1. General Background

Name: Len Koontz

Branch/dates of service: USMC Aug 67 – Nov 97, Retired at the grade of Sergeant Major

Position(s) held during combat: Team Leader, Platoon and Company Radioman

Wars, conflicts or combat actions you participated in: Vietnam

2. The role of the NCO in combat

Q. What do you think are some important personal traits and qualities for NCO’s serving as combat leaders? (courage, physical endurance, ability to inspire, etc)

A.In addition to courage, physical endurance and ability to inspire, I believe that integrity and self-confidence is essential to good leadership. The list could go on, because there are so many traits that can enhance leadership, but without courage, endurance, integrity and self-confidence you cannot sustain success.

Q. What can NCO’s do to effectively train and support inexperienced officers, particularly new lieutenants, joining a unit in combat?

A. To begin with, I recommend that NCO’s avoid approaching new lieutenants with an attitude of superiority. There’s no need to try and impress the new officer by telling him how much experience you have or to try to show him how little he knows compared to you. Approaching new lieutenants with sarcasm or intolerance is counter productive and often causes them to stop asking questions, which can lead to serious mistakes, some of which can cause men to be killed or wounded. You WANT new officers to ask questions! Better that they ask questions and learn, than keep quiet and commit errors due to inexperience.

I suggest that NCO’s act as a mentor to the new officer and take responsibility for showing him the things he needs to learn in order to become an effective leader. It is important that the NCO’s acknowledge that the new officer is their leader and that he is in charge of the unit. This is very important, because the new officer has to understand that while the success of the unit will largely result from the combined efforts of its members, as the commander, the ultimate responsibility for the unit’s success or failure falls on him.

That said, it is extremely important for the lieutenant to know that he can rely on his NCO’s for their full support. New officers are trained from the first day of OCS to seek the advice and support of their NCO’s. They expect the NCO’s to be competent and are usually very willing to accept guidance and recommendations from them. The bottom line is that NCO’s should do everything in their power to ensure that new officers quickly learn the things they need to know to win battles and minimize casualties during those battles.

Q. Some combat leaders, both officer and enlisted, are of the opinion that the NCO squad leader has the most difficult and critical job in a ground combat unit. They feel that even though the experience and effectiveness of senior NCO’s and officers may vary in any unit, if the corporal and sergeant squad and team leaders are proficient, the unit will generally perform well. Do you agree?

A. I agree entirely. I’d like to use an analogy to express my opinion on the role of the NCO squad leader. Let’s view a combat unit as if it was a race car participating in a NASCAR event. The senior officers and NCO’s would argue that their individual roles are the most crucial, as they plan and control the race (combat operation), but I say they are more like the members of the pit crew and the onboard computer used in the race car, they provide direction. The intelligence officers, logisticians and other supporting staffs could argue that the race (combat operation) could not be carried on without their support, but I see them as the support team who help plan and formulate the strategy for winning the race, fix the car and ensure that there is sufficient fuel to last the entire race.

I see the NCO squad leaders being the tires of the race car. They serve where the rubber meets the road. They are the first to feel the impact of tactical decisions made by the “driver” above them and they have the tremendous weight of the entire vehicle (squad) resting on them. They are the first to feel the heat of the track, its texture, if it is slippery and dangerous or stable and safe.

Any NASCAR driver knows you have to spend money on a superior tire in order to be competitive and win races. Saving money by using cheaper tires is inconceivable to them, because they know that the cheaper tires will not last throughout the entire race and will ultimately cause them to lose. This concept holds true for our NCO squad leaders, but the money spent on them relates to training. They must be afforded the opportunity to attend the various training/ schools that will make them into better trained Marines and individuals.

Q. Describe the best NCO combat leader you have known. What qualities did he possess that enabled him to be a more effective leader than most of his peers?

A. I would have to say it was my first Fire Team Leader. To this day I remember him well. I recall how he provided me with what I call “soft leadership.” He allowed me to make decisions and learn from my mistakes without browbeating me. When I needed to become more effective in some areas of my job, he took the time to ensure I was brought up to speed. He was able to inspire me to want to be the best I could be. I’ve seen “hard leadership”, when leaders were so overbearing that people were afraid to ask questions because they were fearful of being humiliated or berated should they make a mistake. This method of leadership is less than effective, in fact, all it does is cause people to avoid the leaders, ask no questions and sadly, the unit suffers because people are so afraid of making a mistake and getting harassed that they lose focus on trying to become better at their jobs. Even in combat, I think leaders who lead like my Fire Team Leader did will always produce a more effective fighting unit.

