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    Veterinarians take a ride

    Veterinarians take a ride

    Photo By Staff Sgt. James Bunn | Soldiers from the Public Health District Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., explore the...... read more read more

    JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, UNITED STATES

    05.18.2015

    Story by Sgt. James Bunn 

    5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

    JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, U.S. Army Public Health Command District, toured historic battlegrounds from the Indian Wars May 18, in Eastern Washington.

    During the tour, the unit discussed principles of leadership at each site and how they can apply lessons from these battles to modern conflicts.

    The tour started with a viewing and discussion of "The Lost Battalion," a movie about a unit separated from other allied forces near the end of World War I. After the film, they discussed how the Army values demonstrated or ignored by leaders affected the unit and how they can apply good values to their own leadership style.

    “I enjoy these discussions and getting to hear what junior Soldiers think,” said Capt. Randal Dudis, a veterinarian intern on JBLM. “Understanding their perspective on these events helps me become a better leader.”

    When the unit arrived at Steptoe Battleground State Park in Rosalia, Washington, they toured the site and evaluated the leadership’s victories and failures, and how a lack of planning led to the retreat of Lt. Col. E.J. Steptoe.

    The unit next toured the site of the Battle of Four Lakes in Four Lakes, Washington. Here the unit learned how effective planning led Col. George Wright to victory.

    Each battleground provided different insights into leadership. Dudis pointed out that by studying the failure of Steptoe; Wright effectively planned his own battle strategy and made sure his men were prepared.

    “We are learning proper planning through studying these battles,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Treftz, Fort Richardson, Alaska, Veterinarian Branch noncommissioned officer in charge. “These battles emphasize the reason we go through the processes we do to ensure our planning is up to par.”

    The staff ride was more than an opportunity to get out of the office for the day. The Soldiers who participated had the opportunity to learn from history and develop their own skills as Soldiers and leaders.

    “The point of staff rides are to look at how the situation applies to you, your unit and the Army as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Ronald Burke, a veterinarian public health instructor at JBLM. “We’re not just taking a field trip we’re going someplace that has meaning that we can evaluate and learn from.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.18.2015
    Date Posted: 05.28.2015 20:09
    Story ID: 164866
    Location: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US

    Web Views: 113
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN