President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to 1st Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing for helping stop Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.The ceremony took place in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Nov. 6.Helen Loring Ensign accepted the medal on behalf of Cushing, her first cousin, twice removed. Some 24 other descendants were present as well.Long before Gettysburg, the West Point graduate "fought bravely" at the battles of Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, developing a reputation for "his cool, his competence and his courage under fire,"...
The connection between America and its warriors is a strategic relationship and a priority. Soldiers depend on support from home, and the populace depends on soldiers to preserve their freedoms and way of life. This bond between the populace and the military was a priority to Gen. George S. Patton Jr. during combat operations in North Africa and Europe. He recognized that America needs heroes, the military needs support from the American populace, and the local media is the critical link between America and the military. His theory resonates more than 70 years later.After World War I, Patton...
The Army’s efforts to keep soldiers’ religious views in check could be interfering with strengthening professional ethics and strong character, says a controversial Army War College report. “The services can ill afford to lose the irrefutable power of soldiers’ personal moralities as they serve in both peace and in war, providing an additional motivation and resilience to prevail in the arduous tasks and inevitable recoveries inherent in their sacrificial service,” it says.The April report, entitled “A Soldier’s Morality, Religion, and Our Professional Ethic: Does the Army’s Culture Facilitate...
The Obama administration has an affinity for the employment of special operations forces. Increased emphasis on this particular sliver of military power is almost without precedence in the modern era, and it is not good. The penchant to view special operations forces as an “easy button,” a ready substitute for conventional military forces, is utterly wrongheaded. Further, the current structure of special operations forces is an evolutionary dead end, and it is ill-suited to meet the strategic demands for American military power in the 21st century.Our political and military leaders ought to go...
The challenges of staffing, training, establishing a future force capabilities mix and determining a strategic direction are a few of the many areas where the U.S. Army faces a multitude of options with no clear, precise answer. A study of some premier business practices can make it easier for the Army to successfully meet its challenges today and tomorrow.Beware too many metrics. There are literally thousands of accounting, financial, operational, safety and human resource metrics to help executives measure and understand the trends and issues affecting their businesses’ long-term success...
Army families are professionals at adapting and overcoming. They are able to bounce back from cross-country moves, last-minute schedule changes and multiple deployments. So what is it about finances that constantly trips them up? It can’t simply be the amount of money each soldier brings home. Even if the amount isn’t enough, it is still a set amount that can be budgeted. So why are so many Army families in financial trouble?Look no further than the slowdown of deployments. With over 88 percent of military members having served at least one deployment tour, 88 percent of military families have...
When someone thinks of the most important traits and competencies a successful ethical leader must possess, humility is rarely, if ever, mentioned. Some would even argue that if leaders have or display any humility, they are actually showing weakness. I beg to differ and argue that some level of humility can make people better leaders, be a mitigating or governing construct that helps leaders better control their thoughts and behaviors, and neutralize toxic behaviors and narcissism.Our best, brightest and most successful leaders, regardless of context (military, business, medicine, education...
Col. Harry G. Summers Jr. begins his book, On Strategy: The Vietnam War in Context, by relaying the following conversation: “‘You know you never defeated us on the battlefield,’ said the American colonel. The North Vietnamese colonel pondered this remark a moment. ‘That may be so,’ he replied, ‘but it is also irrelevant.’”As much as we may not want to admit it, in this sense, our current war against al Qaeda and their ilk resembles that of Vietnam. In fighting our post-9/11 wars, we have won nearly every battle but are far from winning the war. How can this be? The answer lies largely in the...
Winning wars in the future will not be about who has the best technology or the latest weapons.The difference between success and failure will be the "human dimension."That was the message from the Institute of Land Warfare panel at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in Washington.The panel was chaired by Lt. Gen. Robert Brown, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center.The human dimension concept developed by the Army provides a framework to help leaders focus on human development.It includes the mental, physical, and social components of soldiers and...
While Congress knows in early January that the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, that date came and went.And, yet again, no appropriations bills were sent to the president nor was a defense authorization bill sent to the president.That means that federal agencies will be funded at 2014 levels through a continuing resolution until Congress finally gets off the dime (so to speak) and shows us the money!The continuing resolution will cover spending until Dec. 12, 2014.Then the "lame duck" session of Congress which will meet after the November elections will have to take action or pass another...
They say you only get what you ask for.According to Ted Hacker, that maxim also holds true for veteran employment.Hacker, the co-founder, along with retired Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley, is president and COO of the American Freedom Foundation.Hacker said, "The Warriors to Workforce program stemmed out of a partnership between Tilley, the American Freedom Foundation and the Association of the United States Army."Hacker also said the program, that is designed to occur in conjunction with the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in Washington, resulted in 35 companies...
We all work hard to be the best, whether for promotions, awards or decorations," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III.Earning that recognition for being the best takes hard work, discipline and determination.Encouraging soldiers to be competitive is what it takes to be a great leader, Chandler said, speaking at the Sergeant Major of the Army NCO and Soldier Forum at the Annual Meeting of the Association of the United States Army.He called the competitive spirit "the will to win, no matter what it takes," a hallmark of the Army since its founding in 1775.But while being...
The Army profession demands that soldiers adhere to the Army ethic at all times, the chief of staff of the Army said.Trust is the foundation of the ethic, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said during a Living the Army Ethic panel on "Why and How We Serve," at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting.While soldiers come from different ethnic, religious, and financial backgrounds, "what bonds us together is this profession and professional ethic," he said.The ethic, he said, is an inherent part of the Army."It is not a 9-to-5 ethic. That is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week...
To fully integrate the Army National Guard and Army Reserve with the active force, the commander of Forces Command said that goal for the Combat Training Centers this year is to have 50 percent participation of the reserve components in rotations at Fort Irwin, Calif., and Fort Polk, La.Speaking Monday, Oct. 13, prior to the formal opening of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Gen. Mark Milley said, "We don’t want to go back to 90 percent active, 10 percent guard and reserve" for these rotations.He said this goal was part of Army Secretary John McHugh’s...
The Army’s top leaders said in the face of changing missions and budget cuts, family readiness is more important than ever.They made the remarks in a town hall-style panel during a family forum at the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington.Secretary of the Army John McHugh, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III told family members that resilience is not just about soldiers, it’s about families."Caring for our Army family is mission essential," said McHugh."We are, all three of us...