pony251 said:
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."
Definately. I've had the honor of serving under a few officers like that. I wish they all could be that way (again). It's absolutely ridiculous that Lt.Gen. Mattis caught a bunch of poo-poo from the press about that, but then again, it's not very surprising. Who do we want fighting our wars anyway? A politician in uniform or a bad-ass General that wants nothing more than getting out of his air-conditioned tent, grabbing an M-16 and turning some POS terrorist's head into a pink mist.... It's just too bad that warriors like this are few and far between.
TankerPuke said:
2. Unfortunately, that is they way it is some times. You simply have to grin and have a sense of humor. I also don't think the comment about remembering others in worse places than you was meant in the tone some have taken it. I was recently on a TDY near hot and sandy places, but VERY comfortable. Some felt it to be their obligation to whine and moan. Our CC asked simply this, "Were you shot at? NO. Did you have hot water in your own shower this morning? YES. Is your A/C in your room working? YES." Perspective...keeps me going sometimes.
Exactly. Whenever I catch myself thinking how much UPT sucks sometimes, or how upset I am because I hooked a ride, whatever, I think about my good buddies from my old Marine unit who are fighting in Iraq now. I think about what they are going through... Four of my friends killed in action, one of which will never see his unborn daughter, one who has a fiance who has been completely crushed by his death, my old platoon commander now in a coma, he has a wife and three children at home, not knowing when their daddy will wake up (if ever). All the other Marines patrol every day, walk by a car, looking at it, just waiting to see if it explodes and kills them. Turn a corner, not knowing if there is a sniper or insurgent with an RPG waiting there for you. I think about the families of those fallen Marines and what they must have felt when the chaplain and Marine in his service uniform show up at the door, and what my wife and children would have felt if it would have been me. Thinking all that and all of a sudden getting paid to fly every day and live in a four bedroom house (for free) and the biggest threat I face every day is in the traffic pattern with some dude on his initial solo out there, life becomes not so bad. Then again, I feel like a coward because I am not with my Marines.
Someone once told me that leaders are born, not made. While there is some truth to that, as a whole I would have to disagree. Leadership comes from courage, heart, confidence, dedication and SELFLESSNESS. A true leader does not think of anything except accomplishing their mission and taking care of their men (and/or women). BOTTOM LINE. END OF STORY. As long as those things are taken care of, no matter how, nothing else matters.
I still remember to this day the "12 Leadership Traits" I was taught in Marine Boot Camp. "JJDIDTIEBUCKLE" (as if we need any more acronyms around here)
1. JUSTICE - Giving reward and punishment according to merit in the case in question. The ability to administer a system or rewards and punishment impartially and consistently.
2. JUDGEMENT - The ability to weight facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.
3. DECICIVENESS - The ability to make decisions promptly and announce them in a clear, forceful manner.
4. INITIATIVE - Taking action in the absence of orders.
5. DEPENDABILITY - The certainty of proper performance of duty.
6. TACT - The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
7. INTEGRITY - The uprightness of character and soundness of moral principle; includes qualities of truthfulness and honesty.
8. ENDURANCE - The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.
9. BEARING - Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance and personal conduct at all times.
10. UNSELFISHNESS - Avoidance of providing for one's own comfort, and personal advancement and personal advancement at the expense of others.
11. COURAGE - The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
12. KNOWLEDGE - Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one's information, including professional knowledge and knowledge of your Marines.
13. LOYALTY - The quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, the unit, to one's seniors, subordinates and peers.
14. ENTHUSIASIM - The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.
To this day I still have all those memorized, but I'll have to admit I looked up the definitions so I could post them verbatim. I used to read those once a day and evaluate myself of those traits. If there was one in which I was lacking, I would write it in big letters on a sheet of paper and tape it to the door for a week, so every day when I left, that trait was my primary focus for self-improvement. It worked, and I improved myself as a leader. This is why I think that leaders CAN in fact be MADE and are not always BORN. That is why I took the trouble to post this for everyone, so they might be able to benefit from what I have done. Or maybe someone can print out those traits and leave it on the desk of one of these sh!tbirds in question.
Remember, it is EVERYONES responsibility to be a leader. From the newest E-1 in the entire military, all the way up to Commander-in-Chief himself.