3. The role of the senior NCO in combat.

Q. Senior NCO’s perform an extremely crucial role in combat operations. What personal traits and characteristics do you view as critical for senior NCO’s?

A. Integrity would have to be my first response. Without the trust of his peers and subordinates an NCO cannot lead effectively. A willingness to mentor the junior NCO’s is also important. I have seen many leadership styles and personalities and it is my opinion that these two traits are absolutely essential.

Q. What can senior NCO’s do to effectively support and train inexperienced NCO’s joining a unit in combat?

A. Ideally, when an NCO joins the unit, he is trained and fully capable of leading a squad, platoon, etc. However, the reality is that often, NCO’s joining a unit in combat are in need of some refresher training to bring them up to the level of proficiency associated with their rank and position. Many NCO’s are coming from non-combat related duties in the U.S. or other rear areas and have simply not operated in a tactical mindset for quite a while.

Senior NCO’s must ensure that the incoming NCO’s receive the training necessary to make them effective as combat leaders. They should ensure that these NCO’s are exposed to the current tactical situation facing the unit and other issues which have an impact on the conduct of combat operations. Some topics I am thinking of include familiarization with equipment, communications procedures (especially calling for supporting arms and med-evac procedures) , local rules of engagement, issues affecting the morale, health and welfare of the troops, etc.

In a fast paced combat environment, there is often a rapid turnover of personnel. This can be attributed to many factors; WIA’S/ KIA’s, rotations, promotions etc. This often lends the unit to be “short-handed”. There may be pressure to send incoming NCO’s to the line units as soon as possible. Senior NCO’s should do everything in their power to ensure that the incoming NCO’s are allowed sufficient time to absorb the critical aspects or requirements of their new roles before they are sent to the line units. Doing so will keep them out of the line units for a few days, but this negative is more than offset by the fact that when they do arrive in their new units, the NCO’s have had time to orient themselves to the tactical situation, have received training that will allow them to perform more effectively and are mentally “ready to go.”

There’s nothing worse than a leader who cannot perform effectively in combat. My opinion is that it is worth the investment in time and training to ensure that incoming NCO’s (and officers) are “brought up to speed” before they are sent into combat. Senior NCO’s should advise the commanders of the quality and readiness of incoming NCO’s and be prepared to develop training programs that will address the issues I previously mentioned.

Q. What can senior NCO’s do to effectively support and train inexperienced officers, particularly new lieutenants, joining a unit in combat?

A. They should do everything in their power to ensure that the new officers are oriented and “brought up to speed” regarding the tactical situation and other issues that will affect them. Much of what I wrote about what Senior NCO’s should do for incoming NCO’s applies for officers as well.

They should orient the officers on what has and is going on within the unit. It is important that they expose them to how things are done within the unit vice what was taught to them in stateside schools or specified in field manuals, etc. Tell them what you think officers need to focus on in order to succeed tactically while preserving the lives of their men. Make them aware of the personalities, priorities and pet peeves of the chain of command. If the battalion commander is a stickler for the proper use of supporting arms, tell the new officer so and let him know what to focus on in this area, etc.

Encourage them when they are having doubts. Support their decisions as best you can. Sure, many times an NCO will know how to accomplish a task more efficiently than a new officer, but he must be careful not to become overbearing toward the new officer and insist that things be done exactly as the NCO desires them to be. New officers need to learn how to think and make decisions and you have to give them some room to do so. When you recommend a course of action, explain your rationale thought process to the new officer. He’ll develop faster if you ensure he knows the WHY of what you are recommending as well as the HOW.

Treat the officer with respect, especially in public. The outward display of professionalism and loyalty from NCO’s will not be lost on a new officer and he will be greatly encouraged that his subordinate leaders have accepted him as their new leader. Remember the old adage, “praise in public and reprimand in private.” You are not allowed to reprimand an officer if you are an NCO, but you can tactfully disagree with him and recommend alternatives to his plans, etc. This is always best done in private, away from the rest of the unit. Don’t put a new officer on the spot in front of people by challenging his authority. Take him aside and have a talk, you’ll find that he will be much more open to considering your point of view.

