[COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Lt. Col. W. Thomas Smith Jr., Joint Services Detachment, S.C. Military Dept., was presented the MAJ. GEN. JAMES E. LIVINGSTON AWARD: "for noble service to country in peace and war, superior leadership and tireless support of the the 2010 National Medal of Honor Convention." Medal of Honor recipient Col. Charles P. Murray Jr., U.S. Army, ret., presented the award to Smith on behalf of Gen. Livingston and the convention project. Livingston – a retired U.S. Marine general residing in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. – is one of the state’s six living Medal of Honor recipients, including Murray. The Medal of Honor -- known unofficially as the Congressional Medal of Honor -- is the nation’s highest award for combat valor. Source –NavySEALs.com]
TRANSCRIPT OF REMARKS DELIVERED (unedited) AT FN MANUFACTURING:
First of all, thank you for this award:
Gen. Livingston happens to be one of my heroes, as are Col. Murray and Sgt. Baker.
As I was reading the citation, I noticed the part that says “service to country in peace and war.” And it made me think about that service – not just mine, but anyone who has worn the uniform of the United States.
Last week, we were all cheering the actions of those Navy SEALs who took out those pirates in a precision operation that seemed – to those who have never worn the uniform – amazing and effortless.
Amazing, yes.
Effortless? Hardly.
Fact is, no one who is not properly conditioned, trained, rehearsed, and imbued with American military tradition and culture could have pulled it off. At least not with the same flair those men did.
But those off us who do know what it takes, KNOW that what those men did was and is not easy, and the reason they were able to make it look easy is because:
A. They are among the best men America produces.
B. Their teams’ standards are strict as they should be.
C. These men have a blood-oath commitment to “the team” (and not just themselves) that not even the National Football League can match.
D. Their training is far more difficult than their operations, unless something goes dramatically wrong when they go tactical.
Fact is, American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines don’t fail. They never have, not in the history of this country.
Corrupt journalists and corrupt politicians might be able to doom or subvert their efforts. But the soldiers themselves do not – in fact cannot – fail.
Why? Because they’re part of a unique culture of never failing. It’s not a matter of competition – as if military operations are some sort of game. It is a matter of being victorious. And VICTORY, ladies and gentlemen, is a word too many of us are afraid to use these days.
It’s not politically correct, because victory suggests someone else has to be vanquished or defeated.
Victory sounds too dramatic for some. Too Churchillian.
That is, unless one has worn the uniform. This is why there is such a high percentage of former military leaders – whether corporal or general – who become amazingly successful senior leaders in the corporate world. They embrace victory, and that almost guarantees success.
Though it’s not easy to define, there is a difference between military command and civilian management. There are certainly parallels between the two. But also stark differences, which we could debate for weeks.
What we do know from percentages, is that military leaders as a whole transition very-well from the battlefield to the boardroom. And often [though not always] outperform their non-military civilian counterparts.
This is often perceived by business analysts as an interesting dynamic, because military culture is so different from civilian culture, even though corporate culture is an extension of the broader civilian culture.
Doesn’t mean there aren’t poor military leaders. And it doesn’t mean there aren’t brilliant civilian leaders without military experience. There are indeed: Companies like FN Manufacturing and Rogers Townsend & Thomas are perfect examples of brilliance in corporate leadership. Both are operated by enormously successful and talented leaders (and not all of those leaders have carried rifles, jumped out of airplanes, or locked-out of a submarine on a special ops mission).
Nevertheless, we do know that military culture builds leaders. And leaders with military experience seem to survive – even thrive – against all odds.
The obvious question is, why?
A Marine colonel once told me “Being a Marine, means overcoming overwhelming odds, everyday without exception, regardless of task.”
He added, “Marines do not think in terms of winning or losing. To Marines, victory is always certain and defeat is unacceptable.”
Walter Anderson, the publisher and CEO of Parade magazine, the largest-circulation magazine in the nation, said during an interview: “What I am today is a result of the Marine Corps.”
Former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller said, "In the twelve weeks of hell and transformation that were Marine Corps boot camp, I learned the values of achieving a successful life that have guided and sustained me.”
Now, you’ll notice I’m talking a lot about Marines here. That’s because I am one (an active duty rifleman 25-plus years ago, and once you earn the title, it is yours forever). But be assured any of these remarks would also describe the service of our great soldiers, sailors, and airmen who I’ve been blessed to serve with – and learn from – over the years.
In a recent article in USA Today, CEO’s of some the nations top companies weighed in on the performance-enhancing value of bringing military experience to senior-level civilian management.
One CEO who served six years as a Naval aviator, said, "Everything I know about leadership, I learned in [the Navy]."
Another explained, “Leaders without military experience are more likely to be guided by ego.”
That’s not always true, and those are not my words. Again, that’s quoted from an article in USA Today. But perhaps there is something in military culture that quashes ego.
The military is after all an institution designed – not only for victory – but for service to others – to God, country, and Corps as we like to say in the Marine Corps – not the individual.
