By Major Joseph A. Jackson
General Colin Powell's recent visit to the Command and General Staff College reminded us that history, if not repetitive, is at least parallel in its dimensions. To fully grasp what leadership and the concept of a life spent in service to the Nation means, one need look no further than to the laurels and accomplishments that mark General Powell's service. However, as General Powell mentioned, the attainment of accolades, high office, and material rewards reflect the simple, timeless, and real values that underpin our institution at the Command and General Staff College.
A veteran of two tours in Vietnam, General Powell shared the insights imparted by his journey through history. Then, as now, CGSC stands as a bastion of learning in turbulent and ambiguous times. Our institution does not promise that academics alone or a single methodology will ever triumph; rather it proposes that capable individuals grounded in relevant axioms can hone their mental agility and will deduce the clearest path to shape successful outcomes. We know that our values -- Army Values -- of which General Powell spoke, work because we have seen them in action. The values that were in instilled when General Powell's class was in attendance then do not vary greatly from those we promulgate now. The testing grounds for these values are the rotations between Iraq and Afghanistan in places with names that sound decidedly foreign here in the Midwest -- Kabul, Ghardez, Baghdad, and Ar Ramadi. Forty years ago, Hue, Be Luong, and the A-Shau Valley of General Powell's experience would have sounded equally as exotic. Conflict forces us to re-evaluate and reinvigorate ourselves with our core principles despite the time or place.
General Powell's words and his selection of topics resonate beyond the vaulted ceilings of Eisenhower Auditorium. They resound in the classrooms where we students remain hard at work solving fictitious problems for service in a world of often cold, hard facts. Succinctly, General Powell charged us to remember that just as those leaders who preceded us, we serve in a time of great challenge. The challenges that General Powell's generation faced were a nation divided politically over the morality of the war in Vietnam and a culture further separated by racial tensions. Today, we are a society wrestling with the moral issues of a protracted war abroad, domestic border security issues, and financial insecurity at home.
Yet, as tomorrow's senior leaders, we see equally that along with these difficult issues there is great opportunity. As students we recognize that the dilemmas we face are not necessarily unique to our time but have parallels in our military history. The United States and its Officer Corps continue to serve as a model and a beacon for others to follow. Further, we acknowledge that we are a resilient and dynamic culture that prizes the timeless values of equality and the rule of law. Finally, General Powell's visit reminds us to acknowledge that the common sense values of our institutions mirror the uncommon experience that is our composite American culture.
Major Joseph A. Jackson, US Army, is a student at the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Comments
As a CGCS student I was proud to see Gen Collin Powell address a packed auditiorium at the Command and General Staff College. Gen Powell is a true patriot who has sacrificed his life and his family to serve this great nation. I was also saddened to see him struggle with aknowledging some of the mistakes made prior to the start of the war. Post war Iraq is viewed as a major blunder stemming from no formal plan to rebuild the nation following a regime change. Like a good soldier "he walked the party line", but now its time to aknowledge the mistakes that were made in order prevent reoccurrence as we enter a time of persistent conflict.
MAJ Trahon T. Mashack
CGSC Student
FT Leavenworth, Kansas
The morale courage Jackson speaks to is lacking in Powell and all the other Pentagon princes who sold this war to the American people at the behest of this administration. These flag officers who pawned themselves off as "military analysts" were nothing more than step 'n fetch its who sold out not only their integrity and moral courage but also the United States Military. The only soldiers with courage were Shineseki and Clark...but they were shouted down from within and without.
I spent 26 years serving in 4 branches, and one thing always was clear to me. The higher the rank, the more willing the soldier was ready to compromise his Army values and morals for fear of reprisal and career ending evaulations.
I left the service in the early 70s disgusted, only to be encouraged to return some years later, worked over 4 decades to rebuild a new all volunteer military. Upon retirement in 1999, I left knowing that I had done my best, but knowing that senior enlisted were compromised, protecting their turf and field grade and above just jockeyed for promotion. Company grade officers and line soldiers were at their best.
This has been squandered over the last 6 years and the military we will begin to bring home next January will never be the same. The flag officers entrusted with our national treasure failed us in the moment of truth and marched this nation off into another black hole darker and deeper than Vietnam. The trust between senior civilian and military leadership and the nation has been severed. The flag officers that had been company commanders in Nam forget their own promises to themselves - to never let this happen again.
Whenever this after action report is written, it could be condensed to a single page with a single line, "Charlie Foxtrot".
Morale courage is an Army value.
Powell defended his decision to only kick saddam out of kuwait which left a mess that we are cleaning up today. He also defended some of the bad decisions that were made in the planning for post conflict iraq. I would have more respect for him if he had admitted that he made some mistake.