Preview

Essay On Military History

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
435 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On Military History
The study of military history is more than learning about the outcome of battles and the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures. The study of military history inspires leaders, instills patriotism, and builds unity. Despite our nation’s young age we have endured a wide array of conflicts on an ever-changing battlefield. Each engagement in our nations’ history offers unrivaled lessons of leadership challenges and successes. Analyses of these lessons provide depth to a leaders’ understanding of the duty to provide purpose, direction and motivation.

Engaged military leaders constantly strive to improve themselves and their organizations. They look to various forums to seek leadership skills and styles that they would both like to emulate and avoid. The study of military history tells the story of some of our nation’s biggest accomplishments and defeats. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, a leader’s commitment to the mission influenced his Soldiers whether negatively or positively. Young leaders can learn a great deal about how their leadership style can either motivate or discourage subordinates.

Becoming a scholar of military history can also introduce new and reinforce learned patriotic qualities. The American heritage is rich with achievements and feats of our ancestors. Learning about the different sentiments
…show more content…
To me, the best examples of unity in military history are the Revolutionary War, and our nation’s response to the 9/11 attacks. Others might argue that the Civil War also built unity albeit for two opposing forces within our one nation. When determining our nation’s response to perceived threats, it is essential that leaders recall the importance of our public support, as a unified nation empowers Soldiers with a stronger determination to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    There is one truth in war…good men will die, sent to the front by their senior civilian and military leadership. Throughout the short history of the United States, many published works put forth a counter position to Huntington’s The Soldier and the State. All attempt to find the “right” answer and balance to the civil-military relationship; with each essay, it seems a new conflict is on the horizon and the question is more difficult to answer. In Elliot Cohen’s book, Supreme Command, he examines the tension between these two kinds of leadership, civil and military. Here, we will examine two accounts of civil-military relationships: the Civil War and Vietnam War, and determine which case best support Cohen’s general argument in his book.…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: A military general’s leadership lessons. (2009, January 8). Gallup Management Journal. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/113629/military-generals-leadership-lessons.aspx…

    • 1351 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In our history as the United States Army, we have overcome tremendous and various obstacles that have led to defining moments as well as benchmarking what true leadership is and what unity can achieve. In defining unity in the Army history we generally tend to think of cohesion as a mutual alliances among several of Americans serving for a common purpose and as so, all due credit is due. Yet when defining leadership in history we tend to take a more individualized point of reference, focusing on key leaders and achievers of great feats. This generalized train of thought feeds into a widely misguided myth, with its underlining respectable…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    As a Soldier in the United States Army, your leadership style began at a very young age. Your style is influenced by the things you value, your deep rooted beliefs and the life experiences you have had along the way. I want you to think about your own personal experiences as your learn to understand these two dominate styles of leadership. The Army provides us a clear definition of leadership in ADRP 6-22, which states “Leadership is influencing people by providing purpose, directions and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization”. This definition provides a clear foundation to draw upon when we begin to understand the broader elements which are key in any leadership style.…

    • 1316 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Buffalo Soldiers

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The focal point of my paper will be on the changes in the United States (US) armed forces over the last century. I chose to compare the Buffalo Soldiers, who existed from 1867-1896, and their experiences with the current state of the US armed forces. I was drawn to author, ZZ Packer’s “Buffalo Soldiers” because of my experience in the US armed services and, as I read the book it became clear that the US armed services today is very different from what it was at the time when the Buffalo Soldiers existed. I served honorably in both the United States Air Force and United States Army from 1985-2001, and my experiences are in stark contrast to the experiences of the Buffalo Soldiers.…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Effective Command Philosophy

    • 3461 Words
    • 14 Pages

    The ritual of every incoming military leader providing his organization some type of “philosophy” document even before the completion of his change of command ceremony endures in Army culture as a symbol of organizational ownership. Who can forget those nights before assuming command, when we anxious young captains fumbled through a file of command philosophies attempting to extract our “philosophy” of leading? In many cases, our efforts were little more than exercises in futility and attempts to fulfill some fictitious expectation. Given the recent high-profile reliefs of command and reported cases of toxic leadership within the Army and Navy, I suspect the level of deep thought and self-analysis many senior leaders give to the preparation of their leadership philosophies is comparable to that of young captains. Field Manual (FM) 6-22, Army Leadership, is strangely silent on the concept of a personal leadership philosophy, leaving the reader to wonder what one, in fact, is. Research reveals a variety of articles on the subject, but rarely do any two agree on its purpose, content, or meaning. In most cases, leadership philosophy denotes an organizational philosophy or what the military refers to as “command philosophy.” However, an effective command philosophy is contingent on first developing a personal leadership philosophy. The U.S. Army Command and…

