The General Who Jumped First From childhood hardships to becoming the youngest General in World War II (WWII), James M. Gavin was an exemplary leader who highly valued his men. For instance, when it came to jumping behind enemy lines, Lieutenant General (LTG) Gavin was always the first to exit the paratroop door. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Army leadership attributes and competencies displayed by LTG Gavin throughout his military career. From his first combat jump into Sicily to his last in Holland, LTG Gavin was a leader who always fought alongside his soldiers, and was constantly training his young officers. LTG Gavin demonstrated such leadership capabilities throughout all four of his combat jumps in WWII which included …show more content…
According to Carlo D 'Este, however, James Gavin’s determination and intellect fueled him to devote countless hours to studying – sometimes even in the bathroom – which ultimately led to his successful graduation from the university in 1929 (2011). James Gavin commissioned into the infantry where he held traditional Army roles from the ranks of 2LT to MAJ. In 1941, with impending war on the horizon, Gavin was among the first groups to attend the Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA. Following jump school, Gavin wrote the first manual covering the employment and operations of airborne units in combat. Then in 1942, COL Gavin became the Commander of the 505th PIR, which Carlo D’Este describes as “one of the finest [regiments] ever produced by the army” (2011). The Airborne Leader Who Dominated the Initial Stages of WW2 In the early stages of WW2, as the commander of the 505th PIR COL Gavin and his troopers made their first combat jump into Sicily. The purpose of the operation was to prevent the Germans and Italians from launching a counter attack against the Seventh Army who were securing a foothold on the southern coast. Immediately after hitting the ground, COL Gavin realized the drop was unsuccessful and that his regiment was scattered over southern Sicily. In this event COL Gavin showed his leadership and character as he gathered
You can ask ten different Soldiers what an Army leader is, or what they believe a good Army leader is. It will not matter the rank, time in service or the maturity level of that Soldier because more than likely you will get ten different answers. Everyone has their own opinions on what an Army leader is, or what they believe a good Army leader is. By definition leadership in the Army is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (ADRP 6-22, 2012). There are three leadership competencies that make an Army leader; leads, develops and achieves.
The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a
This paper will briefly analyze the case study— Rebecca S. Halstead: Steadfast Leadership, and examine General Rebecca Halstead 's career history and how through her personal attributes, skills, experiences and challenges she developed into a successful leader and commander in the U.S. Army. Although General Halstead faced a number of challenges during her career, this paper will focus primarily on her leadership style and philosophy specifically with leading teams and dealing with difficult bosses.
Leadership development in the military is critical to its mission and objectives. Understanding and embracing leadership will foster an agile culture and facilitate attainment of strategic goals. People desire quality leadership to assist with achieving their goals, albeit personal or professional development. Having a clear vision and the motivation to perform at high-levels influences others to work synergistically together to achieve organizational goals. Insomuch, employees value being treated respectfully, fairly, and ethically. Leaders serve people best when they help them develop their own initiative and good judgment, enable them to grow, and help them become better contributors.
This paper on Leadership will compare the primary differences and characteristics between the tactical leader and the organizational leader. I will provide you with the basics for development, characteristics, and the fundamentals that help guide and influence each leader’s style and how they influence Soldiers to follow them. Leaders at all levels demonstrate their values, knowledge, skills, and abilities in many different means and methods in
General Tommy Franks defines well practiced leadership and superior intelligence for combat decision making. His personal values and character define how all Army leaders should lead their men. General Franks practices the Army Values religiously and sets an example for courage and commitment. His successful accomplishments will be addressed in this essay, including how the Warrior Ethos and Army values were displayed by his decisions.
I have chosen to write about my old Battalion Commander, Brigadier General(BG) Peter Jones. The then Lieutenant Colonel(LTC) Jones oversaw my Infantry Battalion when I deployed to Ramadi, Iraq. He displayed numerous attributes that I model my military career from; he had an unwavering presence and strong intellect. His competence was also the highest that I have ever encountered in my military career; he was a lead from the front type of leader and strove to achieve nothing but success whilst keeping the soldiers in his command in the front of his mind. I have set my standards of leadership off BG Jones and that is why he is my personal leader of influence. I will outline some examples of him throughout this paper.
He received citations for meritorious service and a promotion to Brevet Major. This stemmed from his sense of duty, willingness to face danger, and by leading from the front.
The purpose of this paper is to address how I, SSG Schumacher, have identified Major Robert Rogers as a legacy leader and a leader of influence in my military career as a non-commissioned officer and member of the military intelligence community. This paper will cover three main topics in which I will first discuss a brief history of the life of Major Rogers. Then, his impact on the evolution of warfare and leadership attributes on the United States Army. Finally, I will discuss how his leadership attributes led to him making an impact on the military today and Soldiers such as myself.
Rudder’s Rangers played a significant role in the D-Day invasion by storming the beach at Pointe du Hoc under constant enemy fire, scaling 100 meter cliffs with unreliable radio communications between his troops, reached and destroyed German Gun Batteries. General Omar N. Bradley the American ground commander selected Rudder’s Ranger’s, a group approximately 500 hand selected Soldiers trained by Rudder (Humanities Texas, 2011). Rudder shot twice was amongst the nearly 50 percent wounded in his battalion
Active Combative roles: fought in the Army (focus on 54th Massachusetts Infantry) and in the Navy (Robert Smalls)
Brigadier General Gavin demonstrated effectiveness in winning the Battle of the Bulge by applying Mission Command Philosophies of Command, according to ADRP 6-0, Mission Command. BG Gavin always committed his
The main points of this article relate to the changing nature of warfare (think terrorism and advancements in technology) and the adjustments military leaders are obliged to make. Hence, according to the article, leaders must: a) be trained in critical thinking skills; b) be "committed to life-long [and self-directed] learning"; c) be willing to take the initiative to "diagnose" their goals, needs,
Some of Huebner’s achievements were, “1st Lieutenant 1916, Captain 1917, Major (NA) 1918 Lieutenant Colonel 1938, Colonel (AUS) 1941, Brigadier General 1942, Major General 1943, Lieutenant General 1947, Instructor, Infantry School 1920-22, Student, Infantry School 1922-23, Student, Command & General Staff School 1924-25, Instructor, Infantry School 1925-28, Student, Army War College 1928-29, Instructor,
Born November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, General George Smith Patton, Jr. was one of the most complicated, yet greatest leaders in military history. On June 11, 1909, he attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for a year and then to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regiment. Growing up, Patton’s ultimate life goal was to become a hero and a successful leader. In Robert B. Williamson’s book, “General Patton’s Principles for Life & Leadership”, the author takes a personal account of Patton’s principles which he lived and fought for. These main principles consisted of the following: Leadership,