I tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. Chapter 1 foundations of army jrotc and getting involved. Qualities of a leader 7 traits a military leader must have. Many translated example sentences containing platoon commander. However, the platoon leader is not done after merely positioning his weapons. Tasks may vary from securing the high ground on a battlefield to preparing for a parade, but the platoon leader is always the director. Designate medevac vehicle and ensure that it is empty 4. Essentially a knock off of platoon, this bloodsoaked war drama chronicles the experiences of a west point graduate and his colleagues in the ruthless vietnamese jungles. One commander was leading each platoon formed with 10 people and divided into. You have the ability to mold men and make our country stronger 24 hours a day. He and the other newbies pass by a group of battlehardened veterans before being shepherded elsewhere.
Being an infantry platoon leader is the greatest job in the world. Platoon leader is a noncard driven, non combat results table system that utilizes sectors and zones to regulate possible german activation. The average platoon leader volunteers for 10 hours a week and receives a monthly per diem for their volunteer services. Walk through both ground or air or combination of both 5. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant. Among them is chris taylor charlie sheen, whos about as green as they come. Before the transfer of authority, the departing unit develops a continuity book with. Platoon leader is a 1988 cannon films film set in the vietnam war and directed by aaron norris. Nearly a year later, i received orders for a silver star for my leadership in that action. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The leader s smartbook, 5th ed incorporates the full scope of new material from fm 70 train to win in a complex world, fm 622 leader development, and atp 622.
I will challenge myself to share this evaluation, every week with either my platoon leader, my coleader, or a pastor in my church. As a platoon sergeant starts his or her relationship with a new lieutenant, it is imperative that he provides the best leadership for the platoon. Platoon leader is one of dudikoffs best movies, perhaps because, since it was a rare theatrical release, more attention was given to make sure it was welldone. Get smart on transporting ammo around the post you are going to. The book highlights the extreme nature of vietnam insomuch as long periods of boredom torn apart by extreme moments of violence and carnage.
Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, mcdonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a u. Prior platoon leaders, how did you construct your leaders books. Platoons senior trainer, assis t and evaluate squad training. James mcdonough graduated from west point and served in vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173d airborne brigade. The army smart card creator software was created so anyone can quickly design and print their custom smart card not to be confused with the embedded military id smart card chips for quick reference wherever you go. Army smart card creator interactive military training tools. Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough dzone agile. Leaders must enforce and implement effective programs to ensure resources are being used without fraud, waste, and abuse. Platoon leader platoon sergeant platoon leaders and platoon sergeants psgs are responsible for the training proficiency of their platoons. The primary source reference for the handbook is army techniques. The ncos described the role of the platoon leader where new officers are placed in charge of between 20 to 50 soldiers and are accountable for the units equipment.
Leader skills infantry platoon and squad leaders must be tacticians. Get the sop for your post you are going to for all the commodities you will be transporting. Though many people talk about the trials and tribulations of being a lieutenant, there is little written today on how to do it right. This handbook addresses the csdp every unit must establish and enforce. Platoon leaders will meet with local community, corporate, and civic leaders to learn more about the needs of the community and to discover how the service platoon can become involved. How to be a good platoon leader for a distribution platoon. The successful lieutenant by captain christopher j. You really get a sense of what the war in vietnam was like for the soldiers there, with hairraising jungle ambushes and close calls. A memoir of command in combat and millions of other books are available. The brigade engineer battalion iii foreword years of conflict in iraq and afghanistan resulted in u.
As a platoon leader or co leader, who is holding me accountable. I agree to adhere to the milsuite user agreement and the below terms and conditions. Gta 0701038 infantry leaders reference card january 1995. Then i started to read it and eventually i couldnt put it down. Gta 0701038 infantry leaders reference card january 1995 headquarters, department of the army references. I first read james mcdonoughs platoon leader about 17 years ago, as i was watching thencol.
How to be a good platoon leader for a distribution platoon in an fsc company looking for advice. I understand the sacrifice and expectations involved in leading other men, and i will. They assess the training proficiency with input from section squad leaders to identify the individual soldier and collective tasks that need training. Jul 05, 2009 a young officer, just out of west point is sent to vietnam, where the men dont respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. As a platoon leader in a horizontal construction unit, i had nearly twenty vehicles in my motor pool, and. The articles and other content which appear on the modern war institute website are unofficial expressions of opinion.
As you know, leadership starts at the lowest level and begins with you. The command supply discipline program csdp is a commanders program. I will challenge myself to share this evaluation, every week with either my platoon leader, my co leader, or a pastor in my church. Field operations, mission support, class iii v maintenance transportation, medical support, and i. To add to the confusion, the product ships with the version 3. Chemicals, plastics and rubber military and naval science. Platoon leader was a book my dad gave to me saying, here. Determine location of battalion ambulance exchange point 3. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his.
Also when your barrack room is clean and squared away your team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, platoon leader, will all be good with you and you wont be on their bad side. Books i recommend that every lieutenant reads include platoon leader by jack macdonough, the defense of. Points about the soldiers personal burdens and the bond of brotherhood in combat are made so often that they become less rather than more effective. The primary target audience for this manual includes all fires and ada soldiers. Mar 01, 2012 the books main flaw is a repetitiveness that becomes mawkish. The platoon sergeants element should be wherever the platoon leader is not. Army center for army leadership fort leavenworth, ks 66027 in support of human resources command 15 january 2014 page.
