Col. Bradley Macnealy
During my time in Iraq I found ten quotes and phrases that define my view of leadership.
Number 10: “It doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” I hated hearing someone trying to take credit. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit. That was one of the biggest differences between my peers and me. They were trying to take credit for everything. You should reward your people for initiative, bravery and ingenuity. Harry S. Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Number 9: “ Respect is hard to get; you have to earn it.” It may be hard to get, but it’s easy to throw away. You have to work at it every day. The very first time a leader does something immoral or unethical that leader loses respect. You will earn respect by taking care of your people and keeping your word. It happens one day at a time.
Number 8: “Don’t micromanage.” Empower your people. Our pilots went out and did an amazing job. We let them make decisions. Many of the active duty organizations would require their people to call back to get permission to do anything. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” (Lao Tzu, 4th century BC).
Number 7: “Take the initiative.” Things will only happen that you make happen. It is incumbent on leaders to encourage their people to take initiative. Weak individuals sit back and let others do the hard work. If everybody took this approach nothing would ever get done.
Number 6: “Customer service.” You have to have a customer service attitude. Many days we would get feedback that we screwed up a mission. I learned there are always two sides to every story. Instead of going down and chewing out somebody I knew the truth lay somewhere in between the two sides of the story and usually the first story is wrong.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please strengthen my heart and please make me fully devoted to you.
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
October 31
TOP TEN QUOTES ON LEADERSHIP (CONTINUED)
Col. Bradley Macnealy
Number 5: “Commanders in the field are always right, and the command pukes in the rear are always wrong.” General Metz used to say this. Our helicopters had three different flare types to defeat the surface to air missiles the enemy was using to try and shoot down our aircraft. Our higher-ups at headquarters said that we only needed one type, but we had to say no. I went with the intelligence our guys had and sent it up to the General to sign off on the risk involved in not having all three flares. The general sided with the guys in the field, and we got our flares.
Number 4: “Force multipliers.” The National Guard has multiple military operational specialties (MOS) per soldier. There may be only one military MOS but several civilian ones as well. When we applied what we knew in civilian life, our forces multiplied their capabilities significantly above the active duty’s ability to conduct missions. We can make the operation more efficient.
Number 3: “The center of gravity in peacetime is operations but the center of gravity in war is aviation maintenance.” It takes ten to fifteen hours of maintenance to fly one hour in a Black Hawk. We put the emphasis in supporting our maintenance guys. They kept us flying. We were able to fly twice the missions with half the helicopters in the first six months than the active duty element flew the entire year before us.
Number 2: “Leadership is an attitude.” My leadership philosophy used to be “competence and character,” but now it is: “Leadership Is an Attitude.” Whatever the attitude of leaders is, that is what the whole organization is going to adopt. What the leader portrays to his subordinates will be carried down throughout the organization. I believed in open and honest communication. That was a key component of how I wanted to define our organization.
Number 1: “A leader cares more about his troops than what his boss thinks.” I saw many leaders that were more concerned about impressing their bosses and getting good evaluations than they were about genuinely caring for their troops. You always care about your troops; everything else will fall in place.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, may you make me a man or woman after your own heart. May I lead others with your wisdom, power, and grace.
“The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
November 1
AN IED AT THE FRONT GATE
Captain David Graves, Officer with a Provisional Reconstruction Team in Iraq (2006)
I arrived at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Warhorse in March 2006. That was one of the more dangerous provinces since it was split 50 percent Sunni and 50 percent Shiite. When the tension grew between the religious factions the violence grew as well. FOB Warhorse was surrounded by major Iraqi roads on three sides. The Tigris River was on the other side and on the far side of the bank there were nothing but palm trees.
We were getting our stuff out after we arrived and I paused long enough to look up at the gate on the north side of the base and watch a convoy going by. There was an IED (improvised explosive device) that exploded on the convoy right in front of the base. The device had been planted at the front gate between the two guard towers. It hit an explosive ordinance truck and fortunately, no one was killed. But it shocked me that they could put an IED at the front gate of an American base between two guard posts.
When you feel like things are happening out of your control it is unsettling. Not only was it right under our noses, but it gave us the sense that no where was safe.
Prayer:
No matter what happens, Lord, I know all glory, majesty, power and authority are yours. Please keep me from falling. May I enter your glorious presence with great joy, knowing I am completely righteous in your eyes because of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for me.
