Remember-there is a huge machine behind you. Task it ruthlessly.
Do what you think right and want to do, not what you think you must do. If you succeed, no one will notice how you got there, but you will get the credit. Fail and you won’t care.
Don’t try to be loved. Just try hard and lead always. All else follows.
Remember your basic human values. If you forget them or allow others to forget them, you forfeit your purpose and why we exist as a nation.
Things That Count
Casevac. Troop impressions of its management are as powerful as any bullet.
Water, food and ammo. It’s not rocket science. Maslow is hard at work here.
Sleep. Tired troops give the bad guys the edge. Especially the leaders.
Combined arms. Anything is cheaper and better than a soldier. Use it. It’s free.
Reporting precision. Initial combat reporting is always bad and always wrong. Help your boss make correct informed decisions.
Mail. Close to sexual gratification in isolation. Be the organizational pimp.
Accomplishing the mission. Do everything above and this will automatically follow.
Stuff To Work On Before Engagement
NCO roles and responsibilities. NCO’s make things happen. Officers watch. NEVER mess with this.
Concept and employment of clear measurable standards in all unit tasks. This is a CORE necessity. If you do not inculcate this, you WILL fail.
All weapons and all roles cross trained all the time. There is no guarantee of unit integrity when the battle is joined. Every soldier must be capable of doing every job.
Marksmanship and bullet control. Every round a hit. Spray and pray is for people who do not routinely get shot at. Assume if you don’t have it, you won’t get it. That is usually true.
When something is FU, stop it. Discuss it-bottom up. Restart. Reinforce success. Minimize failure.
Uniformity-packing, wearing, doing. It’s a mental thing and symbolic of the unit quality.
Delegation as a constant mantra in all things. Be lazy and observe. Practice this routinely. In combat, you can manage yourself and maybe the radio operator.
Physical fitness. Lead and make others follow. The core of every quality unit.
Communication skills. Up and down. Talk to your troops frequently-informally. Do not lecture-listen, watch, discuss. They want to know the Why from you. They will figure out the How.
Read history. A lot of good stuff there that can save your lives. Plagiarize frequently.
Get and stay involved. Get dirty. Be seen. Bullshit. Enjoy your people. It is a short tour.
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Disclaimer: SOFREP utilizes AI for image generation and article research. Occasionally, it’s like handing a chimpanzee the keys to your liquor cabinet. It’s not always perfect and if a mistake is made, we own up to it full stop. In a world where information comes at us in tidal waves, it is an important tool that helps us sift through the brass for live rounds.
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