Two Irish Setters and the Lieutenant Colonel
(To Understand LTC Wall read “Sleeves Down” posted 10/16/06)
One of the amazing things that I saw over and over in the Army was the practice of giving soldiers the very basics of their job and then rarely using them in that job. Many enlisted soldiers would spend so much time doing guard duty and KP that they only had a day or two a week to do their primary jobs. In some jobs the skills required were never acquired because rarely did they serve in them. This was particularly true in the case of the guys who armed our aircraft. They only got to load the weapons systems when we went to the range each quarter. Their skills were very poor but most of the pilots had been in Vietnam and had lots of experience so the pilots always helped load the weapons.
One day while we were out in the field playing a pretend war we got a radio call with a mission change. Two of the Cobras were given coordinates and told to fly to that location for further instructions. So off we flew to one of the ranges to report.
When we landed we were told it was a “no notice check” to see if our aircraft were ready to fire. We pulled up to the arming pad to load up our aircraft. I turned the controls over to the pilot in the front seat and started to get out of the aircraft to aid with the loading.
Just as I was touching the ground Lieutenant Colonel Wall stepped up and asked me what I was doing. It seemed pretty logical to me that I was getting out of the aircraft to load the weapons. I looked at the LTC and said, “You wanted the weapons loaded and that is what I am going to do”. LYC Wall said, “You are the pilot. Get back in your aircraft and the weapons handlers will load the aircraft”.
The turret weapons systems on the early Cobras were very ticklish to load. If the ammo belt had the right amount of slack in it the system would work fine. If there wasn’t enough slack or too much the gun would jam. I looked at LTC Wall and said, “These guys don’t have the experience and they need some help. They don’t get to load the systems very often”.
LTC Wall said, “I want to see them load the weapons. Get back in your aircraft”. There wasn’t much else to do so I climbed back into the aircraft. The other pilot and I sat in the aircraft while the aircraft was armed. The same thing was happening over at the other aircraft. All four experienced pilots sat by while some very inexperienced men tried to do a job they had little training or experience in doing.
As soon as the aircraft were loaded we headed down range to fire. The rockets fired well but then it turned bad. The mini-gun that should fire four thousand rounds a minute of 7.62-millimeter shells fired about four or five rounds and then jammed. The forty-millimeter grenade launcher was fired last. That should have fired four hundred rounds a minute but not a round came out of it. It was a very poor show.
We returned to the arming pad and I told the crew there that I could make the weapons fire. Just as I was getting out of my aircraft LTC Wall walked up and said, “The test is over. You all failed”. He then walked off. A Lieutenant, the LTC’s little shadow that followed him around, told us that we couldn’t work on the weapons systems. We were to pack up and fly back to our other mission.
Two days later LTC Wall came to talk to the officers about the unit’s performance on our recent field trip. We already knew he didn’t like pilots and he liked warrant officers even less. And more than seventy-five percent of the pilots were warrant officer pilots. We didn’t expect any praise from LTC Wall but we weren’t prepared for what he had to say. LTC Wall said that the unit’s performance wasn’t too bad except for the Cobra people. He then said, “You Cobra pilots couldn’t get a round down range if you had to. Why I could walk down range and back with my two Irish Setters before you people could get a round off”.
Needless to say, we were spitting mad. We had been told not to ask questions or make any comments but I certainly wanted to. I wanted to jump to my feet and say, “If you want to go down range with your dogs and let me load the aircraft, we’ll see if you will be back”. When LTC Wall left our troop commander talked to us and tried to calm us down. When he finished we were calm but still mighty mad.
Our next scheduled range trip was just a month off but the next morning we started our preparations. One of the pilots that had a little artwork talent was the first to go to work. He drew an outline of a man and two dogs. We started the framework after his design. Some of the guys went to the range office and got some target cloth to cover our target. The target cloth was OD green. This project had become a labor of love.
Work went well for the next couple of days. The word spread around the entire troop about our project. Most of guys in the troop stopped by the Cobra platoon office to see our work. All admired it and thought our work was quite good. Word was spreading quickly.
The troop commander hardly ever stopped by our area to see us but bright and early the next morning he was there. He had not come to see our target. His being there was to order us to destroy the target. He sat down and started talking to us telling us that our target would only make things worse for everyone with LTC Wall.
We all knew that this little project would get us in trouble but we had done it just to let off some steam. I don’t think we would have brought out our target if LTC Wall had been at the range. But I also admit that probably we would have shot it up if he hadn’t been around. And then we would have kept it as a trophy.
After the troop commanders talk and orders we had no choice but to destroy our target. That morning we destroyed our target. I kept a large piece of the target cloth for many years after that. It was just a large square piece of rugged OD green cloth. It worked really well as a blanket when camping. Every time I saw that cloth or saw some one walking with two Irish Setters, I couldn’t help but laugh about our target.
There are times when we really offend others. LTC Wall had really offended us. There are those that try to motivate others by insults. That happens often in the military and it works to some extent under those circumstances. One of the saddest things to see is when insults and sarcasm are used in marriages or families. Insults and sarcasm don’t motivate, they destroy love, trust and relationships. I have seen couples use jabs and insults towards each other and then say they did it just in fun. I believe that all jabs or insults carry a little sting. Perhaps the sting doesn’t take its’ toll immediately but sooner or later in some moment of depression, discord or stress the sting will come. Motivation comes from encouragement and praise. If you want to get the best out of people, encourage them, tell them that you expect the best of them and let them live up to your vision of them. Most of the time people will become what we tell them we see in them.
