[September 14, 2019] Army Vet tells us a little about his time with troops in the field during peace and war. He wants us to know what motivates and what a real leader looks like.
Their cocky, exuberant, devil-may-care spirit: I love being with the troops. There is nothing better than sitting in a foxhole (aka an improved fighting position, for you savvy civvies) after a knockdown, drag out fight with the enemy. My job? Kill the enemies of America. It’s what I like to do and I do it well. My favorite is getting up close and then hitting them with everything I’ve got. I teach my men the same. We train hard and we play hard. Nothing is better, not even sex. Whoa you say, how can this be; how can combat be so satisfying? Something that is hard, dirty, dangerous, and only a small, select group of highly trained people can do is not what most folks regard as ‘satisfying.’ I once worked in the Israeli Defense Force and now for the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army is the better because they send me all over the world, mostly on clandestine missions. Being with my troops is what keeps me motivated. The troops have a cocky, exuberant, devil-may-care spirit and there is nothing like it in the world. It’s infectious and a mental high that is impossible to describe unless you’ve been there.
Gaining energy from their infectious, sardonic enthusiasm: I didn’t sign up to the military to fight paperwork. Once, back in my days as a Captain, my commander said that he was going to make me the senior officer in charge of all the administrative personnel. Simple, “I quit.” That’s what I told him with a straight face and seriousness that could not be mistaken. I got another assignment without hesitation but this new one was with real men, not with sissy-girlie men of some admin section. There is nothing like being with a bunch of guys who can get ‘er done and do so faster than the enemy can react. I love being inside the decision cycle of the bad guys. You see, my men are the best killers on the planet. From them, I gain my energy. It’s hard to sit back and just have a beer. We have to arm wrestle and then have a beer. I admit it. We are action junkies. Don’t you dare fail at nothing; not even at cooking a great hamburger; else you will be mocked and laughed at. They motivate me like nothing else on the planet.
We don’t worry about promotions, medals, or hero worship: This frees us to do those things the U.S. government wants done. If it means flying down to Honduras to find some drug runners pushing a little too much cocaine to the U.S., then fine. My only question is, ‘How much ammo do I get this time?’ My team is on a 48-hour ready-state. We go anywhere, anytime. Talk about the point of the spear, we are the tip of the point. By the time they call in the U.S. Marines, we are sitting in our foxhole having a great cup of instant coffee and telling war stories. Are you like me or my team buddies? I doubt it. I’m getting too old to be in this business but there is also nothing that will take me away from it; except perhaps an errant bullet from the bad guys. Why do we do what we do? Yep, we are all volunteers. Yep, we are highly motivated. What keeps us going is that we are highly trained for very specific, classified missions that you will never hear about. Someday they may write a book about us; not! Our deeds will never be made public because we do the real dirty work. One day a few years ago, a friend of mine, who is now a Major General in the U.S. Army, asked me why I would give up a promotion to stay with the troops. I told him that I loved being with the troops.
Great article. I wish more people would be here to see what you write.
Of course, all great leaders want to be around people but unfortunately the downside of being promoted is that you are further and further away from people.
Wow, excellent Army Vet. I’m now a fan of yours. I also went back to read some of your past guest blogging. Great works.
Readers, pay close attention to what Army Vet has written for us today. While he is no philosopher or comedian, he does know what motivates people. He knows what it takes to encourage young men to charge a machinegun nest to take out the enemy. This is a rare breed of man who we all can learn from.
Wow, great article. First time I knew you were a regular contributor to Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog. I went back and read your other articles. Thanks, Army Vet for your insights.
He is truly one of the best guest bloggers around.
Excellent article. Entertaining and informative. All while telling a story. Keep these articles in your website from Army Vet.
I’m one of the original fans of Army Vet and one who consistently pushes out his articles to others at my work place and to my family. It’s great to see a real “war fighter” in action here at Gen. Satterfield’s blog pages. Where did Gen Satterfield find him?
Me too. We have been here for a long time and enjoy everyday coming to this blog. That is why my computer is always on; to read leadership info and learn, learn, and learn.
My favorite guest blogger, Army Vet. I wish only that you would write more often for us. Thanks for another hard-hitting article that made me think!
It’s hard to imagine this blog without bloggers like Army Vet. He is straight to the point and, of course, an ass kicker. That is what we WANT in our military. We don’t want a bunch of sissy-men who make decisions based on their career. I’ve seen it happen too often to the detriment of everyone.
Spot-on comment. Too many leaders are in it for the career and not for others. That is what distinguishes the good from the great. Joe Biden, running for US president, is an example of one in it for the career and for the power, NOT for the good of others but to pad his bank account.
Another article for my students. I hope they are not too shocked.
Real soldiers don’t need no promotion. They just need an enemy to fight and a free nation to allow it.
I for one have not seen such an ass-kicking article in a long time. Thanks for it and for what you do. We may not be able to do what you do but we can appreciate you for it.
I love the title. Great job. I agree this is another ass-kicking article. Keep up the great work.
Loved it.
You have a huge fan base here at Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog. I for one have missed your ironic wit, kick-ass style, and take-no-names messages. ?? ? ?
Wow. You really opened up in this article Army Vet. We appreciate (more than you can imagine) what you and your team are doing to help kill the bad guys. Note I said “Kill” and not some donkey-ass term like “eliminate” or “subdue.” Killing is what delivers the strongest message. Don’t mess with the United States.
Right, don’t mess with the US of A. You will get your ass handed to you faster than ever. I know that Pres Trump will keep you guys around. Pres Obama was a wimp. Glad Obama is gone. He needs to stay gone. History will be written that the Obama era was a time of decline of the US and that is what he wanted.
Thanks, Army Captain for your vote of confidence.
I agree. Great article about (a little anyway) of what Army Vet does. He’s not just a veteran of the Israeli and US armies but is still active in fight today’s enemies of civilization.
Yeah! Keep fighting for freedom and a civilized world.
The world needs more men like you and your team. I hope you have trained your replacement given that your work is “risky.” We need men like you. I only wish there were more.
Where do old soldiers go to retire? Never, they keep kicking butt and here is another example. I’m a fan of yours, Army Vet. Stay the course and never give up.
Great article by a great soldier. Thank you Army Vet. By the way, when are you going to retire?
Never!