Where there any forms, documents, etc that you had in your. I dont just mean for a military leader or high level ceo or vp. Digital version available a digital version of this call publication is available to view, download. The procedures apply unless a leader makes a decision to deviate from them based on the factors of mettt. Platoon leader details mcdonoughs time in vietnam commanding an undermanned platoon assigned to protecting a village in the strategic hamlet program. As a platoon leader or coleader, who is holding me accountable. All products military ebook platoon leader ebook platoon leader book learn how to be an effective platoon leader. This person is usually a junior officer a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank. Mcdonough, chronicles the authors experiences as an officer in the vietnam war from 197071. It is narrated by mcdonough in first person view and tells of his story in the vietnam war as a lieutenant in command of 2nd platoon, bravo company, 4th battalion, 503rd infantryairborne plot introduction.
A platoon leader or platoon commander more common in commonwealth militaries and the us marine corps is the officer in charge of a platoon. In such a case, the exception applies only to the particular situation for which the leader made the decision. Love is not always a two way street, sometimes you give more than you get, and love is a choice. You have dropped behind german lines and must use your platoon leaders to command squads through various missions. He must ensure that each weapon can effectively engage the enemy, and the sum of his.
Because of the platoon sergeants experience, he should be given the freedom to assess the situation and advise the platoon leader accordingly. His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of truong lam. Fm 33, fm 630, fm 6121, fm 78, fm 7 10, fm 790 supersedes gta 71 distribution restriction. All products military ebook platoon leader ebook platoon leader book. Remember, soldiers are smart and can smell a phony a mile away. The platoon commanders notebook assists the platoon commander in the. I highly recommend reading platoon bravo company after seeing the movie. Enjoy every minute of it, even the difficult times, and give of yourself freely to your mission and your men. Before it won the oscar for best picture of 1986, platoon made waves simply by doing something new. A remarkable memoir of small unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. I read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a firsthand account of a rookie.
Remove old pages insert new pages g7 through g12 g7 through g12 g15 g15 2. Platoon sergeants mentor future platoon leaders article. This publication is an extract from fm 78 infantry rifle platoon and squad. I met bob hemphill, shortly after publication of his book. Infantry platoon tactical standing operating procedure. The successful lieutenant federation of american scientists. Page 3 of this guide also provides short pointers about how a rater prepares to observe a. The platoon sergeant must keep in mind that he or she is training the future leadership of our army. In one of the most compelling combat narratives ever written, staff sergeant david bellavia, an army infantry platoon leader in iraq, gives a teethrattling, firsthand account of 11 straight days of heavy housetohouse fighting during the climactic second battle of fallujah.
It provides the tactical standing operating procedures for infantry platoons and squads. You can view each army smart card and print them out using one of the many options. Its 1967, and a plane full of new soldiers has just arrived in vietnam. She has a sgt that is very charismatic and wields great influence within the platoon.
Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing leonard maltin, it is a dark, unforgettable memorial the washington post to every soldier whose innocence was lost in the wartorn jungles of vietnam. This flaw, however, may not bother the books intended audience. Courtney the lieutenant years are the time we officers get our first real lessons in leadership, training, maintenance, supply, and soldier care. The scout platoon sop is available on computer disk in microsoft word for windows and ascii formats. Revolutionary new ebook for parttime platoon leaders in the army national guard and army reserves. This is normally in close proximity to the platoon leader. In this lesson the intent of this lesson is to provide an explanation and example of a platoon commanders notebook. As a platoon leader, i had a simple rule in the field, no squad leader could eat until all of his soldiers had eaten, the. This lesson describes the platoon movements that are unique to each formation. Platoon leaders must design a plan for carrying out instructions, delegate tasks to platoon sergeants, squad leaders or individuals, and follow up to ensure those tasks are completed. Determine the location of the platoon ccp and the company ccp 2. Platoon leader s philosophy orders line of duty equal opportunity officer candidate school preparation warrior leadership course preparation useful vocabulary recommended army readings survey sop chain of command sexual harrassment us repneo warden.
The platoon leader rules, designed by steven swann later versions were developed by kurt martin, were an attempt to create generic campaign game rules that could be used not only by critical hit designers in their historical modules, but by any designer. Platoon leader quotes showing 11 of 1 the roads that lead young men to war are not political roads, or national and international roads, but individual roads. A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. Refer to the book roberts rules of order for an explanation of the duties and responsi bilities of these officers. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his first platoon. They cannot rely on a book to solve tactical problems. They must understand and use initiative in accomplishing the mission. My platoon was successful in taking out six bunkers with only minor injury. Users are requested to inform the armor school of changes they make to the electronic scout platoon sop. Adrp 622 leadership requirements model and example behavioral indicators prepared by u. Platoon leader is a wonderful book that could serve as somewhat of a text book in command and control of men in combat. Distribution authorized to us government agencies only to protect. A memoir of command in combat audiobook by james r. There are many different traits that a great leader should have in order to be an effective, trusted, and respected leader.