Special Forces soldiers work in foreign lands with situations which are not always completely clear from its beginning. The Special Operation Imperatives serve as the base for success by providing the framework to develop and assist the host nation in achieving their desired goals. Through this essay I will use the novel “The Ugly American” (William J. Lederer & Eugene Burdick) to provide context to the benefits of applying such imperatives and the consequences of improper application. I will bring to light the actions of the characters and depict the reasons why the application of the imperative made the character succeed or fail in his desired goal.
The first character that I will discuss is Honorable Louis Sears, American Ambassador to
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He informed the prince that he personally did not care about the resemblance to him in the picture, but proclaiming that it hurt relations between the two countries. The prince, aware of Sears’ shallowness, directed a positive article to be published in order to relieve tensions.
A third failure in understanding the operational environment occurred when Sears coordinated the delivery of rice from Haidho to the stricken area in Sarkhan. His lack of understanding of the Sarkhanese and communist tactics was reciprocated by his subordinates. The latter became evident when the rice bags were labeled as if coming from the communists and no USIS employee realized what it meant. In addition, there was no effort from US employees to talk or interact with locals at the destination. The confusion led the Sarkhanese to believe that the rice bags in fact were provided by the communists.
A good description of Sears’ failure in understanding the operational environment was provided by Ambassador Louis Krupitzyn on his report to Moscow. Krupitzyn wrote how Sears kept his subordinates away from the Sarkhanese and didn’t allow them to “go into the hills.” This disconnect between the American employees and the Sarkhanese provided Moscow with the ability to freely connect with the population and turn the table
The movie 12 O’clock High was filmed and produced in 1949 directly after World War Two. This was a critical moment in American history simply because this was the first time that America was the greatest power globally. Due to this rise in international responsibility from power, patriotism soared in the United States. Culturally films like 12 O’clock High were produced highlighting important roles that were played in the defeat of the Axis powers during World War Two. On a more extensive note, the film displays what leadership influence tactics can be used to drastically turn a unit around during a time of war. This unit, part of the American Army Air Force, is known as the 918th Bomber Group located in England, during the year of 1942. At the beginning of the film, Col. Davenport was the Air Commanding Officer with Lt. Col. Gately as the Air Executive Officer. However, General Savage had to step in and relieve Col. Davenport of command after several major battle losses cause morale to fall to an all-time low. Additionally, Lt. Col. Gately is also relieved of command as Air Executive Officer and placed as an aircraft commander due to his inability to fly missions and be a part of the “team effort”. This is the major turning point in the movie as from this point forward the 918th Bomber Group eventually becomes a brutal fighting force with the help Major Stovall who is the administrator for the Air Commanding Officer. This paper will discuss the interactional framework:
BG Clayton had time to piece together a plan, it would include the 19th Special Forces Group, the 184th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), the Marines out of Camp Pendleton which he already had buy-in from General Charkin and the Air Force at Travis and March Air Force Bases. This was outside of what the Branch Commanders had already planned as a response to Texas entering the war on the side of the SSA. The plan was a major reinforcement of Fort Benning, the 184th would jump into Benning. The 19th SF would HALO onto Lawson Army Airfield and secure it allowing for the Marines to be brought in. Once the Marines had landed they would take over the security of the airfield and then move the main force to fort Benning and its surrounding area.
Throughout the film Seal Team Six: The Raid of Osama Bin Laden, John Stockwell (director) displays the themes of The Club and Heroism like it was shown in the works of Marlantes' book What it is Like to Go to War. The positive and negative ideas within the film are explained by the reviewers and I by going over the true thoughts that we have thought about after watching this film. Also, two reviewers demonstrate their position on the movie and what sticks out to them in regards to the people, the storyline, and themes.
The Special Operations Force (SOF) Imperatives prescribe key operational requirements that Special Forces Soldiers must incorporate into their mission planning and execution for the greatest chance at mission success. The Ugly American is a fictional book first published in 1958 that offers an insight to American arrogance, incompetence, and corruption, but bears a remarkable resemblance of how America stills thinks and functions abroad today. The book portrays characters serving as foreign dignitaries in Southeast Asia whom, for the most part, were grossly ineffective in their duties. A number of these characters served in key positions that could have made a difference in the struggle with communism had they incorporated the SOF
Deceased philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, “War does not determine who is right- only who is left”. Those left are the soldiers of the 1-502nd, specifically Bravo Company 1st plt, and the Janabi family and to a greater extent, the ever-changing global world we all live in today. The tragic events that conspired in a small Iraqi village became a microcosm of how leadership failures at every level shaped the actions of a few soldiers who committed atrocious acts. One can also see how a high operational tempo, along with prolonged violence and death, has on a person’s psyche. It is the ugly side of war that the average American citizen may not want to hear or talk about. For a soldier, it is inevitably what they train their
Krulak's telling of the Corps' history is among the sections which retains its relevance. At all points, Krulak's historical reporting is clear, straightforward and in the cases of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, strengthened by the author's firsthand and experience-driven accounts. Certainly, Krulak's experience is among the text's most important virtues. Indeed, this also informs the sense of protectiveness and resentment that sometimes emerges in the text as a product of what Krulak characterizes as a sort of relegation and isolation within the broader American defense scheme. In a sequence
While attending the Moscow School of Southeast Asian Areas, Krupitzyn enrolled as the Ambassador-designate for Sarkhan. After his designation as the future ambassador to Sarkhan, he and his wife dedicated two years to learning about Sarkhan. They learned not to just speak, but to read and write Sarkhanese. Louis’s study of the socially acceptable model of a Sarkhanese man and the subsequent modeling of his life on those principles further highlight his understanding of the operational environment in
The main wave of the paratroopers drops were accompanied by another wave of diversionary drops. The diversionary planes dropped off chaff, dummies and noisemakers at areas away from the actual Drop Zones. The main wave went around the Cotentin peninsula and entered the German airspace over the west Cotentin coast. They flew in the northwest direction over the Drop Zones, and exited through Utah Beach.
Paul Du Quenoy is a prolific historian with a plethora of works including books, book collaborations, articles, and review essays on topics spanning a wide swath of Russian history. He has worked in multiple educational establishments, and currently gives lectures on history at the American university of Beirut. This source is an incredible trove of information on the intricacies of the opinions surrounding an overarching topic in Khrushchev's downfall: his foreign policy initiatives and army management. This corroborates the topic of the industrial-military complex in the work Nikita Khrushchev, as well as offer direct references to a report made just for the sake of Khrushchev's dismissal that lists in detail exactly why Khrushchev's foreign
In the case reading “Darker Shades of Blue: A Case Study of Failed Leadership”. This case study showed how Lt. Col. Arthur “Bud” Holland’s used his personal power to influence his leadership to allow him to take uncalculated risks for over three years, which resulted in the crash of Czar 52, killing not only himself, but several other airmen as well. This case also showed how the leadership did not use its position power to stop Lt. Col Holland from exhibiting his risky behavior. In fact, the article states that there is no evidence to indicate that commanders at any level took any action as a result of Lt. Col. Holland’s flight activities.
Over the last ten years, the United States has enjoyed unequalled success in multiple campaigns while often in protracted conflict, and astoundingly each victory has been achieved with an all-volunteer force. These accomplishments are a byproduct of the tenacity, personal character, and ethos of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) men and women who are determined to win the fight no matter what the cost; however, it must be considered that this great strength can also precede a great weakness, “forgetting.” The SOF community dare not forge into the future until it considers the lessons that can be learned from the past. “There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” (Antoinette)
Every boy in his lifetime have a period of time where they wanted to be a hero, to prove they are a man. Henry has done exactly that, by joining the army. This book is called The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. This book is about Henry joining the army wanting to a hero but finds himself doubting his courage. Stephen Crane uses The main character Henry and his green regiment to display the condition and emotions of a soldier and a regiment as a whole.
Parts five and six bring together the personal and professional relationship between Marines themselves and the American public. These relationships, forged by the millions of men and women who have donned the Marine Corps uniform, are a result of training methods and careful selection. General Krulak gives the reader a taste of why Marines do what they have come to be known as America’s force in readiness. First to Fight has many good traits. The book, while easy to read and addictively interesting, never sugarcoats the intense conflicts between high level officials. General Krulak enhances the “official” record with personal accounts of events and people now legendary. His no-holds-barred approach to his writing makes General Krulak’s book both honest and educational. His explanations of the struggle to keep the Marine Corps alive and the early development of amphibious doctrine make First to Fight a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the modern Marine Corps. In parts of the book, General Krulak provides a mountain of detail. While these facts would be of great historical value for a reader who knows military structure and nomenclature, they tend to bog down the reader at points. The political volleys also tend to get tedious when the General describes the how the Marine Corps had to fight tooth and nail for institutional survival. These
A leader unwilling to sacrifice individual goals for the good of the unit cannot convince other unit members to do so. The mission suffers with potentially devastating effects. While personal goals often coincide with Army goals, there is no room for personal agendas at the expense of the institution or the American people. It is a standard in the hierarchy of military customs and courtesies that the leader must display to his subordinates that he is willing to put in extra effort, sacrifice personal time, and show initiative and motivation in order to achieve the same from his Soldiers.
Rarely are we able to have face to face contact with great leaders let alone have enough time to hear their stories on the battlefield and what secrets lead them to success. A young future military officer may not have the opportunity to meet such great leaders or have the time to interview them but what they do have is time to read. Pete Blaber’s “The Mission, The Men, and Me” exposes his on the ground account of the operations he has commanded and further explains the many guiding principles that lead him to much success in all his endeavors, personal and military. Future officers