One of the amazing things that I saw over and over in the Army was the practice of giving soldiers the very basics of their job and then rarely using them in that job. Many enlisted soldiers would spend so much time doing guard duty and KP that they only had a day or two a week to do their primary jobs. In some jobs the skills required were never acquired because rarely did they serve in them. This was particularly true in the case of the guys who armed our aircraft. They only got to load the weapons systems when we went to the range each quarter. Their skills were very poor but most of the pilots had been in Vietnam and had lots of experience so the pilots always helped load the weapons.
One day while we were out in the field playing a pretend war we got a radio call with a mission change. Two of the Cobras were given coordinates and told to fly to that location for further instructions. So off we flew to one of the ranges to report.
When we landed we were told it was a “no notice check” to see if our aircraft were ready to fire. We pulled up to the arming pad to load up our aircraft. I turned the controls over to the pilot in the front seat and started to get out of the aircraft to aid with the loading.
Just as I was touching the ground Lieutenant Colonel Wall stepped up and asked me what I was doing. It seemed pretty logical to me that I was getting out of the aircraft to load the weapons. I looked at the LTC and said, “You wanted the weapons loaded and that is what I am going to do”. LYC Wall said, “You are the pilot. Get back in your aircraft and the weapons handlers will load the aircraft”.
The turret weapons systems on the early Cobras were very ticklish to load. If the ammo belt had the right amount of slack in it the system would work fine. If there wasn’t enough slack or too much the gun would jam. I looked at LTC Wall and said, “These guys don’t have the experience and they need some help. They don’t get to load the systems very often”.
LTC Wall said, “I want to see them load the weapons. Get back in your aircraft”. There wasn’t much else to do so I climbed back into the aircraft. The other pilot and I sat in the aircraft while the aircraft was armed. The same thing was happening over at the other aircraft. All four experienced pilots sat by while some very inexperienced men tried to do a job they had little training or experience in doing.
As soon as the aircraft were loaded we headed down range to fire. The rockets fired well but then it turned bad. The mini-gun that should fire four thousand rounds a minute of 7.62-millimeter shells fired about four or five rounds and then jammed. The forty-millimeter grenade launcher was fired last. That should have fired four hundred rounds a minute but not a round came out of it. It was a very poor show.
We returned to the arming pad and I told the crew there that I could make the weapons fire. Just as I was getting out of my aircraft LTC Wall walked up and said, “The test is over. You all failed”. He then walked off. A Lieutenant, the LTC’s little shadow that followed him around, told us that we couldn’t work on the weapons systems. We were to pack up and fly back to our other mission.
Two days later LTC Wall came to talk to the officers about the unit’s performance on our recent field trip. We already knew he didn’t like pilots and he liked warrant officers even less. And more than seventy-five percent of the pilots were warrant officer pilots. We didn’t expect any praise from LTC Wall but we weren’t prepared for what he had to say. LTC Wall said that the unit’s performance wasn’t too bad except for the Cobra people. He then said, “You Cobra pilots couldn’t get a round down range if you had to. Why I could walk down range and back with my two Irish Setters before you people could get a round off”.
Needless to say, we were spitting mad. We had been told not to ask questions or make any comments but I certainly wanted to. I wanted to jump to my feet and say, “If you want to go down range with your dogs and let me load the aircraft, we’ll see if you will be back”. When LTC Wall left our troop commander talked to us and tried to calm us down. When he finished we were calm but still mighty mad.
Our next scheduled range trip was just a month off but the next morning we started our preparations. One of the pilots that had a little artwork talent was the first to go to work. He drew an outline of a man and two dogs. We started the framework after his design. Some of the guys went to the range office and got some target cloth to cover our target. The target cloth was OD green. This project had become a labor of love.
Work went well for the next couple of days. The word spread around the entire troop about our project. Most of guys in the troop stopped by the Cobra platoon office to see our work. All admired it and thought our work was quite good. Word was spreading quickly.
The troop commander hardly ever stopped by our area to see us but bright and early the next morning he was there. He had not come to see our target. His being there was to order us to destroy the target. He sat down and started talking to us telling us that our target would only make things worse for everyone with LTC Wall.
We all knew that this little project would get us in trouble but we had done it just to let off some steam. I don’t think we would have brought out our target if LTC Wall had been at the range. But I also admit that probably we would have shot it up if he hadn’t been around. And then we would have kept it as a trophy.
After the troop commanders talk and orders we had no choice but to destroy our target. That morning we destroyed our target. I kept a large piece of the target cloth for many years after that. It was just a large square piece of rugged OD green cloth. It worked really well as a blanket when camping. Every time I saw that cloth or saw some one walking with two Irish Setters, I couldn’t help but laugh about our target.
There are times when we really offend others. LTC Wall had really offended us. There are those that try to motivate others by insults. That happens often in the military and it works to some extent under those circumstances. One of the saddest things to see is when insults and sarcasm are used in marriages or families. Insults and sarcasm don’t motivate, they destroy love, trust and relationships. I have seen couples use jabs and insults towards each other and then say they did it just in fun. I believe that all jabs or insults carry a little sting. Perhaps the sting doesn’t take its’ toll immediately but sooner or later in some moment of depression, discord or stress the sting will come. Motivation comes from encouragement and praise. If you want to get the best out of people, encourage them, tell them that you expect the best of them and let them live up to your vision of them. Most of the time people will become what we tell them we see in them.
posted by Bruce | 3:44 PM
1 Comments:
Good advice, for families too. Encouragement and approval are much better than guilt,fear and ridicule. Unfortunately, not many people realize that. Many of our C.O.'s did not understand that basic premise. They didn't like us and one, in particular, didn't even like himself and later committed suicide.
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