integration program for contingency area employees and managers is also required in order to improve contingency support activities. This warrants a thorough analysis as managers are responsible for the implementation of organizational policies, vision, and goals and have a significant impact on the climate and culture of the organization. The Fort Campbell AAFES is happy to employ military spouses from its local community. Fort Campbell AAFES sets itself apart from other AAFES as they set the example with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). Spouses are familiar with AAFES and with other military families in a unique way. Military spouses have a thorough understanding of the everyday challenges faced by their peers in life and can form a special bond with the patrons who shop at AAFES on Fort Campbell. Being affiliated with the military in any way is not a prerequisite to work for

Specifically to the officer over a platoon or unit, who might not be in control, but is directly responsible for these troops. He/she has the responsibility of the daily processions of hi/her base; His fitness and his/her troop’s fitness level; a command climate where practices of integrity can be adhered to even when he/she is not present. He is responsible for the training of his/her company and to the organization for creating a culture based around the practices and policies in the ethos of the