Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/book-review-on-platoon-leader-a-memoir-of-command-in-combat/, Hire skilled expert and get original paper in 3+ hours, Run a free check or have your essay done for you, Didn`t find the right sample? When everyone treats each other like family, and sentimentality is encouraged, people are willing to work harder and invest more of themselves in the work and the group. That is why that is a reason I both enjoyed it as well as didn't enjoy it. Literature, Community, Leadership, Books, Learning, Allegiance, Military, Principles. Savage was a dynamic leader It should be required reading for leaders of all types. From the looks of it as he enters the platoon, there are two main groups; one cynical and toughened that are below Sergeant Barnes, and a hopeful idealistic group below Sergeant Elias. I looked at the cover with mixed feelings at first, apprehensive about reading it. A portrait of the platoon commander I should be and desire to be, James McDonough's gritty and honest recollection of his Platoon Leader tour has inspired me to hone my own skills, reexamine my heart with brutal honesty, and reflect consistently on my intentions, outcomes and mistakes (that should not be repeated). Accessed 18 January 2023. Get expert help in mere And 'out of love for her brother' promises to give her body to antagonist to 'save the brother'." He had to coordinate the movements of each of his units with any nearby friendly units to prevent fratricide. Indeed, in both wartime and peacetime, an army commander watches over the lives of those under his charge, hence it is our immense but honourable responsibility to be competent and ca. A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.' "Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. View Series List. (2) The platoon leader assigns sectors of fire for each squad using his laser pointer. "Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat: Review." . 3. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. Ranked in top 10% of class in Mechanized Leader's Course at Fort Benning, GA. McDonough doesn't shy away from criticizing himself and others, so his retelling of events shows the good as well as the questionable actions that he experienced. It is a book that will open both your eyes and your heart to what those who choose the infantry face in that war. Leaders who are excellent communicators also need to be capable of inspiring others. Because they occasionally require it to relieve their stress from the . Knight's platoon moves to their position in the jungle and Knight orders McNamara to scout ahead to bring another platoon into position. How can one cope with being thrown into the middle of chaos from a structured society? The honesty with which moral and morale issues are addressed in real and unflinching detail. Order custom essay Book Review on Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat Or you can rent or purchase the film right now on Amazon Prime. Average Platoon Leader Salary $47,908 Yearly $23.03 hourly $25,000 10 % $47,000 Median $89,000 90 % What Am I Worth? Please try again later. A week later, Major Flynn gives Knight 3 new replacements including a rebellious Private named Don Pike. This book is both a historical insight into the Vietnam War from the perspective of the American infantry and a veritable lesson on leadership. The second leadership lesson obtained from Platoon Leader is grace under pressure. ), graduated from West Point and served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173d Airborne Brigade.A military theorist who has helped shape the post-Cold War army's thinking, he is also the author of The Defense of Hill 781 and The Limits of Glory.Now retired from active duty, McDonough lives with his family in Tallahassee, Florida. It is not a boring book on tactics and how they work in theory. However, his wishes change when he is met with Barnes and sees what he does. A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.' "Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. There are many instances where it seems as though McDonough is truly in dire straits; during his first patrols as platoon leader, he felt as though he was "along for the ride" (p. 47). That integrity alone makes this book unique. js.id=id; Without personal experience of combat to judge against, I found this to be an authentic description of life in combat. The platoon is then attacked by Mortar fire and Knight is hit by shrapnel, damaging his eye, but Sergeant Roach applies first aid. especially Lt. Jimmy Cross, the platoon commander and a first lieutenant. 10 minutes with: Book Review on Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat, Explore how the human body functions as one unit in harmony in order to life //= $post_title It then. The author, James R. McDonough, introduces the book as a story of an "American platoon leader in combat." For 14 hours, the Black Knight Troop fought to defend their post. Maintained property accountability and readiness worth in excess of $8.5 million. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. The commander of the friendly unit was lost and had failed to notify anyone of their mission before leaving. . He had reason to live; they did not. The last note I made was from page 108 - after that, I was too sucked into the horror of the experience to make many notes. Summary. James starts the book as a fresh-faced leader fresh out of West Point who chose to serve in the Vietnam war. I'm reading this book for my husband who is an officer in the Army getting ready to deploy to Iraq. Women In Combat From Kelly Flinn to G. I. Jane, controversy has raged in recent months over whether women are fit for military service (Brown 326). The lieutenant he was replacing had spent his whole time in the field trying to (successfully) keep out of harms way; the day the author arrived he found his counterpart literally lying flat on the ground, and there he