LT McDonough had good intuition when picking out bad leaders. This was seen in earlier chapters such the PL he relieved. Additionally, the friendly Vietnamese leadership was nothing more than mediocre. Common themes amongst these poor leaders were inexperience and lack of emotional intelligence. I think McDonough’s frustration with his fellow PL’s…[Read more]

While it could be criticized for his decision to allow his soldiers to go to the beach, I completely agree with LT McDonough’s decision. After getting further and further into this book, I can somewhat comprehend what it must be like to be in Vietnam: constantly having to keep your guard up and worrying about being unexpectantly attacked by the…[Read more]

I definitely think LT McDonough made the correct decision in relieving Sergeant Hernandez. While he provided much-needed stability and experience for the platoon, his apparent actions threatened the entire culture of the group. Up until that point, it was clear McDonough held his men to a high standard and as soon as he left his progress was…[Read more]

LT McDonough’s interaction with Pfc King stands out to me as the key moment in the book thus far that he truly establishes complete authority over his platoon. It is clear that it took a decent amount of time for McDonough to develop thick enough skin to handle himself with confidence. This skill did not come overnight, it was gained through a…[Read more]

<span style=”color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, ‘Times New Roman’, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;”>As LT McDonough assumes command of his Platoon, he quickly makes a series of decisions. How do these decisions effect his standing and place in the Platoon? Do certain decision or events stand out to you more than others?</span>

After reading…[Read more]

During his initial exposure to the war in Vietnam, LT McDonough has no idea what to expect when he assumed control over his platoon. On paper, the Army thoroughly prepared McDonough for combat (West Point education, Airborne School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster school). While these certainly gave him a solid backbone in tactics and enhanced his…[Read more]

<strong style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, ‘Times New Roman’, Times, serif; font-size: 12px;”> Is professional reading an essential element of self-development? Is a leader who reads constantly better than one who does not?<span style=”color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, ‘Times New Roman’, Times, serif;…[Read more]