I completely agree with the actions LT McDonough took during this weeks readings. One vital skill all military leaders must be proficient in is the way they execute decisions they make. More often than not, the decisions leaders make ultimately are putting the lives of their soldiers on the line. With that being said, every single possible contingency must be accounted for in order to execute a decision with as little harm done to your soldiers as possible. Unfortunately, this does mean that some decisions have the potential to harm and or ruin relations with local civilians, unintendedly. Collateral damage, trust with local leaders and civilians diminishes, which can lead to bigger issues down the road. Keeping all of this in mind, when we all commission in the upcoming year, we will at one time or the other be forced to make a decision that may be putting the lives of others in danger. It is hard to say now how we might execute this, having little to no experience yet, but in time, as long as we find a way to fully understand the effects of decision making, will we be successful at executing said orders. The way I look at it comes down to the warrior ethos, “I will always place the mission first, I will not accept defeat, I will never quit, I will never leave a fallen comrade”. If I can follow this principle, I know I will have a good chance at being a successful leader.

Tying all of this back into the book, the way LT McDonough reacted to King, although it may not have been orthodox, it sent a clear message to his Platoon that he meant business. Now, would I have put the barrel of a loaded weapon in the face of one of my soldiers? Probablyyyyyy not seeing how thats a bit on the extreme side, but I would have done something to send a message to those under me that behavior like King’s was not to be tolerated in my platoon.
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