Q. Describe the best senior NCO combat leader you have known. What qualities did he possess that enabled him to be a more effective leader than most of his peers?

A. It would have to be the Company Gunnery Sergeant. We seldom saw our Company First Sergeant in the field, but the Gunny was always with us. He seemed to know everything that needed to be known and he was in complete control of most aspects of running the unit. I could see that he was the “glue” that held our company together. He was rarely in his office because he considered the entire unit area “his office”.

He knew the name of each Marine and was able to talk and joke with the men as they carried out their duties, yet did not hesitate to “counsel” any Marine in need of “adjustment”. However, he made it a point to seek out the Marine during the following week and encourage/praise him if the infraction was truly corrected. This, I believe, made us all respect him and set him apart from his peers.

The officers respected him and deferred to his experience and expertise and it was obvious that he made their jobs much easier by ensuring that they could focus on fighting the unit while he ensured that the unit was well supplied, etc. The Gunny was respected by all and our unit was simply more effective due to his presence.

4. The role of the junior officer in combat

Q. Combat units will always contain young and relatively inexperienced lieutenants. However, inexperienced does not mean untrained. Most new lieutenants possess fairly solid basic level skills and capabilities, but they are generally lacking “time with the troops” and thus still have a lot to learn about the “real world.” When joining a unit in combat, they will undoubtedly be thrust in the position of making decisions that could potentially cost men their lives. It’s a huge responsibility, that much is certain. What advice can you give a new lieutenant joining a unit in combat?

A. Listen and learn. Ask questions if you don’t know something or are uncertain of what to do regarding any issue. Be decisive. Make a decision and stick to it. Indecision is a fatal flaw in a combat leader and it often causes needless loss of life.

Don’t be filled with so much pride in being an officer that you fail to observe and listen to those around. Rank like age, doesn’t enable a person to always have all the answers. Be confident, but not over confident or arrogant. Your men can quickly spot these things in a leader and they tend to shy away from someone who exhibits such attitude or behavior.

When Marine NCO’s and SNCO’s are promoted, their promotion warrants include the phrase, “special trust and confidence.” They have demonstrated their loyalty to the Corps and in return, the Corps is entrusting them with a level of responsibility that exceeds that of their previous rank. New officers should remember to afford NCO’s and SNCO’s the respect and level of trust they have earned through their years of honorable and faithful service.

Above all, never forget the sixth Troop Leading Step from BAMCIS, which is to SUPERVISE! Throughout my career, whenever I saw something go wrong, it was usually because someone in the chain of command failed to properly supervise their men.

Q. What advice can you give a new lieutenant joining a unit in combat concerning what his troops expect of him? What can he do or say to gain their confidence in his abilities and judgment? Is there anything that he should avoid doing or saying?

A. Again, I would stress integrity and self-confidence. He should make his leadership style known from the start as well as what his expectations are of individuals and the unit as a whole. His troops expect him to be in charge. Some will look down on him as a newbie, but most will watch and wait to see what he is made of. A few will try him to see what buttons they can push, but most will give him the trust and respect he has earned by being an officer--while they watch and judge his character. True respect and confidence is earned through actions and the men will be closely observing a new leader in order to determine his worth as a leader.

He will have to measure up to other leaders who have gone before him. He should be himself and never pretend to be something or someone he is not. You cannot sustain a lie for long in any unit, troops are very perceptive and can quickly spot a phony. New leaders should find what their strengths and weaknesses are and constantly work to become a better leader. Always remember that as the leader, you are in charge. You can delegate authority but not responsibility.

Q. What advice can you give a new lieutenant joining a unit in combat concerning the NCO’s and senior NCO’s he will be put in command of? What can he do to quickly gain their confidence in his abilities and judgment? Is there anything he should avoid doing?

A. My advice would be to discuss before decisions/orders and then do not waiver. He should observe and determine the various strengths and weaknesses of his NCOs and SNCO’s. This will enable him to know how best to use their experience and skills. There is not a foolproof checklist on how he can rapidly gain their confidence. Each new lieutenant will have to deal with this issue in his own way.

