Management Military Style

[KarmaPolice]

So there I was, friday afternoon, sitting in a sea of fellow company grade officers, when in walks the Altus AFB OG CC ten minutes late for our "briefing." He lets us stand at attention while he glares us down browbeating everyone with a look of utter disgust and disaproval. Because of a few bad apples every TDY LT. and Capt. is getting treated like that epic lowest common denominator. Apparently some drunk Lt.s had caused some weekend mayhem.

Why is it that these supposed succesful, bright, and talented "leaders" resort to lazy bullying of everybody to eradicate the behavior of a small minority? Before becoming a Commander, isn't there some sort of basic management training? Is the broad based knee jerk morale sapping assenine response the only technique available?

Is it any wonder that the Air Force loses so many people it has put so much into? You sign up to serve the country and labor as a professional in an exciting career field. And all though leadership tells you that you are a professional, they treat you like a temp.

Any advice on how a young officer can perservere, besides either getting out, or becoming one of the sycophants, or becoming an alcoholic?

 

[talondriver]

Persevering is the key.

Back in the day I was in a Bomb Wing that made international news by crashing a B-52 in front of umpteen video cameras. That assignment was an experience dealing with diverse leadership skills. But, it was an awesome assignment.

You'll have commanders that aren't the best for moral. Those are the ones that are often the subject of funny (haha and peculiar) stories at the bar when they've gone on the bigger things.

"Beware of commanders with low flying hours"...enough said.

 

[qmaster3]

Stop CRYING for one, and be a man. That's how you can do your job. Think about the troops who are in harms way right now. Making a lot less than you.

 

[SMOE]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, the Air Force has very few leaders. The culture rewards politicians, synchophants, con-artists, and schemers while punishing the few true leaders. In my 25 years I could count on one hand the true leaders in the senior officer corps I had the privilege to serve under.
Your number one priority is looking after your troops while guarding your six. Do what's right, not whats popular, and use these figure-heads as an example of what not to do when you make it into similar positions of authority. Just $.02 from a retired Chief. Oh, one other thing, trust your senior NCOs.

Good luck.

 

[hawg2hawk]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, the Air Force has very few leaders. The culture rewards politicians, synchophants, con-artists, and schemers while punishing the few true leaders. In my 25 years I could count on one hand the true leaders in the senior officer corps I had the privilege to serve under.
Your number one priority is looking after your troops while guarding your six. Do what's right, not whats popular, and use these figure-heads as an example of what not to do when you make it into similar positions of authority. Just $.02 from a retired Chief. Oh, one other thing, trust your senior NCOs.

Good luck.

Sad but true. Hey chief, I have your signature on a bumper sticker. Want one?

 

[T1bubba]

Stop CRYING for one, and be a man. That's how you can do your job. Think about the troops who are in harms way right now. Making a lot less than you.

Telling everyone to suck it up because someone else has it worse doesn't do much to fix problems. One way to help the troops over there is to keep good people in the military instead of running them out. And telling people that their problems don't matter is one of many ways the military helps its' members decide to give civilian life a try.

I'll second everything SMOE said. Some commanders teach you what to do by example, others teach you what not to do by example.

 

[Walter]

Go Guard!

 

[MIJI]

Go Guard!

He's in the Air Force Reserve already. How is that different?

 

[Walter]

The senior leaders in my unit are "guard babies". I think that this creates more of a sense of committment to the unit and less of a CYA mentallity when it comes to making decisions about how to lead. Someone correct me if I am wrong but I believe that the full time reservists are subject to a PCS obligation. When you only have to work with a group of people for a few years, versus your whole career, I think that your loyalty to the unit might not be as great and that could ultimately lead to behaviors that are degrading to the units morale.

 

[pony251]

Rock On SMOE, very well said. I remember back in my LT days, circa 95', when a NAVAIR admiral came down to Cecil Field. He actually said, " If you don't like Naval Aviation vote with your feet." Several people decided right there that that was a pretty good idea. The hiring boom of the nineties was about to go full swing. Several peple left because of one idiot admiral.

Qmaster3,
WTFO, Since when did Karma Police say this had anything to do with money. Your the one who sounds like your crying. Why don't you do the "seaman to admiral" program and show us how it's done.

BTW, here is what a real leader says. It is a quote from LtGen Mattis USMC, "Actually it's quite fun to fight 'em, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling," Mattis said.
"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said during a panel discussion. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Now that's leadership from a guy who I would follow into harm's way. Sorry I'm venting so much. I drank too much coffee this morning and didn't get laid last night.