The center piece of this unforgettable tale is the tragic truth that america. I read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a firsthand account of a rookie. Lessons from a platoon leader in afghanistan by jack malcolm 4. I tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men. A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I have never come across one that i did not like at its worst it is a collection of books that i have already read or do not think apply.
Other than the leadership aspect of the book, mcdonough is just a great story teller and is able to make the book engaging and addicting. Platoon leader details mcdonoughs time in vietnam commanding an undermanned platoon assigned to protecting a village in the strategic hamlet program. Books i recommend that every lieutenant reads include platoon leader by. Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough dzone agile. Army nco leaders book item covering the deployment sequence of events. As a first lieutenant and platoon leader, jimmy cross carried a compass, maps, code books, binoculars, and a. Platoon leader is a wonderful book that could serve as somewhat of a text book in command and control of men in combat. Mcdonough a bantam book published by arrangement with presidio press printing history presidio. Platoon leader is a 1988 cannon films film set in the vietnam war and directed by aaron norris. Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough i tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership.
Remove old pages insert new pages g7 through g12 g7 through g12 g15 g15 2. Platoon leader book pdf platoon leader book pdf platoon leader book pdf download. I was a supply platoon leader pl for 8 months in a brigade support battalion bsb. I have always had people around me that i trusted to tell me the unvarnished truth. Tripp reveals truths about our involvement in vietnam that are still true today with the. Richie is a seventeenyearold high school graduate from harlem. The book highlights the extreme nature of vietnam insomuch as long periods of boredom. Lai massacre was the vietnam war mass murder of unarmed south vietnamese. Lessons from my lai on drawing the line archived 8. Listen to msg nathan hepfer talk about how platoon leaders can build a great relationship with their platoon sergeant. Platoon leaders range from priorservice e6s fresh from an initial assignment to korea to prebolc officers.
The failures here span from higher echelons, myself, and to soldiers in my platoon. In short, leaders need to work hard to understand what leadership style will enable each of the individuals who report to them to be all that they can be and to do the same with respect to the. Ruths story from the bible is a remarkable journey of faith and of god using anyone to do his wll. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his first platoon.
A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. Heroes, renegades, infidels, and the brotherhood of war in afghanistan by sean parnell and john bruning is a nonfiction book about mr. Courtney the lieutenant years are the time we officers get our first real lessons in leadership, training, maintenance, supply, and soldier care. Though many people talk about the trials and tribulations of being a. I do turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. This month, we feature excerpts from advice applicable to 2lts as they transition from being cadets to. A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of. I would also make it a point to talk to platoon leaders early and often about how. Much credit goes to 1lt ginther for clearly learning the right lessons as a young leader, and for taking the time to capture and share them with the force.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read platoon leader. Eddie gallagher described as freaking evil by fellow. Advice for new lts things to know as a platoon leader. Platoon leader was a great book to give you a concise glimpse into the reality of one young army leader in vietnam. After the right flank platoon leader aligns the first rank, the platoon leader. Along the way, mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking, the importance of allies, and the strategic. It means telling the whole truth, unsolicited, even when it hurts you or someone else. R eading a post on the military leader one day, a question reminded me of a critical leadership lesson i learned from my time in command. I n his 2014 article, army first lieutenant scott ginther related 20 lessons from his path from west point cadet to platoon leader in afghanistan. Youre not going to be the greatest platoon leader ever this is hard to.
Army nco leaders book item covering the deployment sequence of events counseling data sheet suggested u. School was directed to establish a ranger department for the purpose of conducting a. There are many constants and foundational tenants to. Linux command line a complete introduction to the linux operating system and command line with pics unix, linux kemel, linux command line. The lessons you learn will fast remind you of the sacrifices our veterans made. As a platoon leader, i had a simple rule in the field, no squad leader could eat. Black hearts is a book that follows a platoon as they served in iraqs triangle of death in 2005. From the green notebook developing leaders one page at a. Army nco leaders book item covering team squad section and platoon training deployment sequence of events suggested u.