stayed until the helicopter came to take him back to Saigon and home. they didn't relate to. Transportation officers are experts in the systems, vehicles and . It sounds simple, but leaders today are operating in an incredibly demanding environment., LT McDonough Leadership assessment The book Platoon Leader provides a wide range of leadership situations and challenges. The fools, the uneducated, the knaves? And as he was readily equipped, he was brought to the Strategic Hamlet Program formed by the US armed forces in the 1960s to weaken the Viet Cong through civilian control, which, failed in the 1970s. Over 2 million developers have joined DZone. The story was very enticing and was based on this man's actual story from serving in Vietnam. cookie policy. Type your requirements and I'll connect Bunny ( Kevin Dillon ), the scared kid, who has become dangerous because that seems like a way to protect himself. In his mind, the other members of the platoon existed for only one reason: to protect him, to keep him alive. And, in Vietnam, as the war went on, the numbers who successfully avoided the draft increased. Everyone was in low morale and inefficient as the lieutenant McDonough was replacing refused to wage war all the time keeping the platoon from being harmed. It is an eye-opening description of the reality of combat and its devastating impact on the participants. On one of his first patrols, Knight stumbles carelessly over a trip mine and is nearly killed. Never forget the sacrifices made so that we can live as we do. Knight and his squad fight to reach McNamera and bring him to an LZ to evac him via helicopter. a well-written infantry platoon leader resume mentions the following core duties and responsibilities - planning and supervising tactical operations, battle drills, and ftxs, maneuvering the soldiers to get the mission done, planning, executing, and assessing the training needs at the platoon level; writing operation orders, requesting training This is a brutally honest self assessment of one infantry officers performance as a platoon leader in Vietnam. Many men under his command were killed or seriously wounded, but in the paradox of war, it is likely that even fewer would have survived if McDonough had tried to avoid combat. McNamara then arrives with his squad and the group repels the enemy who retreats towards Sergeant Roach, who carries a shotgun and is considered the platoon's toughest soldier. Vignettes and lessons from current and former platoon-level leaders allow newly assigned leaders to learn from those who have . But he doesn't care about the war and has no desire to be a team leader. This book presents some of his experiences as he grows as a leader. In summary, while the actual fighting is done by the line infantry . Both were great reads. Back on patrol, the platoon is attacked by heavy Vietcong (VC) forces and Parker is hit by mortar fire. Accessed January 18, 2023. https://www.wowessays.com/free-samples/book-review-on-platoon-leader-and-leadership-lessons/, WowEssays. Those who are not destined for armed combat usually will not be drafted for armed combat. you to an academic expert within 3 minutes. His interpersonal tact left much to be desired and even his resilience was nearly broken down. We do need to expand our scope and coverage to pursue new areas of risk and new sources where we might find problems. It is narrated by McDonough in first person view and tells of his story in the Vietnam War as a lieutenant in command of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne). The CJO Platoon Leader series is focused on giving new LTs the tools and insights needed to develop high-performing teams, take care of Soldiers, avoid some pitfalls, and ultimately thrive as a leader at the tactical level. There is a given responsibility each soldier has to his fellow comrades it is to protect them at all costs; and Chris Taylor is to some extent the "hero" in the beginning of the movie, as well as being the narrator and the main character. A lot of sad stories about killing and dying in ambushes and battles but the one story that stuck out the most, the one that still haunts me, is when Lt. McDonough sees that there's a beach nearby one of their positions so he decides to send a small squad of six men to go check out the beach, so that they could get some light R&R and swim and enjoy the sun. Lt. Jeffrey Knight, a new officer from the United States Military Academy, is airlifted to an outpost in Vietnam, where he meets his platoon, a group of tough-witted veterans of the war. This is what General George C. Marshall wrote about it: . In a conflict, a team should be accountable to both itself and its members. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it. Few books have had the impact on generations of young soldiers as Jim McDonough's Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat.It sits alongside World War II classics like Charles MacDonald's Company Commander and George Wilson's If You Survive and Phil Caputo's Vietnam memoir A Rumor of War.First published in the mid-1980s, Platoon Leader remains on military reading lists worldwide . The unforgiving minute summary. Very insightful. Many are killed or wounded, some are found unworthy, some receive a practical education in survival and move up. I took the test and inserted a keyword and a bookmarker at every point where a lesson is to be drawn for a twenty-year-old Swiss infantry second lieutenant - a total o. Her told me he thought it would be a good read for me to get an understanding of what life is going to be like. View Resume Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Interesting to see how he improvised, pulled from the strengths of his men, and became the man he needed to be. Platoon Leader (First Lieutenant), 01/2011 - 02/2012. