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The Army Leadership Attributes And Competencies Displayed By Ltg Gavin

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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

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