    • 3461 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Thus, during peacetime operations, the interaction of leaders and followers is complex. During war, this interaction is difficult since the stress of war clouds the ability and willingness of the followers. However, I would like to add a caution that some of our management practices may be counter-productive in war. As managers we attempt to bestow empowerment on our junior personnel through leadership courses and…

    • 2253 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Military Career Analysis

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over the course of my career I have realized that advanced education, be it military or civilian, is a necessary attribute to a successful military career. Highly sought after positions, such as Brigade Command, Chief of Staff or Adjutant General, can be challenging to attain and reserved for those highly trained officers who display the desire, will and initiative to better themselves and their organizations throughout their career. By attending this seminar, I hope to better prepare myself for future educational opportunities in hopes of attaining one of these critical leadership positions.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Military Quality

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The most important quality is integrity. A strong moral compass and solid personal values are essential in becoming a successful USMA cadet and, one day, a successful Army officer. Character does matter, and in the professional environment that the USMA provides, it is something that can never take a day off. For the follower, good character and integrity mean that your team can trust you, count on you and rely on you. For the leader, it means the chain of command, in both directions, can have faith in your discretion. The second most important quality is a willingness to learn. As a USMA cadet, learning evolutions will take place from the first day to the last and each cadet needs to be willing to learn from leaders, learn by doing and learn from their own mistakes. At the outset of four years, cadets will learn to be good followers and start to assimilate to the intricate, detail oriented lifestyle.…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is not known how various leadership development approaches enable the development of high performing leaders of Army organization. The U.S. Army prides itself on developing its leaders to be skilled, confident, and ready to support military operations. For nearly 240 years, the U.S. Army has provided the nation a land- power force consisting of highly trained and educated leaders, soldiers, and army civilians who stand prepared to deter adversaries, prevent conflict, and win the nation’s wars. Army training provides the essential skills and knowledge that lead to unit readiness and the training strategies serve to synchronize the role each training domain plays in building force readiness. This phenomenon is not restricted to just the…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Respect Towards an NCO

    • 557 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Army leadership begins with character, the values and attributes that shape what the leader must BE. Army leaders must demonstrate exemplary conduct in their professional and personal lives. They adopt and internalize the Army Values and develop the requisite mental, physical, and emotional attributes of a warrior. Additionally, the ambiguous nature of the operational environment requires Army leaders to know themselves and deal with circumstances as they are, not as they want them to be. (2)…

    • 557 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Leadership Issues

    • 2511 Words
    • 11 Pages

    References: Be, Know, Do by Army Leadership, Leader to Leader, No. 26 Fall 2002 http://www.l2li.net/leaderbooks/L2L/fall2002/army.html, (LtoL 2002)…

    • 2511 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    2- The Defence Leadership Centre, Defence Academy of United Kingdom (2004). Leadership in Defence. p2-4.…

    • 1814 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Over thirteen years ago, as a young Private First Class, I had the same attitude as most Soldiers when they enlist into the Army; four years and I’m done. However, over the past thirteen years I have come to embrace all that the Army stands for. I have adopted the Army values and made them my own. The biggest change came when I was advanced to the rank of Sergeant and I realized that I enjoyed nothing more than to lead, train and mentor Soldiers. Since the day I pinned on my first Non-Commissioned Officer stripes I have sought out different leadership positions available, from squad leader to section chief. In those leadership positions I have had the honor of making a difference in each Soldier’s lives.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    leadership definitions

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jacobs, T. O., & Jaques, E. (1990). Military executive leadership. In K. E. Clark and M. B. Clark (Eds.), Measures of leadership. West Orange, New Jersey: Leadership Library of America, pp 281-295.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays