This week, I was unexpectedly reintroduced to the service and sacrifice woven through the U.S. Army’s 241 year history. It happened at a performance of the Twilight Tattoo, hosted by the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band at Fort Myer, VA. This hour-long show is open to the public every Wednesday throughout the Summer and should definitely be on your DC bucket list.
The Commander in Chief’s Guard, Honor Guard, Presidential Salute Battery, the Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps, and the U.S. Army Drill Team took the field with singers and performers from the Army Band to showcase the vital role the Soldier has played in the formation and preservation of our Nation. Firing muskets, riding horses from the Caisson Platoon, and performing precision rifle drill…the show was a huge hit with kids and adults, civilians and veterans alike.
More importantly, this spotlight on our gallant past inspired a reminder that we can gain valuable perspective by honoring our lineage of service, and that leaders can inject pride into their formations by connecting today’s Soldiers with yesterday’s sacrifice. Here are some thoughts on how to do it.
Sacrifice Abounds
Evidence of courage, sacrifice, and heroism is all around us, but easy to overlook or forget about….the monuments on parade fields and outside unit headquarters, the unit awards we wear over our right pockets, the inspirational war movies like Glory, We Were Soldiers, and Blackhawk Down. We bump into them from time to time and appreciate the sense of pride and reverence they stir in us. They also validate and uplift the role we serve today in defending our country.
Yet how often do we use these examples as centerpieces for professional development? How often do we rouse the troops with the heroics of Yorktown, Bastogne, or Fallujah? And what about the unit history? Do we recount the important unit milestones so our Soldiers can hear of the sacrifices made for the patch they wear today?
Leaders are responsible for igniting in their formations the fire of passion, pride, commitment, service, and honor. Managing the mundane is not our only role. Most of us joined the Service with these values in mind but over time have forgotten to draw from them. We don’t talk about our values often enough, but we should, for they are The Why that justifies the sacrifice that The What and The How demand from us daily. Leaders must make that relationship evident.
A Thousand Ways to Make an Impact
How can we do this? After brainstorming a bit, I realized the opportunities are abundant.
- You can relay stories of valor from the unit and Army history. Pick a few memorable dates from the unit lineage and highlight them in speeches, promotions, farewells, formations, and even during meetings and family events. Less formally, find a quick story of inspiration you can use in smaller settings like the rifle range, motor pool, or chow hall. When you think about it, it’s incredibly easy to inject pride into the follower groups you encounter.
- Along the same lines…and I’ve mentioned this before…Medal of Honor citations are an excellent way to highlight the incredible acts of courage and sacrifice our Soldiers have displayed. The book Medal of Honor is a great place to start. Read a medal citation at close-out formations or during ceremonies to inspire feelings of pride and admiration.
- Consider playing clips of the movies that ignite our military spirit or reveal a leadership lesson. It doesn’t take much. Do it to open a recurring big meeting (Training, Command & Staff, QTB) and discuss the movie for 5 minutes. Films resonate with us and stir emotions like no speaker at a podium can. Here are a few: Patton, Twelve O’Clock High, Gettysburg, Unbroken, Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, A Few Good Men, The Patriot, Master and Commander, A Bridge Too Far, Heartbreak Ridge, Crimson Tide, and documentaries like Restrepo and Korengal.
- Do some research on what events you can involve the troops in. Staff rides are almost always a hit, especially if you can get an expert historian to contribute and attend. Research some stories of sacrifice at the Soldier-level, not just the big unit maneuver, to make it more vivid. (Dan Carlin does a good job of this.)
Attending a reenactment might be a little much, but how about if you incorporated a particular battle into a tactical training event or physical fitness event? Shows like the Twilight Tattoo and Marine Corps Evening Parade, and unit performance teams like the color guard, the First Cavalry Division Horse Detachment, the 82nd Airborne Division Band, and many others, can add an element of Service pride to your event.- Even reciting a unit creed or motto will build unit cohesion that might not otherwise be there. (Read Matt Rasmussen’s excellent post about that.) At every opportunity, remind the formation that they are part of something larger, that their history is built on sacrifice, and give them examples to live up to.
Heroism, Even Today
Heroism pours out of our storied history. You don’t have to look far to find it and bring it to life for those we lead. Remind them that ‘Act II’ of yesterday’s courage is happening today, and to continue the living example of honor, service, sacrifice, and loyalty.
This week, it was announced that Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kettles, UH-1 Huey pilot in Vietnam, will receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at the Song Tra Cau riverbed in 1967. I’ll close with an excerpt from the summary of his actions, which so clearly represent the values we strive to display.
Upon learning that the 1st Brigade had suffered casualties during an intense firefight with the enemy, then-Maj. Charles S. Kettles, volunteered to lead a flight of six UH-1D helicopters to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and to evacuate wounded personnel. As the flight approached the landing zone, it came under heavy enemy attack. Deadly fire was received from multiple directions and Soldiers were hit and killed before they could leave the arriving lift helicopters.
Once airborne, Kettles was advised that eight troops had been unable to reach the evacuation helicopters due to the intense enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Kettles passed the lead to another helicopter and returned to the landing zone to rescue the remaining troops. Without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support, the enemy concentrated all firepower on his lone aircraft, which was immediately damaged by a mortar round that damaged the tail boom, a main rotor blade, shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble and was further raked by small arms and machine gun fire.
Despite the intense enemy fire, Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight Soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of Soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield.
What ideas do you have about how to make our history of service come alive to inspire the Soldiers of today? Leave a comment below!
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