Monday Morning Food for Thought
A debate on “generalship”, the obligations of senior officers and retired military “talking heads” was raging on an e-mail discussion group I belong to.
A retired US Army brigadier general chimed in with what I thought as very wise words to reflect on. Here they are:
Upon assuming brigade command my heretofore quiet command sergeant major followed me into my office, closed the door and initiated our professional relationship.
“Sir, there are two kinds of officers at this level.
There are those who want to BE something and those who want to DO something. Which one are you so I know what to do for my soldiers?”
Topics: military
Posted by Dave Dilegge at 5:00 am on Monday, April 21, 2008
4 Responses to “Monday Morning Food for Thought”
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April 21st, 2008 at 6:42 am
The same, actually, goes for executives in companies. The same wisdom ought to apply, but there are few people so wise as that sargeant.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:42 am
That’s a sergeant major well worth his pay.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:24 am
John Boyd, damn near word-for-word.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:14 am
A good distinction.
I can circumvent all the identity politics and sundry “isms” we swim in (race, sex, age, religion…ad nauseam…) and divide individuals in the civilian world along roughly the same lines.