03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page b VOLUME THREE INDIRECT LEADERSHIP LEARN TO LEAD CIVIL AIR PATROL CADET PROGRAMS CHARACTER AIR FORCE TRADITIONS LEADERSHIP THEORY COMMUNICATIONS CRITICAL THINKING 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page c CIVIL AIR PATROL USAF AUXILIARY “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” GANDHI 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page d VOLUME THREE INDIRECT LEADERSHIP LEARN TO LEAD CIVIL AIR PATROL CADET PROGRAMS 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page e “Only the man who knows how to obey “Few men are willing to brave . the wrath of can understand what it is to command and give orders their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity when the spears are coming at him and his time than bravery in battle.” to lead has come.” ROBERT F. KENNEDY SOPHOCLES “Only those who will risk going too far can “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of possibly find out how far one can go.” preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” T.S. ELIOT COLIN POWELL “The medals don’t mean anything and the glory doesn’t last. It’s all about your happiness.” JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” HARPER LEE LEARN TO LEAD Published by Civil Air Patrol Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. CURT LAFOND with Associate Editors NEIL PROBST & BECCI SUNDHAGEN MAJOR S. ROCHELLE “LEX” KIMBRELL, USAF SOME RIGHTS RESERVED FIRST BLACK FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT & Copyright 2011 by Civil Air Patrol. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United FORMER CAP CADET States License. For details, see creativecommons.org. 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page f VOLUME THREE INDIRECT LEADERSHIP LEARN TO LEAD CIVIL AIR PATROL CADET PROGRAMS CONTENTS CHAPTER 9 1 The Cadet Officer CHAPTER 10 49 The Staff Officer CHAPTER 11 95 The Leader as Commander INDEX 153 McREL EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS 158 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page 1 9 CHAPTER 9 THE CADET OFFICER LEADERSHIP CAN BE YOUR VOCATION. The most successful and personally satisfied professionals do not think of leadership as a mere occupation. Rather, leadership can be a calling, a vocation, a profession that engages the heart, mind, and soul. What might be the “calling” for cadet officers? Perhaps continuous self-development, or community service, or the mentoring of younger cadets, or all three challenges and more. The first section of this chapter examines the history of the officer corps and the view that leadership can be a vocation. CHAPTER GOALS 1. Appreciate the opportunities and responsibilities of officership. 2. Recognize the officer’s challenge to be a moral leader and teacher. 3. Understand the leader’s role in resolving conflict. 1 03-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt-pp 0-2_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:27 Page 2 VOLUME THREE INDIRECT LEADERSHIP OFFICERSHIP CHAPTER OUTLINE In this chapter you will learn about: HISTORY OF THE OFFICER CORPS Officership OBJECTIVES: History of the Officer Corps 1. Describe how officers’ professional expectations rose with Indirect Leadership the birth of the modern military. Public Trust 2. Discuss how the concept of a meritocracy guides militaries Respectful Dissent in the selection of officers. Moral Reasoning The Leader as Philosopher Weak Leaders in Command. Today, the U.S. military’s officer Moral Relativism corps is respected tremendously within the armed forces Moral Objectivism and by the public at large. But for centuries, military officers Virtue Ethics were not respected for their special knowledge and skills. In Duty Ethics fact, the concept of an officer – that is a professional, an ex- Utilitarianism pert soldier, a true and learned leader – was not to be found Character Formation in any nation until the early 1800s. Character Ed. Through Behaviorism “Wealth, birth, personal and political influence dictated The Developmental Perspective the appointment and advancement of officers. Children Conflict Resolution and incompetents frequently held high military rank. Five Types of Conflict Nobody of professional knowledge existed. Consequently, A Model of Interpersonal Conflict no institutions, except for a few technical schools, were Cooperative Negotiation available to impart military knowledge, and there was no Speak Up! Against Everyday Bigotry system for applying that knowledge in practice. Officers Conclusion behaved and believed like aristocrats… In brief, the mili- tary profession was simply nonexistent.”1 Career Officers The generals who won WWII were all career officers who possessed formal military training and climbed the ranks via their merit as leaders. Here, seated left to right are Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, and Gerow; standing are Stearley, Vanden- berg, Smith, Weyland, and Nugent. 