After 11 months of combat, leadership continues to be best defense against complacency

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.17.2008

Story by Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia 

Multi-National Division Baghdad

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By Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia
Multi-National Division - Baghdad

BAGHDAD - As the division heads into its twelfth month of the deployment, I see and hear some things across our formation that concerns me. How many of you have heard: "We're under 120 days left in theater?" or the infamous "We are getting short?" I cringe every time I hear these words uttered for fear that Soldiers' heads are not in the game. It often indicates they are not concentrating on what should be their emphasis: Our Mission.

As leaders, it is imperative we continue to fight against the potential onset of complacency and remain vigilant in eliminating negligence. How often do we tell our Soldiers the deployment is not a sprint – it is a marathon? Well, the fact is, it is a marathon, and we have several laps to go.

We cannot afford to let up now. If anything, we must push even harder because eventually, the troops will begin to see the finish line in sight. To be clear, I expect our operational tempo to continue to increase – not slow down. We'll be asked to do more with less as Iraq's security improves.

We are working in an environment that poses new, dynamic challenges for leaders as our successes have led to the reduction of day-to-day violence in our operational environment to a perceived level of calmness. It is this current environment where we are vulnerable to a level of complacency. Soldiers can develop a certain sense of numbness because they have defeated, in most cases, the enemy threat in their area. However, it is critical to bear in mind that each and every day, opportunity is provided for the enemy to cast his vote in the form or attacks and violence against coalition forces.

Thus, it is essential we reinforce our "attack" mentality and keep the enemy on the defensive. With the erosion of standards, there is always potential of mission failure. Only through a strict adherence of standards will we continue mission success – regardless of the standard. How many Soldiers have been injured clearing their weapons due to a lack of supervision? Clearing weapons is a leader's responsibility. Period. The only way to eliminate negligent discharges is to enforce the standard. It's as simple as that. Leaders enforce supervised weapons clearing!
The bottom line is disciplined Soldiers equal disciplined units. A disciplined organization can accomplish any mission successfully.

We are at a point in the deployment that many Soldiers and leaders have not experienced before. During previous deployments, when Soldiers hit the 11-month mark, most were thinking "Well, we're done." At that point, it was time to start inventories, clean equipment and load conexes. The reality is, however, that most of the division still has a minimum of four months to go.

Think about that, there are at least four months remaining in the deployment. We are NOT short. There is still a lot to be accomplished before Soldiers can even begin to think about "getting short." Unless leaders keep their Soldiers in the proper frame of mind, it could potentially be the worst four months of the deployment. When Soldiers begin to believe they are "short," that is when they are the most susceptible to accidents, injuries, errors in judgment and the potential for making unethical or immoral decisions.

From a leader stand point, we must treat the current phase of our deployment almost as if it is the first four months of the deployment, particularly when it comes to emphasizing and focusing on safety and the mission.

Good leaders mentor junior leaders and share their experiences. This is even more important at the current phase of the deployment. We expect a lot out of our young leaders today, and many of them continue to shine as they conduct their day-to-day missions here in Iraq. However, it is also important that we, as senior leaders, recognize that to a large part, our junior NCOs' institutional knowledge has been replaced by operational experience due to the Global War on Terrorism. Thus, the role of senior leaders in providing mentorship and guidance is more important now than ever before.

We must also ensure shortcuts are not tolerated in lieu of proper procedures. You will see, at times, platoon-level leaders attempting to influence company-level leaders by suggesting shortcuts in the planning or execution of what is perceived to be "routine" missions. One thing we've learned after five years fighting this war is there is no such thing as a routine mission. The bottom line is that shortcuts result in Soldiers being killed or wounded. The statement that complacency kills couldn't be more accurate when this breakdown occurs.

Perhaps the most important point to keep in mind here is that Soldiers will do exactly what you allow them to do. Leaders provide clear, concise guidance and "bring order to chaos" when operating in the most austere combat environments or conditions. In other words, leaders LEAD.

Defending against complacency and routine lifestyles can only be achieved through brigade- and battalion-focused leadership visits that stress security and force protection standards, which are essential for overall mission success. Continued force protection assessments throughout the deployment keeps the enemies at wits end as Soldiers constantly improve their foxholes.

I challenge the leaders across this division to re-energize their Soldiers and maintain their focus on those force protection issues that are instrumental throughout the deployment – perhaps now, more than ever.

Nobody likes the word complacency – so stamp it out. Take charge of your Soldiers and help bring them back home with their heads high and their mission complete. They should have pride in all they have and will accomplish – I do.

Ironhorse 9!

Steadfast and Loyal!