The Tactical/Technical/Ethical Connection

[Tgace]

I found this interesting (to me at least) speech given by General Kevin P. Byrnes. In it he mentions the importance of the "Warrior Ethos" in the success of our fighting forces. I find it interesting that the most "advanced" military in the world (regarding equipment, techniques and tactics) finds that something as intangable as ethos is necessary. What connections can we make with our own training??

http://www-tradoc.army.mil/Speeches.htm

Warrior Ethos: I think the chief [Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker] talked to you about that. [The four tenets of Warrior Ethos are] mission first, refuse to accept defeat, never quit, never leave a fallen comrade behind. We allowed our Army to get too focused technically as we trained our Soldiers. Culturally we did not allow our other-than-combat organizations to focus on "Soldier first." They were too busy maintaining equipment, repairing equipment, maintaining high technical skills that were so perishable. And then we didn’t get them out to the field, we didn’t give them the rifle qualification twice a year, we didn’t give them the things they needed to be able to fight when called upon. We knew that, and we were working that a couple of years ago. Then the 507th Maintenance Company got into contact and had some problems with weapons cleanliness and internal discipline because the weapons weren’t clean. The Soldiers didn’t make sure it was being done properly, the noncommissioned officers didn’t reinforce it, and we lost Soldiers. (We) just (need to) reinforce that need, so we’ve embraced this Warrior Ethos. We’re looking at IET. We’re going to put a lot more rigor in IET in terms of weapons qualification, physical fitness, etc. And we’re going to produce a much better qualified Soldier at the end of it.

*IET= Initial Entry Training (Basic)

 

[Tgace]

http://atiam.train.army.mil/portal/atia/adlsc/view/public/300091-1/fm/7-21.13/chap1.htm#sec1

THE WARRIOR ETHOS

1-6. Your adherence to Army values and your commitment to doing your best is the basis of the warrior ethos. The warrior ethos is an individual and collective quality of all soldiers. It is that frame of mind whereby soldiers will not quit until they have accomplished their mission. It compels soldiers to fight through all conditions to victory, no matter how long it takes and no matter how much effort is required. It is the professional attitude that inspires every soldier to fulfill his obligations, regardless of the obstacles.

Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the nation will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country…

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur1-3

1-7. At its core, the warrior ethos is the refusal to accept failure and instead overcome all obstacles with honor. It begins as the soldier’s selfless commitment to the Nation, mission, unit and fellow soldiers. It is developed and sustained through discipline, realistic training, commitment to Army values, and pride in the Army’s heritage. This demands continual development, learning new skills and preparing to lead soldiers. Take another look at the Introduction to this FM. When (then) SPC Hagemeister, a medic, saw that he would have to fight in order to do his job, he did it without hesitation. He was trained and confident in his ability to provide medical care for his fellow soldiers and in his ability to fight to get it done.

1-8. The Army has forged the warrior ethos on training grounds from Valley Forge to the Combat Training Centers and sharpened it in combat from Bunker Hill to Baghdad. It echoes through the precepts in the Code of Conduct. The warrior ethos produces the will to win. Will and a winning spirit apply in more situations than just those requiring physical courage. Sometimes you’ll have to carry on for long periods in very difficult situations. The difficulties soldiers face may not always be ones of physical danger, but of great physical, emotional, and mental stress, as can occur in support operations. Will empowers you to drive on during extended deployments, under appalling conditions, and without basic necessities.

1-9. Confidence enhances both physical courage and will. That confidence in the ability of leaders, fellow soldiers, and the justness of the mission strengthen the soldier’s resolve to fulfill his duty to the best of his ability. He knows that if he is wounded, his buddies and the Army medical system will do everything in their power to save his life. He knows that if he is captured or missing, the Nation will spare no resource in returning him to US control. And he knows that if he is killed in battle, he died fighting for his fellow soldiers and protecting our people in a just cause.

1-10. Self-confidence is the faith that you’ll act correctly and ethically in any situation, even one in which you’re under stress and don’t have all the information you want. Self-confidence comes from competence. It’s based on mastering skills, which takes hard work, realistic training and dedication. Soldiers who know their own capabilities and believe in themselves are self-confident. Don’t mistake loudmouthed bragging or self-promotion for self-confidence. Self-confident soldiers don’t need to advertise because their actions say it all. Self-confidence is important for leaders, soldiers, and teams. Self-confident leaders instill confidence in their people. In combat, self-confidence helps soldiers control doubt and reduce anxiety. Together with will and self-discipline, self-confidence helps leaders act—do what must be done in circumstances where it would be easier to do nothing—and to convince their people to act as well.

