Posted on May 11, 2015
General McChrystal here on RallyPoint - What questions do you have?
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A message from the General: “Thank you each for your service. Thank you also for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions and I hope you’ll enjoy Team of Teams.”
From the RallyPoint Team:
This May, General McChrystal is releasing his new book: "Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World"
In the book, "McChrystal and his colleagues show how the challenges they faced in Iraq can be relevant to countless businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. The world is changing faster than ever, and the smartest response for those in charge is to give small groups the freedom to experiment while driving everyone to share what they learn across the entire organization."
You can learn more about the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Team-Teams-Rules-Engagement-Complex/dp/ [login to see]
From the RallyPoint Team:
This May, General McChrystal is releasing his new book: "Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World"
In the book, "McChrystal and his colleagues show how the challenges they faced in Iraq can be relevant to countless businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. The world is changing faster than ever, and the smartest response for those in charge is to give small groups the freedom to experiment while driving everyone to share what they learn across the entire organization."
You can learn more about the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Team-Teams-Rules-Engagement-Complex/dp/ [login to see]
Leadership
GEN
Q&A
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 128
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It is a real honor to be able to speak with you GEN Stanley McChrystal. Sir, many of us have spent years fighting in the war on terror and have since left the service. Personally, I don't know how to feel anymore. When I was still in the Army, I had enormous pride in our accomplishments. Our brothers and sisters we lost along the way sacrificed everything they had. So much has been sacrificed and yet our civilian counterparts seem more interested in tabloid news and our continued efforts are rarely considered news-worthy. A lot of precious blood was spilled only to see these same liberated cities falling back into enemy hands. I continue to run into veterans who are still struggling to find jobs and feel like their sacrifices were made in vain. No one seems to realize what we went through and what we were able to accomplish while in uniform. But now that we have returned to the civilian ranks, many of us feel like we don't belong and that we still have unfinished business. It is a challenge to be proud of our past accomplishments when we can't even land a civilian job that doesn't even have 1/10 of the responsibilities we were used to. Do you have suggestions on how we might be able to find closure? What would you tell these veterans to keep their spirits up who feel this emptyness inside?
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1SG Patrick Sims
I had two men in my company who were exceptionally good at martial arts. I had them set up training programs to teach hand to hand to the troops---The end result was a marked increase in the soldiers interest, as well as a noticeable increase in confidence. Soldiers join the army for a variety of reasons, but training to defend themselves bear handed is a confidence builder. Before I went to Vietnam we were given training in hand to hand, weapons and survival training at Little Creek, Virginia by SEAL team 1. Back in 1967 it was a common practice for sailors going to the River Patrol. On more than one occasion the hand to hand saved my life. My point is, that type of training builds confidence, regardless of what job the individual has. It's a practice that should be implemented Army wide.
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SSG David Shifflett
I remember the hardships the Vietnam Vet's faced and every other service member faces when leaving a well (some times) organized world, going into the want-a-bees. I struggled with it too! My only advise is to saddle up and keep moving forward. Find other Vet's to talk to and work through the civilian slime. Their never going to understand and they will always at you like one looks at a new corvette. Be that person you know you can and will be. Remember those in your private moments, cheer on your brother and sisters and remember a civilian can never stand in your shoes. We would say " Never done the walk, don't do the talk". God Bless you all, for without you us older Vet's had no hope. Now I know FB is secured.
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SSG Kevin McCulley
LTC Yinon Weiss, if I had not joined the Army I wouldn't be a 90% disabled vet. If that so called President didn't throw away our blood, sweat, and tears, the lifetime of adversity I now face with would have been worth it. Please.. go tell the parents of SSG Allen, SFC Griffin, CPL Materson, SSG Long, or any of our other brothers and sisters that their child's death was worth handing the middle east over to Iran and putting northern Iraq to the sword. I advise you to wear body armor. I can not find a more measured way to express myself on this subject. Nothing is worth doing in this country anymore when a Liberal is going to come behind you, destroy it, and call you a racist for objecting.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SFC Mark Merino, the Democrats threw away all of our gains in Viet Nam too; but you have to remember that it was not OUR failure. We did our duty and accomplished our missions.
Having borne great responsibilities under fire you have an inner strength that the civilians that stayed home will never know. Use this strength to help those around you and it will lighten your load and bring purpose back into your life. The responsibilities will come again as your performance is noted.
As Americans we can only do our part, provide for our families, help our neighbors, and cast our votes. We were not able to set strategy when we were in the ranks either, but we can still accomplish our duties now just as we did then. Different situation, different duties, but just as necessary.