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 24–25)
November 2
SAVED IN THE BATHROOM
Captain David Graves, Officer with a Provisional Reconstruction Team in Iraq (2006)
We had an artillery unit of paladins on the base. They would fire outbound a good bit. Some of it was counter battery fire; some of it was indirect fire mission supporting our guys. Sometimes they were shooting illumination rounds around our base to help base security detect people setting up mortars or sneaking close to the perimeter. The base would get shelled a fair amount but until your ear gets finely tuned its hard to tell whether or not a round is coming in are going out. Both are extremely loud. The UAV runway strip was right next to where we slept, and that created a lot of noise as well. It was a hot refuel point for helicopters too. It was very loud.
One night I was in my trailer winding down. We had just finished planning a mission for the next day. My roommate and I were sitting in our trailer talking. Suddenly there was a large boom. My roommate joked with me as he saw me flinch. He asked, “Don’t you know what a paladin sounds like by now?” I had come out of my seat and gone down to one knee. He said, “Graves, come on man, that’s the paladin shooting.” I told him he was right and started to return to my seat, feeling embarrassed, when shrapnel started raining down on the roof of our trailer. I looked at my roommate and said, “When a paladin shoots, stuff doesn’t land on our roof.”
Then we heard screaming. A mortar round hit a trailer three buildings down and one over from us. We had sandbags all around our trailers about waist high to limit indirect fire casualties. This round landed about chest high through the wall and into a young man’s bunk bed. Just before the round landed, the soldier had gotten out of bed to go and use the bathroom. He was sixty-five feet away using the bathroom when the round came in. His roommate was sleeping in the bed on the other
side of the trailer and he was peppered by shrapnel. It didn’t kill him, but it wounded him pretty bad. He was the one doing the screaming.
It was weird to think that the soldier’s life was saved because of the nature call. It seemed entirely random.
Prayer:
Dear God, my life and the length of my days are in your hands. Please continue to keep those I know and love safe whenever they’re in harm’s way.
“You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.” (Job 10:12)
November 3
HERITAGE OF FAITH
Maj. John Croushorn, MD (retired veteran)
I remember the Sunday worship our unit headquarters company would have during drill. It used to motivate me to hear the sound of all those men singing old hymns. That was amplified in sound and emotion when those hymns were sung in Iraq. They were truly battle hymns.
There was a tent the chaplains used to conduct services at Balad. It was one of the few tents on the airstrip side of the road. Because it was next to the runway it would be pretty noisy and that resulted in louder singing. As we sung worship songs, it was easy to appreciate the very real implications of God’s grace, mercy and protection that filled the pages. I would think of the countless soldiers who have worshiped while deployed and that seemed to tie me to another aspect of the warrior heritage.
The heritage of faith is strong in the military. Contrary to the old adage, there actually are a few agnostics in foxholes, but the realities of war and the proximity of death will cause the most hardened of men and women to consider the frailty of life and their own humanity. It was comforting and inspiring to sing those songs and pray with others who were of the same mind. We came from all over the country and were raised in many different denominations, but worship drew us together.
We bring back many life experiences: traumatic memories, fatigue, and discomfort, but the experience of faith practiced during war solidified my beliefs. The memories of worship and teaching, combined with the deep questions and prayer and the day-to-day encounters with the frailty of life are something that returned with me. My children and family benefit from that part of my experience.
Prayer:
I believe in you, Lord, and completely put my faith and trust in you. Move my heart to worship you again today.
“Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.” (2 Samuel 22:50)
November 4
FAITH IN GOD IS IMPORTANT TO SOLDIERS
Cdr. Robert T. Garretson
Like many others in America and around the world, I was profoundly affected by the events of September 11. Like so many I would ponder the depravity of the individual act, but also how it fit in with the theory of a just and loving God. For a man on the cusp of Christianity, these were tough questions to ponder. On that day, I was on deployment, and our carrier was just getting ready to enter the Persian Gulf. As events unfolded over the course of the following weeks, it became apparent that we would be going to war.
It has been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, and I certainly didn’t intend on disproving the theorem. I began to ask myself such questions as, “Can I be a Christian and a military officer?” Without a good knowledge or foundation in the Christian faith, I was unprepared to answer such a question. I also had no idea how war fit into the personal crisis of faith. I had trained and instructed in tactics and operations for over eleven years. I knew that I was mentally and operationally ready for the actions of warfare, but where was I spiritually?
