Drop a name - who is the best Leader/Manager/Comander you ever worked for?

COL Robert Rheault, CO, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), then again as CO, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), a real Officer and Gentlemen. He was above reproach in everything that he did, to include his Vietnam Tour.

In 1967 I was 23 years old working for a worldwide engineering and construction companies in San Francisco. I’d had separated from active duty about two rears prior and recently joined the active reserves. I’d been reclassified from engineering aid to Jr. Draftsman and assigned to a design group tasked to design a portion of a unit within a refinery located in Mexico. My lead designer and supervisor was Brian Nutley, a Brit who took me under his wing and gave me challinging assignments in all phases of the design process. He recommended me to Sr. Management to attend company run design classes. He encouraged me by showing me how to layout orthographic plans and sections, and tutored me on how to transpose demensions from English to metric. He introduced me to simple geometric formulas used to calculate compoud angles needed to draw isometric and spool piping drawings. He recommended I be classified as Sr. Draftsman and continued to give me more responsibilities in the design process working with Sr. Designers. He encouraged me to keep honing my skills. I was eventually placed in the position of checker. He eventually quit the company to become a Sr. design supervisor for another company and called me up and offered me a job as a designer at a substantial increase in salary. He inferred that I was a good piping designer and continued to give me challinging assignments. , He gave me the most positive input of any person I ever worked for. His style of managing people set an example for me on how I would eventually treat those who would work for me. Unfortunately I lost track of him and his family many years ago.

Enlisted best leader 1sgt Roman Lash LA Run
Officer Captain Crain

Col. Marcus B. Shipman (Torrejon AB, Spain)

Colonel, very good subject. After being in the corporate world, I would have to take this discussion off line.

CSM Lawson Stoddard, a real down east New Englander who grew up in logging country of Vermont. The man was larger than life with shoulders wider than a barn door and hands like baseball mitts. He was the epitome of the father figure. He served in the infantry in Vietnam earning the ICB. In later years I would help him seeding his potato fields, helping him with his huge garden and fruit trees. He was a great leader because he treated everyone with respect. Like Sun Tzu said, “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”

LTC Brian Hensel (Ret), then 2LT when he was my platoon leader D Troop 2-17 Cav, Fort Campbell. I have to say I was a little leary as he was a West Point grad, yet he turned out to be a well rounded leader. He also led the charge of taking the troop's HMMWVs through the drive thru liquor stores after being out on the flight line all day while doing CATB evals at Fort Hood. Air Cav leads the way!!

I have 2 Captain Richard M Dunleavy and Captain Robert J Spane!! Dunleavy was my skipper on Coral Sea during the Iran Hostage Crisis!! He came on the 1MC and addressed the crew every night we were on the 79-80 cruise!! Spane was my skipper on Enterprise for 2 cruises like Dunleavy always kept the crew informed!! I would have no trouble following these to into HELL, because I know we would win!!

COL Karl Peterson, OCAR RTD

A lot of good ones, but I would have to say SFC Gerald Clark, H company 306 MI Battalion.