In chapter 22, there were surely some actions that could have been made to make the night link-up go more smoothly. First, LT McDonough could have let 3 PLT know that they were moving toward their position. Whether or not LT McDonough ordered this, it wasn’t mentioned in the chapter, but 3 PLT knew that LT McDonough was moving toward their…[Read more]

When the young lieutenant at the end of the operation made the “take the Gooks to the CP” comment it was clearly more striking. Not only was LT McDonough taking advice from Killigan who originally stated LT McDonough’s response earlier in chapter 19, but LT McDonough realized that the lines of ethics are getting far too blurry, which is especially…[Read more]

I definitely agree with the current policy regarding alcohol and R&R. Soldiers go without it for a fairly long time, thus, they probably don’t think about it too much while they are continuously going on missions or are at a FOB. Yet, I feel as though as soon as alcohol is reintroduced it can cause some unforeseen issues. Because of the amount of…[Read more]

I do believe that military leaders must weigh their decisions carefully. Often times when military leaders make decisions they are putting their soldiers into harms way. This means that they must account for as many threats as possible. Moreover, military decisions also have the ability to either help or harm relations with the local populace. For…[Read more]

No, LT McDonough does not overcome his fear. After being wounded by a booby trap when he first got to his unit made all of his preconceptions about Vietnam real, which made his levels of anxiety and fear even worse. What’s more, while he was wounded and at the rear all he saw was other wounded soldiers and all he heard was stories about other…[Read more]

To add to the conversation, and digress from the posts before me, one thing that grabbed me was the sheer anxiety that LT McDonough felt along his journey to Vietnam. In McDonough’s own thoughts, he believed he was far more suited to combat than many others. He was confident in his physical abilities (boxing), which was supplemented by his mental…[Read more]

From what we discussed in lass, professional reading is extremely important. Also, I find professional reading necessary for development and critical thinking. It is always a reasonable idea to read about what others have experienced in the past whether it be on conflict, leadership, or self-development. Not only do I believe this because I enjoy…[Read more]