Having borne great responsibilities under fire you have an inner strength that the civilians that stayed home will never know. Use this strength to help those around you and it will lighten your load and bring purpose back into your life. The responsibilities will come again as your performance is noted.
As Americans we can only do our part, provide for our families, help our neighbors, and cast our votes. We were not able to set strategy when we were in the ranks either, but we can still accomplish our duties now just as we did then. Different situation, different duties, but just as necessary.
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Sir, I ask this with the utmost respect, but why did you decide to change strategies conceding the countryside to the Taliban in order to concentrate security on the cities? I realize that the objective was to have the ANA take the lead patrolling the back country, but that is where the enemy is at. In order to win at counter-insurgency you have to undermine their base; the population they draw recruits, supplies, and political power from. By pulling US forces out of the COPs that were sited (some stupidly, tactically) in order to interdict infiltration and supply routes, aren't we making it easier for the Taliban to consolidate their hold on large areas of Eastern Afghanistan?
Further, doesn't this give the enemy a powerful "legitimate" political voice in the Afghan political process, where dissent in enemy-held areas is easily intimidated or worse?
I have often wondered about this, and I look forward to your thoughts, sir.
Further, doesn't this give the enemy a powerful "legitimate" political voice in the Afghan political process, where dissent in enemy-held areas is easily intimidated or worse?
I have often wondered about this, and I look forward to your thoughts, sir.
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1LT Richard C.
Great question 1SG... understanding our limited number of troops and the vast areas to cover, I am interested in hearing of the factors in decision making process that brought Gen McChrystal to the conclusion that this strategy would have the best impact. In addition: at the lower levels we continuously work to improve through an after actions review of the good and the bad. What were the take aways from this decision.
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GEN Stanley McChrystal
Truly superb question - and one that caused me a lot of thought at the time. I based my decision on the belief that if we didn't control the majority of the Afghan population (making them feel truly secure) that we couldn't win. The Taliban were expanding their efforts to make all of Afghanistan seem insecure (which caused the population to drift away from open support to the Govt) - so I believed it was key to deny them that where we could. We did a detailed analysis and came up with 80 "Key Districts" (out of 364 total districts in the country and sought to concentrate there first. The concept was to make those truly secure and then expand like an "oil spot" from there. As additional Afghan forces were raised, we felt we'd be able to expand that. My sense was that while that meant we'd be less capable in more remote areas - if the Taliban was going to be strong anywhere, I felt it would least beneficial to them to control remote, less populated locations. But you're right, it is always a tough call. My thanks.
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Cpl Patrick T
I'm highly impressed with your organization & execution in Iraq of capturing/killing terrorists, but your answers on Sean Hannity's Show on FOX were very sad, politically correct, really don't know how to describe it. Our nation & the world is in a spiral to complete chaos and we need bold leaders who can truly identify how to destroy radical islam. I was hoping you were going to lay out a definitive plan, stayed up late to watch you and went to bed wondering, 'where is that General that did so much to put our foot on the neck of terrorism?'
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SSG Mannix Brooks
After hearing what you said about making the call on strategy change I understand. With a very limited force it was difficult to impossible to control large swaths of lesser populated areas plus it thinned troops out making forces less effective and more vulnerable. It was and is about controlling what you can in Afghanistan. The war there can never be seen as a win only an acceptable end by Afghan not American standards. They say time is the enemy of man and I say we have wasted a lot of it by operations being run from HQ instead of in theater. Maybe January 2017 we will have a philosophy change there and elsewhere unless ISIS prompts us to make that change sooner.
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GEN Stanley McChrystal Welcome Sir. My question is more of a leadership question. What qualities do you feel are most important to be a good leader? Be it a GS 12 or a Senior NCO. What do you look for in a leader? And do you have any tips for those of us trying to become leaders not just in what we do but in our perspective jobs, but across the agency or unit.
Lastly thank you for coming on here Sir.
Lastly thank you for coming on here Sir.
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SSG (Join to see)
I agree Sir! The one thing I find lacking these days is commitment. There are so many leaders that I've worked with in the past few years that are all about their own career. The thing that they aren't grasping is that grooming and taking care of your Soldiers IS looking out for your career.
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PO1 Donald Hammond
GEN Stanley McChrystal, you hit upon 2 of the most important keys to leadership that I saw most people failing at. Commitment and the willingness to listen to others no matter what their rank. Just because somebody is boot does not mean they might not have an idea that is worth hearing. Listening, even if you don't take their advice, gives them a sense of being important and builds the team.
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