Above all else, I recommend that the new officer simply be himself instead of trying to be what he thinks his men are looking for. If he remembers his training and is tactically and technically proficient they will see that. His attitude and bearing, if professional and genuine, will set the stage of who and what he is, what he will and won’t accept.

He has to temper the responsibilities of being in charge of the unit with the fact that the members of his unit possess most of the practical knowledge required to make the unit successful. Being in charge does not mean the new officer is expected to know all of the answers, nobody expects this of him. If he remembers to utilize the many years of experience at his disposal and to leverage the leadership abilities of his NCO’s and SNCO, he will do fine. My advice would be for him to discuss things with his NCO’s and SNCO’s before he makes decisions and issues orders. Once the decision is made, he should stay the course and not waiver. My experience has been that as long as a new officer is willing to listen to them, his men will go to great lengths to ensure he will succeed.

Q. What advice can you give a new lieutenant joining a unit in combat concerning his relationships with other officers in the unit?

A. The lieutenant obviously needs to spend a lot of time with his NCOs and SNCO’s so they can get him up to speed on various issues in his platoon, etc. However, the other officers in the unit also have a great deal of knowledge that is important for the new lieutenant to absorb as quickly as possible. It is important that new officers receive mentoring and guidance from more experienced officers, especially in the initial days and weeks of being assigned to a unit. New officers should seek advice from experienced officers to the same degree as they do from their NCO’s and SNCO’s. They should also spend as much time as possible with their peers, the other new officers in the unit. This will enable them to share experiences and learn from each other’s successes and mistakes.

Q. Describe the best “combat lieutenant” you ever worked with or observed. What qualities did he possess that enabled him to be a more effective leader than most of his peers?

A. Though I didn’t know it until 30 years later, it was my initial Platoon Commander. He was a superb leader who demonstrated a genuine fondness, respect and admiration for his men. He was decisive and made timely decisions, but knew when to ask his NCO’s for their opinions and recommendations. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he didn’t always know what to do and he relied on them to provide advice and insight from the NCO perspective.

5. Overcoming fear and self-doubt

Q. I think the question everyone asks themselves prior to actually participating in combat is “when my first combat action takes place, will I be able to overcome my natural fear of death and do my job effectively?” What advice do you have for leaders who have yet to face combat? What can they do to enhance their ability to perform well under fire?

A. Personally, I believe that no matter how much combat experience you have, every firefight, skirmish, ambush or attack is as potentially stressful as your first action. In other words, it never gets easy and everyone has to the potential to react differently during each combat action. I think each of us has the potential to perform with courage during one battle or firefight and be gripped by fear during the next one. It’s hard to explain, there is no way to predict how someone is going to perform under fire, there are simply to many variables involved because we are all different, with different fears, insecurities, etc.

I think that the best you can do is to train yourself in the fundamentals of your job, knowing what to do goes a long way when you are under the stress of combat. Becoming proficient is one of the things you can control, so ensure that you do everything possible to become “rock solid” at your job. In stressful times, our minds have a tendency to “step aside” and our bodies go on “auto-pilot”. It is then that the quality of your training will become apparent. During training, imagine combat situations and see yourself responding with strength and courage, then trust yourself. You should also ensure that your subordinate leaders are well trained and can carry on should you become a casualty. If they are ready to do this, you’ll feel more confident about the unit’s ability to win in combat and I think that confidence can help you and everyone else control the “fear factor.”

Aside from that, you must have faith in your leaders and know that they will do everything possible to help you succeed in combat. Finally, I think a person can receive a great deal of comfort and inner peace through prayer. This is a personal thing for each individual, but I found that for me, praying helped me through some tough times.

Q. Fear affects men in combat in many different ways. Combat leaders face several types of fear; fear of failing to accomplish the unit mission, fear of making tactical errors that cause their men to be killed or injured and fear of personal injury or death. What advice can you give on controlling and overcoming fear in its various forms?

A. Fear is the enemy. It’s like a stray dog. If you entertain it, feed it and give it attention, it will always be with you. We are the masters of our minds. Determine what you will give your attention to and when fear comes around, chase it off --with words and actions, if necessary. You will not think fear when you are talking courage. They say “you are what you eat”, the truth is that we become what we think we are.

6. The effects of casualties on unit morale and effectiveness

Q. Combat operations typically involve casualties within the participating units. Much has been written and said about the effect that seeing their buddies wounded or killed has on the members of a combat unit. What are your personal experiences in this area and what advice can you offer to combat leaders so they may better control or minimize the potential damage that casualties can produce?