Another chief executive in the USA Today article –describing leadership lessons he learned from his Army combat experiences – used the word “love” four times.
Think about that word, “love,” for a moment.
The CEO added, “Genuine caring for others is essential.” Therein may lie the key that’s as obvious as the code of chivalry we seem to have forgotten: Remember the knights who pledged themselves to serve and defend:
- the faith
- the weak
- and righteous causes
Military people today have a sense of selflessness that is ingrained in them over the course of their service. And if the military person does not quickly learn to abandon his selfish nature, his military experience will be less than pleasant.
For instance, I was always taught as a Marine, You never leave your dead and wounded behind. (I’ve further expanded that to include anyone. In other words, bring friends, colleagues, what-have-you with you to the goal-line.)
You may be killed, but the Corps will live on. And though you will be in Heaven, you will have earthly immortality through your brothers in the Corps.
You must put the welfare of your subordinates ahead of your own (doesn’t mean you don’t sometimes have to get rid of bad seeds – or seeds that don’t flower – because you sometimes do. But always as a last resort.).
You must support your commanders’ decisions. Let him feel that support, and bring as much sunshine as possible to your commander’s world (because his responsibilities are greater and weightier than yours). It’s one thing to disagree with a superior officer, but it should never be for selfish, self-serving reasons.
Now this doesn’t mean you don’t need to take care of yourself. You do. But the mission and your men always come first. Even sometimes to your own detriment.
During the Battle of Gettysburg when U.S. Army Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock was urged to dismount from his horse – and take cover like the rest of his troops – he purportedly responded, “There are times when a corps commander’s life does not count.”
Successful leadership in any endeavor is always based on what I will refer to as the three M’s:
Your mission comes first (and not necessarily the mission you choose).
Then you take care of the men (including subordinates and superiors).
Then you take care of yourself (which is the third “M” or “me”).
And in this exact sequence, always.
The military does these things, and it does so while placing enormous demands on its people (demands to achieve specific given objectives, and soldiers must be able to do these things effectively even without adequate food, sleep, protection from the elements and often under extreme physical, mental, and emotional stress).
I experienced the three M’s as a young Marine rifle-squad leader, then as an officer on a paramilitary SWAT team (led by former U.S. Army Special Forces officers), then I witnessed – and experienced – it as a war correspondent. And finally today I have a greater appreciation for it as a military writer and analyst, and even in my work with the S.C. Military Dept, especially working on our Medal of Honor convention project.
And Lord knows, you will never find greater examples of selflessness and the three M’s than that which we find in our Medal of Honor recipients.
So we see in the end, the American soldier – no matter what is put in front of him, no matter what he is asked to do – will always deliver.
Mission first.
Then the men.
Then himself.
He will do these things with courage, honesty, humility, selflessness, creativity, instant willing obedience (without excuse), an ability to take charge on a moment’s notice – exhibiting decisiveness, but modifying decisions when necessary – and always sincerely respecting and loving his fellow man.
Now, if you think this sounds like the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, my response is, “why not?”
I remember in Iraq (when I was there for the second time as an embedded journalist). I was in this combat outpost on the end of the earth between Haditha and the Syrian border. Dark as pitch outside – must have been about 2:00 a.m. – the heat, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in South Carolina.
Everybody was filthy, footsore, and exhausted. And we were in an isolated outpost, so our food was very limited.
Anyway, this suntanned linebacker-looking giant of a Marine lieutenant (who frankly looked like an Esquire magazine model. The guy was always with a fresh shave. His eyes were always clear. He always looked rested, even though I knew he hadn’t slept for days.) walks up to this skinny, tough-looking tattooed lance corporal – just before we were all getting ready to go on a combat foot-patrol looking for Al Qaeda insurgents.
The Lt. was in his late twenties.
The lance corporal couldn’t have been more than 18 or 19.
Both of them were armed to the teeth.
The Lt. smiles at the lance corporal, reaches in his cargo pocket and hands him a pop-tart, and says in this mellifluous tone, “Good mornin’ sunshine.” Which actually sounded a lot more like my late father, than a man in his twenties.
The lance corporal smiles back, takes the pop-tart, and says, “Cool. Thank you sir.”
That moment to me transcended everything I knew about love for the man on your left and your right in battle.
The end result of that patrol, ladies and gentlemen, was – as my friend retired Navy Capt. Lou Colbus often describes as – “operational elegance.”
Under the leadership of Generals Wishart, Lacy, and Rogers, our convention planning effort – though not a combat operation, it is certainly a military operation overseen by the S.C. State Guard, the broader S.C. Military Dept, and the Citadel – is evolving beautifully.
And with the generous support of extraordinarily well-led companies – like FN Manufacturing and Rogers Townsend & Thomas – steeped in rich traditions of their own, and both with strong, life-long ties to the military, the effort is becoming – as Capt. Colbus would say –“operationally elegant.”
I thank you for this award. I thank you for your support of our convention. I thank you for our growing relationships. And may God Bless our Medal of Honor recipients and the American soldiers and sailors they and I so-love.
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W. Thomas Smith Jr.
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