Of my own accord and through my own morality, I had already arrived at my personal “Just War” theory. Remarkably, in hindsight, it seemed to mirror the theory that Cicero developed in the first century BC. “There must be just cause, there must be formal declaration of war by the constituted authority, and the war must be conducted justly.”{1}
Throughout our involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom, I had time to dwell upon the stirring spirituality and burgeoning faith that I was beginning to feel. On a six-to ten-hour combat flight there was ample time to ponder life’s greater meaning. I was also beginning to understand that the journey along the road to faith did not have to be a solitary one; I could stop and ask for directions.
At this point I began to speak with the chaplain. I figured after thirty-three years of self-study with no results, it was probably best to consult with someone better spiritually equipped than I was. The chaplain did two great things for me that day. First, he recommended that I take the time to look at the Bible. Second, he brought me to realize that I had to make the decision to accept Christ not just by myself but also for myself. It would be a decision that would take me well over a year to make.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I think of those who haven’t put their faith and trust in you yet. Please cause them to start asking questions and looking for answers in your Word, the Bible. Bring a godly chaplain across their path. Lead them to yourself, I pray.
Commander Robert T. Garretson was deployed with a Navy F-14 Fighter squadron, VF-213, “The Black Lions” as a part of the USS Carl Vinson carrier battle group. They were among the first into combat after September 11, 2001.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16)
November 5
A JUST WAR?
Cdr. Robert T. Garretson
Ten months home from deployment, I was asked to give a presentation to a group of students. The topic was to cover my involvement during the war in Afghanistan. In preparation for my lecture, the students had sent me a number of questions that they hoped to have answered. One of the questions had to deal with religion and the justification of war. It was a topic that I had not actively thought about since my return to the United States.
I knew that there had to be something in the Bible to answer this question. Time and time again I was steered by readings and theology to Romans 13:1: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
From my own personal moral convictions and my rather rudimentary study of the scripture, I was able to come to a “Just War Theory” that was reminiscent of the works of Calvin and Locke.
Both in theory and in historical statement, then, the key thesis of the just war theory is that on the basis both of Scripture and natural law, government (and only government) has the right to use armed force, and then only in the defense of peace and justice and with severe limitations on both the ends and the means adopted. In as much as Christians participate in government and serve as government’s official agents, then, they may however regretfully and with however much moral caution fight.{2}
Prayer:
I thank you that those in authority are servants of your kingdom, Lord, whether or not they know you. Please cause them to do what is right and what will bring glory to your name.
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong…. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Romans 13:1–5)
November 6
BEGINNING MY BIBLE STUDY
Cdr. Robert T. Garretson
Following my initial spiritual awakening during deployment, one could say that my road to spiritual growth was paved with good intentions. I started to regularly attend church and Bible study with my wife, but I still had not had an illuminating moment of Christian conversion. I purchased a Bible and a devotional study guide designed to lead me through the entire Bible within a year.
Despite carrying both books across the country numerous times, I failed to ever take the time to actually sit down and begin to study.
By October 2002, I was fully entrenched in the day to day toils of being a department head in a fighter squadron. I was responsible for ten aircraft and the leadership of approximately three hundred people. It was a time of great stress and great reward, but I seemed to be unappreciative of the opportunities.
The squadron was on detachment to Fallon, so my workload as the Maintenance Officer was on the rise. Yet again away from home, I was reminded that for the first eighteen months of my young son’s life, I had been separated from him for the combined total of almost a year. For almost ten months I had been battling a foot ailment which, despite the best efforts of the doctors, made it difficult to even wear a boot. I had reached a point where I was feeling stressed, homesick, and melancholy.
On October, 30, 2002, I awoke in my room at the Bachelors Officers Quarters like any other day. Arriving at the squadron to brief the Commanding Officer on the status of the jets, I discovered that my daily flight had been cancelled. Normally, this meant the opportunity to get caught up on paperwork, or maybe head back to the ‘Q’ for a good workout or a little bit of TV.
I’m not sure what it was that finally prodded me to pick up my Bible and study guide. The devotional is set up in a manner that provides a contextual preview, assigns a specific scripture reading, and then has a personal application. The passage in the scripture reading that day would forever change my spiritual life:
Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan Page 42