Posted on Feb 18, 2014
Do you believe that a previously deployed leader is a better leader then one that has not?
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Just curious due to soldiers reactions.
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Deployment
Deployment
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 7
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I do not think so. I have met NCOs who have deployed as both leaders and soldiers and cannot lead. I have met NCOs who have not deployed but are outstanding leaders. Leadership is based on the person and not always on the experience. While the experience of being deployed may help a soldier with knowledge based on their expereince, if they do not have the characteristics of a leader, that experience can be all for nothing. I do however feel that deployments can help a leader understand things better and can assist them in better understanding and in creating relevant training, although once again, if you weren't a leader to begin with, this aspect could be lost.
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Leadership is a trait that exists in all sorts of professions; not just the military. Good leaders are present everywhere. It just so happens that many people develop (or sometimes find) those skills to lead while on a deployment.
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Being a deployed leader provides an opportunity for practical experience not available to garrison leaders. This doesn't mean a garrison leader is incompetent. Practicing theory is not the same as practicing experience. Theory, however, prepped us pretty damned well for Gulf War I.
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I think leaders come from all walks of life. I also think that every leader is different and has their own special traits that make them who they are. Some leaders have learned while deployed. Some have not. Some have lead while deployed. Some have not. I don't feel that not having a deployment makes you any less of a leader.
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I say define the word leadership and see if it is dependent upon the word deployment. All experiences have the potential to make leaders better than they were before them. But that all depends on how that leader performed during that experience. There are some NCO's who come back worse leaders than they were. There are some who are good leaders in theater and horrible in garrison and vice versa. I think its bad practice to generally assume that because someone has deployed that they are inherently a better leader than someone who has not.
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No I do not. My reasoning is while yes, some deployments can develop you into a great leader, not all do. The ones that do are where you are actually leading troops. Putting together Op Orders and actually carrying out missions. What about the "other" deployments though. I am currently deployed to Kuwait as an MP for a law and order mission and I feel like this is more like being states side than in Iraq or Afghanistan. Also some soldiers and NCO's have great leadership abilities they have just never gotten to deploy, no fault of their own.
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I think deployment experience (if possible) should be a requirement prior to becoming an NCO. I think it is very important to have this experience because you will be in a leadership role over Soldiers that have previously or will soon deploy. How can you possibly prepare them for a scenario you have never been through. I have had some great NCO's that never deployed, but before I deployed they were the last people I would think to ask if I had a question pertaining to deployment.
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SSG Robert Burns
SPC Dunn, nearly all of your Sr. NCO's were NCO's before the war started. Simply deploying does not make you a leader. There are MANY variations in individual deployment experiences. An NCO is a leader no matter what environment he is placed in. It's not the environment that makes the leader.
How can you prepare them for a scenario you've never been through? Well prior to the war that's the only thing we did was prepare for it. Those leaders were made long before the war started. It's not like before the war we didn't have strong leaders.
@SGT Mason, there are some units (my previous) that are still deploying on a regular cycle. The 4th BDE 4th BCT just left again after getting back just 12 months ago.
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MSgt (Join to see)
SNCOs/NCOs that are currently deployed/returning home, have a responsibility while in garrison to pass that knowledge on to the junior members of their unit through unit training and while participating in exercises. Exercises are although sometimes watered down and/or to focused on meeting "METL's" are how we prepare for deployment. How do you think those SNCO's that are now deployed learned 10 - 15 years ago before there were any 'deployments'. Nothing can substitute the been there/done that experience, but it can be passed along to the next generation of NCOs/SNCOs.
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SPC David Dunn
I understand that a good majority of NCO's were NCO's before the war started, however, I still see a good amount of NCO's without deployment experience 13 years into designated time of war. And like I said, I have had some amazing NCO's that never deployed. Maybe the problem doesn't lie with deployment experience so much as doing a complete overhaul of the promotion system. Memorizing a few answers from a study guide in no way is an indication you are ready to be responsible for the lives of the soldiers you have under you. I have seen Specialists who were clueless in their MOS memorize answers and make 5. Now you have a SGT who people look to to train, mentor, and lead soldiers all the while they have no idea how to do their job. We need to adopt the Navy/Air Force promotion system. Testing into the next rank by showing proficiency in the current level and knowledge into the next level. Maybe a peer review could also be beneficial. Current NCO's in the company/unit have a say in who is truly ready to wear stripes. I have seen many times in my company a Squad Leader that doesn't recommend a soldier for the board to be overruled by a PSG. The 3 times this happened in my company, those new SGT's lost their stripes under a year for misconduct.
Funny you mention 4-4. I'm currently in 4th BCT, 4th ID.
As always, these are just my opinions. Things I'd like to see so people see a soldier wearing stripes and have an instant respect for how they got there. I'm signing out on terminal leave tomorrow so it might not affect me, but I have loved my time in the Army and would love to see it continue to improve.
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