2 04-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt PP 3-4_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:29 Page 3 Rise of the Meritocracy. Why did nations abandon the idea that who your father was or how much money you had would be the most im- portant considerations in selecting officers? After the American and French revolutions, egalitarian ideals took root. Wealth and ancestry, egalitarian and later race and gender, no longer were viewed as fair or honor- Relating to the principle that all able measures of a leader. Each individual is equal, at least in dignity. people are equal and deserve Egalitarian ideas naturally led to the concept of the meritocracy. In a equal rights and opportunities. meritocracy, merit rules. The smartest, most creative, most expert, most accomplished individuals are able to rise to the top and earn the most prestigious and rewarding positions. Rise of Technology. At the same time that old biases fell to egalitar- ian and meritocratic ideals, warfare become more complicated. The The Service Academies 19th century gave rise to the Industrial Revolution, producing game- changing new technologies. Military leaders realized that to master The United States maintains service new technologies like iron-clad ships, rifling, flintlock cannons, me- academies to train and educate an officer corps. The academies reflect chanically-fused land mines, railroads, battlefield medicine, and the ideals of an officer corps consti- more, officers would have to undergo specialized training. Any ran- tuted upon merit, not birthright. dom rich son of a prominent father wouldn’t necessarily be suited to the demands of the increasingly technical and complex demands of military leadership. Officers were not born; rather, they were edu- cated and trained for the profession of arms. Birth of the Modern Officer Corps. The rise of the meritocracy and the new complexity of warfare gave birth to the concept of the mod- ern officer corps. This Prussian government decree from 1808 sum- marizes that new view of officership, a view that remains dominant USMA West Point even today: “The only title to an officer’s commission shall be, in time of peace, education and professional knowledge; in time of war, distinguished valor and perception. From the entire nation, therefore, all individuals who possess these qualities are eligible for the highest military posts. All previously existing class preference in the military establishment is abolished, and every man, USNA Annapolis without regard to his origins, has equal duties and equal rights.”2 USCGA New London 3 USAFA Colorado Springs 04-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt PP 3-4_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:29 Page 4 OATH & COMMISSION OBJECTIVE: 3. Defend the requirement for officers to swear an oath of office. Where do officers come from? Air Force doctrine talks of leaders being made through experience, educa- tion, and training.3 But what mechanism creates an offi- cer? The U.S. Constitution declares, “the President… shall commission all the officers of the United States.”4 Because of this constitutional principle, new officers first make an oath of office and then receive a certificate of commission. The oath of office professes what an officer will do and to whom she will swear her allegiance. Responsibility should always accompany authority, so the oath (a profession of responsibility) comes before the actual commission. In 21st-century America, it’s easy to take the oath’s principles for granted. Thankfully, we’ve never experienced a group of rogue military officers conspiring to overthrow the republic. The oath’s key principle is the officer’s promise to support the Con- stitution against all enemies. Recall that in chapter 1 we discussed how armies of the Old World swore allegiance to their particular lord or general. Although the president is the military’s commander in chief, officers do not pledge to do whatever they want; rather, even the president’s authority is circumscribed by the Constitution. circumscribe To restrict within certain limits. Each officer is commissioned. That is, they receive a legal document designating them as officers and granting them authority to lead. Again, it’s easy to take this concept for granted. “You’re an officer? Who says?” The president delegates authority to the officer through the certificate of commission. This physical document is a visible sign of the president’s trust in the individual officer and the basis for that officer’s authority. Having professed the oath of office and received a commission, the Code of Conduct – the warfighter’s essential duties – now compels the officer “to guard our country and our way of life, and to give [his] life in [its] defense.”5 4 05-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt PP 5-6_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:30 Page 5 THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To all who shall see these presents greeting: Know ye, reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities of (Full Name), I do appoint Him/Her, Second Lieutenant in the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE as such from the (number) day of (month), (year).