A. This is an area where I failed. We teach that we should not too get close to our peers, subordinates or seniors in case they become casualties. While in combat, we generally do the opposite, I know that I did. I became very close with many of the members of my unit.

While in combat, there exists a bond between members of the unit and I feel that this bond is as strong, and in some ways stronger, than the bond that exists between man and wife or parent to child. I think that those who you share the dangers and horrors of war with quickly become a part of you and you love them in the way that fighting men love each other. When they get killed, and they always do, part of you dies with them. This is extremely difficult to endure and it causes great emotional pain that can ruin your fighting spirit if left unchecked.

The way I countered this kind of pain was to build an emotional “wall” that allowed me to continue to fight when I saw bad things happen to my buddies. I don’t know any solution to this. If you remain too aloof, you cannot lead as effectively and do not gain the full trust of the men around you. My only advice on this topic, is discuss the loss. Grieve together, possibly start or maintain a tradition or ceremony of sorts to acknowledge the life and sacrifice of those wounded or killed. Encourage each man to write a letter to the family of the casualty. Doing something makes us feel more in control and the letters will be greatly appreciated by the family

7. The Combat Leader-General Observations

Q. Combat leaders come in all shapes and sizes and they range in effectiveness from superior to inferior. Based on your experience, what are the traits, characteristics, personalities, leadership styles, etc., that you feel are shared by most effective combat leaders. What about the ineffective combat leaders you have observed? What did they seem to have in common?

Most leaders share a common bond, which is mission accomplishment. The traits, characteristics and personalities will vary, depending on a multiple of reasons from education, upbringing, confidence level, attitude etc. An effective leader knows how they use these in their leadership styles to achieve overall success.

If I had to name characteristics, I would say integrity, because without this you are not “predictable” or steady in decisions and actions. Second, I would say self-confidence. You must know yourself, build on your abilities and compensate for weaknesses. Indecision can kill as many men in combat as a bad decision. And lastly I’d say genuine care for the men under you. This has been a marker of all the great leaders I have seen. A negative attitude, prejudice, a superiority complex, abuse of authority and self-serving actions are some of the traits that spell failure. You may achieve your objective, but the overall mission will ultimately fail. Consequently, so will these “leaders”.

Most of the effective combat leaders I have known:
• Were self-confident without being over confident or arrogant
• Could make sound decisions and were flexible during periods of
rapid change
• Trusted their men and delegated authority when appropriate.
• Displayed a genuine concern for men entrusted to them. This is a
critical element of leadership and it cannot be faked. Troops
know when their leader is concerned about their welfare and they
respond to such leaders with unswerving loyalty.
• Were technically and tactically proficient. I don’t think you can
be an effective combat leader unless you are proficient in the
fundamentals of your role.

Most ineffective combat leaders I have known:
• Were often lacking sufficient knowledge or competence in the
fundamentals of their profession
• Were too focused on their status as officers, were distant and
aloof around their men.
• “Talked the talk” of Leadership, but did not “Walk the Walk.”
• Self- serving and concerned primarily about their own personal
safety, comfort and career. Quick to say yes to higher headquarters
without considering the condition of their troops at the time.
They often agreed to missions or tactical movements that the unit
was in no condition to perform. This caused casualties that could
have been avoided had the leader been honest with his seniors and
told them that his unit was in bad shape physically and needed
rest, food, etc.
• Often demonstrated a condescending attitude toward their men. This
is a huge error on the part of any leader. Once your men believe
that you feel you are superior to them and that they are
insignificant, you have lost them forever. Men do not respond well
to a leader who displays such an attitude.

8. Additional advice, perspective or philosophy regarding combat leadership

Q. Please feel free to include any additional thoughts on any topic that is directly or indirectly related to combat leadership.

A. Effective leadership is just that. Be it in a non-combat environment or in a combat zone, a true leader will accomplish his mission. The stakes are higher, of course, when you are leading a bunch of warriors into a hostile environment, but the fundamentals of effective leadership remain the same. If you take care of your men, they will take care of you. Effective leadership is essential to mission accomplishment. Your greatest asset in combat is the prayers of a loving parent, wife or other family members and friends!