Thread: 18A Description
View Single Post
Old 07-19-2004, 12:34   #9
Jack Moroney (RIP)
Quiet Professional
 
Jack Moroney (RIP)'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Vermont
Posts: 3,093
Quote:
Originally posted by stschmidt
Sir,


Do you feel that the ability to manage other than SF requirements and still maintain proficiency in one's chosen profession is what makes an an 18A stand out from the rest and why the Army seeks those officers for other positions?
Steve
Actually what sets good 18As apart from the rest of the Army is the same thing that sets 18s in general apart from the rest of the Army. I think I can best sum it up as total commitment to each other and the mission. You see, IMHO, you can only get total commitment from someone when those values that make him who he is as a person match those values ,like a target grid overlay, that make the organization to which he belongs what it is. While many folks come into the Army seeking a job, the SF soldier comes in seeking a profession. We have a lot of folks running around the military of all ranks that, while members of a professional military, are not truly professionals themselves. You can identify them because they punch a time clock and take every chance they can to put themselves and their needs before those of their organization and the folks in the organization. Unfortunately, most of these folks are officers who view their rank as providing them rights and priveledge without responsibility and will use the folks with whom they work as stepping stones for career advancement. As to the reason why "the Army" seeks any particular group of officers for filling positions, positions are filled because folks have demonstrated the potential to fill them and in the case of 18As that potential comes as a result not only from their efforts but in large part because of the extraordinary soldiers with whom they were priviledged to serve. You see, you cannot help but become a better soldier when you serve with the likes of the soldiers that fill the various specialities in the 18 career management field. I think the difference for 18As and the rest of the Army is that the good 18As that I know were soldiers first and officers second and when you work with other soldiers as a soldier and not as part of some officer caste, things get done a whole lot better than not.
Just my opinion.

Jack Moroney
__________________
Wenn einer von uns fallen sollt, der Andere steht für zwei.
Jack Moroney (RIP) is offline   Reply With Quote