LT McDonough’s frustration with his platoon leader peers is very understandable and arguably warranted. Following the lack of communication with 3rd platoon over their meetup in the dark, the LT was forced to approach unannounced. The shortcomings of 3rd Platoon’s leadership led to a nearly deadly friendly fire scenario which could have easily been avoided by a more responsible leader. For this reason LT McDonough’s frustration is justifiable. In an effort to practice empathy, I too would have a hard time controlling my emotional response after a life threatening situation caused by a sleeping PL occurred. Army Officers and NCOs are held to certain standards so that disciplined leadership can provide the foundation of our success.

The LT’s quote “Leadership must be positive” plays into the appropriate nature of his frustrated reaction as addressed above. Yes LT McDonough acted out of emotion but he also addressed a serious problem with the lack of responsibility 3rd PL was taking for the lives of his men and those of the other platoons. LT McDonough’s treatment of his peers was far from positive in a literal sense, but its purpose was to establish an expectation for improvement and overall success to come. In this light his leadership was positive, however had prior precautions been taken, a more regular base of communication practiced, perhaps such a situation could have been avoided. Emotional Intelligence plays a large role in this scenario, and although LT McDonough struggled to practice self-regulation, he did what he felt was appropriate and it is easy to understand why he did so.

This analysis reemphasizes the theme seen since the beginning of the book that nothing truly prepare LT McDonough for what awaits him in Vietnam. The actions of such a leader in times of adversity rely on the muscle memory of training and the instincts of the individual.