If you find yourself in the precarious position of wondering where do i stand as a leader, at some point you must face some brutal truths about what it. It is a truth universally acknowledged that every lieutenant compiles a list of things that theyll totally implement when they take command. Mcdonough retired is an impecable example for future and current young lieutenants that are preparing to take command of their first platoons. Reading lists the company leader leadership lessons. But, at its best, i find a treasure trove of new reading material. Reading lists are very common to the profession of arms. In an effort to increase the ratio of leaders toled in basic training, the center for initial military training is working to place a lieutenant platoon leader in each basic training platoon. But i did not expect to be mentoring or managing junior officers. Before it won the oscar for best picture of 1986, platoon made waves simply by. Training notes a platoon leaders reflection on readiness. When the platoon has completed the movement, the right flank platoon leader then commands dress right, dress and aligns the platoon the same as in platoon drill. The way platoon leaders and sergeants work together as a team can cause the success or failure of companies, battalions, brigades, and divisions. This makes it all the more important for platoon leaders and company commanders to study recent army history. Advice for new lts things to know as a platoon leader heyy its sj.
Page 1 of 2 1 2 team squad section platoon training suggested u. C tell him that he should ask the platoon leader to put him in your squad so that you can teach him how to be a better leader. Much credit goes to 1lt ginther for clearly learning the right lessons as a young leader. Platoon leader was a book my dad gave to me saying, here. Some, including platoon leaders, testified that the orders, as they understood. Lessons learned from the armys first field feeding company. Further, the short operational cycles allow them to repeatedly execute a plan through to completion, adjust that plan, and then execute a similar mission set to implement the lessons they learned. The successful lieutenant federation of american scientists. The things they carried 1990 is a collection of linked short stories by american novelist tim obrien, about a platoon of american soldiers fighting on the ground in the vietnam war.
Tell him that he should ask the platoon leader to take him out of the squad leader position until he learns more motivation techniques. I will use this book in my highschool english classes to teach new. One of the seals who accused their former platoon leader, retired special operations chief eddie gallagher, of war crimes in iraq said friday he stood by his testimony to navy investigators. From a company command or a platoon leader s reflection on readiness 1lt jason r. Scott shaw offers a panacea of valuable lessons from his two successful. There are many things we could learn from her story in. College students can enroll in plc when they are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors in college. Responsible for what the patrol does or fails to do. As an rto, mitchell sanders carried the prc25 radio, a killer, 26 pounds with its battery. The successful lieutenant by captain christopher j. The things they carried by tim obrien the things they carried. Army nco leaders book item covering the counseling data sheet.
I agree to adhere to the milsuite user agreement and the below terms and conditions. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd infantry division. It read, when was the last time you heard a unit commander ask for feedback, consider the input, publicly admit hes wrong, and change his opinion given that i have a vivid example of being humbled while in command, i felt compelled to share my story. Army nco leaders book item covering team squad section and platoon training. Finally, it will help you become a good officer and leader. Both books illustrated the difference that leadership makes in a tough situation, one from studying poor leadership and the other looking at strong leadership. Call sign chaos is the account of jim mattis storied career, from wideranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the middle east. The marine corps platoon leaders course plc is an alternative for nrotc or ocs for college students who wish to become commissioned officers in the united states marine corps.
He is passionate about communicating the truths of gods word in a creative, highlyrelevant way. The reality is most soldiers in your future platoons will have between 512 platoon leaders before they become sergeants first class. Lieutenant gearhart the inexperienced leader of richies platoon after lieutenant. Platoon leader book memoir in combat by james r mcdonough lessons for new army officers related. The property book should encompass your hand receipt, subhand receipt, a technical manual for each piece and quantity of equipment you are assigned, followed by the shortage annex of each piece of equipment. Developing basic training platoon leaders the company leader. A memoir of command in combat ebook written by james r. Platoon leader book memoir in combat by james r mcdonough lessons for new army officers when i was a young lieutenant, my enterprise commander gave me the assignment to read the book platoon leader. One platoon s descent into madness in iraqs triangle of death by jim frederick vietnam veteran and novelist edward wilson finds chilling echoes of that war in a us platoon.
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