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't some random person trying to make war seem glorious. It focuses very much on the experience of leadership in war, just like the title says. When author James R. McDonough fails, lives are lost; while that is a very small possibility in the business world, this book still stresses just how important these aspects of leadership are. js.src='https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'; Roach then kills the remaining VC easily. McDonough's story is as good as any; though late in the war, he was assigned in an active [read: dangerous] sector and he took his mission t. Perhaps one of the least original books every written; even the Goodreads catalog includes at least a dozen platoon leader memoirs from Vietnam. . You can meet the beloved cinematic icon for yourself, and watch Forrest Gump streaming now on Showtime. An air of loneliness have also been created throughout the whole story as platoon men shared their piece of sufferings, fears and yearnings both in their military and personal lives. With the help of his own experiences, I find myself being able to conquer these hesitations and lead with a stronger resolve. The greatest leadership trait is humility, and it shows in this memoir. I looked at the cover with mixed feelings at first, apprehensive about reading it. . The writing is as riveting as Ernst Juengers and its lessons just as valuable for any combat leader, especially young lieutenants. Did you know that we have over 70,000 essays on 3,000 topics in our 18-24: The First 100 Days of Platoon Leadership Handbook. One of McDonoughs strongest. It starts out the story by talking about his leaving Vietnam and then him at home later in his life and flashing back to his experiences leading up to West Point, and then his deployment. ), graduated from West Point and served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173d Airborne Brigade.A military theorist who has helped shape the post-Cold War army's thinking, he is also the author of The Defense of Hill 781 and The Limits of Glory.Now retired from active duty, McDonough lives with his family in Tallahassee, Florida. Tiny mischiefs might ignite large conflicts this should teach vigilance in discipline (Jacobs). When they realize Knight has returned, the soldiers rush to return his property outside his office before he comes back out. Though written from an officers perspective it was very beneficial to me as a mid-level (SSG / E6). Your unit's performance will depend on it. God bless our men and women who serve to protect our freedoms. McDonough seemingly did not find it necessary to delve much in the morbid images of the war, rather, on the relationships that developed throughout the story. . Start by marking Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat as Want to Read: Error rating book. LT McDonough was, as a rule, very successful in dealing with intellectually challenging problems. Travis also praised the film's leading man Michael Dudikoff "for turning in the best performance of his career by a substantial margin. Later, Knight finds Private Bacera getting high in his barracks when he was supposed to be leaving on patrol. The squad leader and team leader execute the combat formations and movement techniques within their capabilities based on the platoon leader's guidance. The other guy said, "I'm from Tennessee and I swim better in pools." ?>, Order original essay sample specially for your assignment needs, https://phdessay.com/book-review-on-platoon-leader-a-memoir-of-command-in-combat/, Richard Rodriguez- Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood Essay, Company Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War, get custom Work History. By what name was Platoon Leader (1988) officially released in India in English? James McDonough mentions debriefs a number of times in the books and he does not favor himself during those - if he went out on patrol and he critiques his part in the patrol as hard as the rest of the team. The men have the same experiences, fears and hopes., Cross told himself that it was his fault because he was busy daydreaming about Martha instead of looking out for his men. Kenner 1998 Small Soldiers Chip Hazard 12 . The isolation of leadership was truly felt at that moment, and at times he felt ill-equipped to lead his men - he did not know the things he felt were expected of him to know. , A Treasury of Royal Scandals is a national bestseller book written by Michael Farquhar that describes The Shocking True Stories of Historys Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes,. It wasn't what I was looking for. "Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat." He does not hold back from sharing his mistakes, and tells stories of real experiences in a compelling way. Women fighting in combat is a topic that has stirred a lot of controversy in the last few months. Outlaw Platoon Sparknotes. Internal server error. . The three things this memoir might embed in the readers mind might include: Doing the right thing in the right time and with the right reasons; Platoon Leader 2016 - Present. . Idk about the book but the Manhwa isnt like that. performs and supervises maintenance on heavy fighting equipment. I fortunately was given this book by a mentor of mine and the leadership lessons given throughout the 243 pages are insurmountable. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in Vietnam to take over his first platoon. 2. My As I prepare to be a PL, it started to make me realize how real it is and how much I should prepare for it as it becomes closer. Minimized damage and repair costs through careful management and preventative maintenance. Barns, a man who felt out of place in the civilian world and Killigan, the imperturbable killing machine. Cross carried the grief of Lavender 's death so his troops wouldn 't have had to. This is a brutally honest self assessment of one infantry officers performance as a platoon leader in Vietnam. But he was never a peer, he was always apart from them, despite developing a bond with them.
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