A guide for effective platoon leader platoon sergeant co. In order for a platoon to succeed, an effective partnership must exist between the pl and psg. A remarkable memoir of small unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. It doesnt exist in doctrine but is a part of many unit standard operating procedures sop and best practices. Army nco leaders book item covering the counseling data sheet. A military theorist who has helped shape the postcold war army s thinking, he is also the author of the defense of hill 781 and the limits of glory.
It minimizes the number of pages soldiers have to read every week and breaks the book into meaningful chunks. Being an infantry platoon leader is the greatest job in the world. You have the ability to mold men and make our country stronger 24 hours a day. The ncos described the role of the platoon leader where new officers are placed in charge of between 20 to 50 soldiers and are accountable for the units equipment.
In the army, counseling is an almost daily requirement. Platoon leader details mcdonoughs time in vietnam commanding an undermanned platoon assigned to protecting a village in the strategic hamlet program. After reading this book it is obvious why the army chose it as required reading for officer candidate school. For the authors honesty and literary craftsmanship, platoon leader seems. Filter by location to see platoon leader salaries in your area. The way platoon leaders and sergeants work together as a. He is the person everyone else looks to for orders and sets the uniform standards. Jul 05, 2009 a young officer, just out of west point is sent to vietnam, where the men dont respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. Books i recommend that every lieutenant reads include platoon leader by.
One minute a communications check with the platoon leader is successful and the next minute you cant reach anybody. Now retired from active duty, mcdonough lives with his family in tallahassee, florida. The way platoon leaders and sergeants work together as a team can cause the success or failure of companies, battalions, brigades, and divisions. I was just thinking about the character of chalice skating away near the thin tripwire of a new day. As a platoon leader, i had a simple rule in the field, no squad leader could eat. You have dropped behind german lines and must use your platoon leaders to command squads through various missions.
I have to travel well over 100 miles to get to the base and have to be there at a very early time in the morning. Platoon leader reminds me a lot of the book sand in the wind by robert roth because there is a body going over a waterfall scene in both. Army soldiers is an honor you should not take lightly. Ncoer, counseling, award, and other writing examples. The detail and number of options have also been ramped up such that this game is guaranteed to be better than ever. S games presents platoon leader, an infantry based ww2 hex and counter game with semisolitaire engine and optional german ai. Mar 04, 2003 a remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. Platoons senior trainer, assis t and evaluate squad training. The platoon leader positions himself where he can best control the platoon. This volume for new platoon leaders and platoon sergeants contains insights on leadership, training management, army systems, and more. Advanced platoon leader apl takes the basic game platoon leader to a whole new level.
The secretary of the army has determined that the publication of this. Aug 03, 2006 the unit in the movie platoon is identified at the beginning and end of the film as bravo company, 3rd battalion, 22nd infantry, 25th infantry division. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Enjoy every minute of it, even the difficult times, and give of yourself freely to your mission and your men. Oct 12, 2009 platoon sergeant most people place a vr or write out very respectfully in an e mail. Gone is the single map which is replaced with terrain cards that will allow you to configure a ton of map variations. The first 100 days of platoon leadership handbook combined. New platoon leader ebook for platoon leaders in the army national guard and army reserves. Field operations, mission support, class iii v maintenance transportation, medical support, and i. Every leader should maintain a leader s book in some form but especially smallunit leaders. You should only use your signature block for official duties or when corresponding with civilians in an official capacity. Platoon leaders must design a plan for carrying out instructions, delegate tasks to platoon sergeants, squad leaders or individuals, and follow up to ensure those tasks are completed.
The book takes place in and around a fort near a vietnamese village in. Mcdonough, introduces the book as a story of an american platoon leader in combat. Platoon sergeants mentor future platoon leaders article. This makes him a target, so he should appear very much like a rifleman.
Salary estimates are based on 107 salaries submitted anonymously to glassdoor by platoon leader employees. His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of truong lam. Love is not always a two way street, sometimes you give more than you get, and love is a choice. The lowstress way to find your next platoon leader job opportunity is on simplyhired. Lessons from platoon leader by james mcdonough dzone agile. On the battlefield, platoon leaders and sergeants build their platoons, empower squad. I have looked through fm 622 and have had a lot of great help along the way by friends, ncos, and captains. The book highlights the extreme nature of vietnam insomuch as long periods of boredom torn apart by extreme moments of violence and carnage. The book takes place in and around a fort near a vietnamese village in binh dinh province. I agree to adhere to the milsuite user agreement and the below terms and conditions. Air force because it was highly recommended to me by a long retired army officer that i worked with, and.