No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great—Duty First!
Motto of the 1st Infantry Division


1-11. The effect of the warrior ethos is that all soldiers understand they must be prepared, and are confident in their ability, to accomplish their assigned tasks—even in the face of enemy resistance—anytime, anywhere on the battlefield. The clear message is this: regardless of where adversaries encounter you, the American soldier, you will not hesitate to destroy them if they attempt to interfere with your mission, whatever it may be. Don’t overlook the importance of this. Many other soldiers depend on what you do, so you cannot allow any obstacle or enemy action to prevent you from accomplishing your assigned task.

1-12. America has a proud tradition of winning. The ability to forge victory out of the chaos of battle includes overcoming fear, hunger, deprivation, and fatigue. The Army wins because it fights hard; it fights hard because it trains hard; and it trains hard because that’s the way to win. The warrior ethos fuels the fire to fight through the worst of conditions to victory no matter how long it takes, no matter how much effort is required. It sustains the will to win when the situation looks hopeless and doesn’t show any indications of getting better, when being away from home and family is a profound hardship. The soldier who jumps on a grenade to save his comrades is courageous, without question. That action requires great physical courage, and pursuing victory over time also requires a deep moral courage to persevere and concentrate on the mission.

1-13. Actions that safeguard the nation occur everywhere that you find soldiers. The warrior ethos spurs the lead tank driver across a line of departure into uncertainty. It causes the bone-tired medic continually to put others first. It pushes the sweat-soaked military police soldier to remain vigilant regardless of the extreme temperature. It drives the infantry soldier steadily toward the objective despite heavy enemy fire. It presses the signaler to provide communications in a blinding sandstorm. And the warrior ethos urges the truck driver along roads bounded by minefields because fellow soldiers at an isolated outpost need supplies. Such tireless motivation comes in part from the comradeship that springs from the warrior ethos. Soldiers fight for each other; they would rather die than let their buddies down. Such loyalty runs front to rear as well as left to right: mutual support marks Army culture regardless of who you are, where you are, or what you are doing.

We will always complete the Mission to the Best of our Ability.
We will Never Surrender.
We will Never leave a Soldier behind.
An attack on any one of us is an attack on us all.
Where goes one so goes us all.

Creed of the 272nd Chemical Company, Massachusetts ARNG1-5


1-14. Each soldier has an important job to do, necessary to the overall unit mission. Soldiers throughout the Army, for example, perform the duties of medics, infantrymen, cooks, truck drivers, mechanics, legal clerks, and aviators. We bring fuel to the tanks, we scout for the enemy, we listen to the enemy’s signals, and we teach young Americans what it takes to be a soldier. We defend against air attacks, ensure soldiers are properly paid, and process awards to recognize soldiers’ accomplishments. We know that these efforts and more support a team and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That realization, coupled with the warrior ethos, cause us to complete our task successfully. If the enemy tries to interfere with our ability to accomplish an assigned task, the warrior ethos causes us to defeat that interference.

1-15. The warrior ethos concerns character, shaping who you are and what you do. It is linked to Army values such as personal courage, loyalty to comrades, and dedication to duty. Both loyalty and duty involve putting your life on the line, even when there’s little chance of survival, for the good of a cause larger than yourself. That’s the clearest example of selfless service. Soldiers never give up on their comrades and they never compromise on doing their duty. Integrity underlies the character of the Army as well. The warrior ethos requires unrelenting and consistent determination to do what is right and to do it with pride, both in war and military operations other than war. Understanding what is right requires respect for both your comrades and other people involved in complex arenas like peace operations and nation assistance. In such situations, decisions to use lethal or nonlethal force severely test judgment and discipline. In every circumstance, soldiers turn the personal warrior ethos into a collective commitment to win with honor.

 

[tshadowchaser]

It is that frame of mind whereby soldiers will not quit until they have accomplished their mission. It compels soldiers to fight through all conditions to victory, no matter how long it takes and no matter how much effort is required. It is the professional attitude that inspires every soldier to fulfill his obligations, regardless of the obstacles

This can be said to be true in what I want in the students I have in my school. I want them not to give up on anything : from excercises to learning new things to their jobs or thier schooling. I want themto learn that they can succed if they keep trying. I feel that being positive in the overcomeing of obsticals in the school/dojo can and will transfer to their everyday life. Given a goal, be it set forth by themsleves or others, I want them to accomplish those goals.

 

[Tgace]

The warrior ethos concerns character, shaping who you are and what you do. It is linked to Army values such as personal courage, loyalty to comrades, and dedication to duty. Both loyalty and duty involve putting your life on the line, even when there’s little chance of survival, for the good of a cause larger than yourself. That’s the clearest example of selfless service. Soldiers never give up on their comrades and they never compromise on doing their duty.

Those soldiers who refused to do their convoy mission in Iraq should be made to write this on the blackboard a few hundred times.

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Ah, American army tatics (not good). Toooo idealistic for me and not enough of the real stuff!