It Is All About The People to My Left and Right- 25 Years Serving as a Member of The Team of Teams

Recently I celebrated my 25th year of service in the United States Army.  What started out as a 3 year break between high school and college has turned into a great career.

I started the day off with a "25 Year WOD" with members of the team from the Center from Advancement of Leader Development and Organizational Learning(CALDOL).

 

Shortly before I changed out of my first company command, COBRA Company, 1-72 AR at Camp Casey, Korea, General (Retired) Fred Franks (Former Commander of VII Corps in Operation Desert Storm) sent the note below to me in an e-mail in August 2008

“Teamwork and relationships of people you know and served with is so important in the Army as you know because of your own background. That is why it is so important to have professional relationships with your peers and others as you never know when you will run into them and under what circumstances. Some people work hard at being just difficult to get along with professionally when that is never a good idea. The Army is a team of teams and you just need to find a way to make things work no matter the personalities.”

-General Fred Franks in e-mail comment to me on 11 August 2008

What I have learned during my service is the people to my left and right are really what matter, and everything is based of relationships. The people to my left and right are unified with a shared purpose in serving this nation and serving each other. When conditions get rough, no matter what the environment, the people on your left and right are going to carry you through to the objective. The Army is the team of teams!

 A couple years ago I was honored to receive the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. As I reflect on the last 25 years General MacArthur’s words come to mind “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation”. I have spent the last 25 years of my life being “Vigilant” in the preservation of Freedom and serving with some OUTSTANDING Americans. I am just as FIRED UP if not more, than when I entered the Army 25 years ago.

I am ending this post with the mottos of the last three units I have served in in tribute to those I have had the honor of serving with, and the  privilege of leading as a commissioned officer:

"Toujours Pret" - Killer Troop 3/2 ACR

"Strike Fast-Kick Ass" COBRA 1-72 AR

"Row Faster or Die" Aggressor 1-353 INF (FSF-CA)