The leader s book is a tried and true smallunit leadership aid. Ive been staying lowkey to learn how the platoon operates before i do anything. This is especially true with communications equipment. The first 100 days of platoon leadership handbook us. That unit was commanded at the time by captain robert hemphill, now lieutenant colonel, retired. A remarkable memoir of small unit leadership and the coming of age of a young. Platoon leader was a great book to give you a concise glimpse into the reality of one young army leader in vietnam.
Tasks may vary from securing the high ground on a battlefield to preparing for a parade, but the platoon leader is always the director. Mar 01, 2012 in 2006, parnell was a neophyte army airborne ranger with the storied 10th mountain division, assigned as a new platoon leader in afghanistan, desperate to prove himself. The first 100 days of platoon leadership iii foreword the platoon leader and platoon sergeant are two of the most important leaders in the u. Here soon, i will be taking on a platoon as a new butterbar. When is it appropriate to include your rank, such as lt, when. The platoon leader is the most senior leader in the platoon. I read platoon leader by james mcdonough because it was a firsthand account of a rookie. Platoon leader is a noncard driven, non combat results table system that utilizes sectors and zones to regulate possible german. A military theorist who has helped shape the postcold war armys. Army nco leaders book item covering team squad section and platoon training deployment sequence of events suggested u. Also, requiring squad leaders to build and maintain leader books. Platoon leader is an unbelievable glimpse into the life of a typical platoon leader sent into the bush of vietnam.
Platoon leader is a 1988 cannon films film set in the vietnam war and directed by aaron norris. Essentially a knock off of platoon, this bloodsoaked war drama chronicles the experiences of a west point graduate and his colleagues in the ruthless vietnamese jungles. A remarkable memoir of smallunit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in vietnam. Army leaders book lb is designed to keep track of your soldiers important, but nonsensitive information in order to better lead them and maintain their. Mar 18, 2015 the ncos described the role of the platoon leader where new officers are placed in charge of between 20 to 50 soldiers and are accountable for the units equipment and gave the cadets advice. Platoon leader quotes showing 11 of 1 the roads that lead young men to war are not political roads, or national and international roads, but individual roads. Yet, id like to hear from r army what recommendations you may have. Mcdonough, chronicles the authors experiences as an officer in the vietnam war from 197071. The purpose of milsuite is to provide a collection of social business tools for department of defense. Whether its meant to guide a soldiers growth, document career milestones, or correct improper behavior, it can be a challenge to find the words to adequately describe a soldiers performance and potential. I tend turn to books written by people who have fought in the army for lessons on tactics and leadership. A young officer, just out of west point is sent to vietnam, where the men dont respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. Learn some secret advice to help you develop a cohesive team of trained warriors.
The platoon leader pl platoon sergeant psg leadership team is a unique and influential pair of roles that exist in the army. The platoon leader and platoon sergeant are two of the most important leaders in the u. Mcdonough retired is an impecable example for future and current young lieutenants that are preparing to take command of their first platoons. To gain greater understanding of the platoon leaderplatoon sergeant relationship, more than 200 first lieutenants commissioned in 2009all of them current or past platoon leadersshared their experiences of working with their platoon sergeants in a january 2012 survey in the platoon leader forum. New platoon leader advice hey yall, just got my first platoon after 4 months on staff and been here 2 weeks. I originally got this book as a young officer in the u. Overview of platoon leader, 1988, directed by aaron norris, with michael dudikoff, robert f. Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, mcdonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a u. Army nco leaders book item covering the deployment sequence of events counseling data sheet suggested u. James mcdonough graduated from west point and served in vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173d airborne brigade. Discover how to be an effective, excellent and efficient leader while balancing your family time, civilian job and military career. Page 1 of 2 1 2 team squad section platoon training suggested u. The film is about a newly commissioned infantry lieutenant who arrives in vietnam to take over his.
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