[JMART5]

Agree with the others--it's the man not the branch. Here's a little advise from a very experienced NCO. This is an abridged version (the full version is better but longer) of a speech SGM John G. Stepanek gave to a graduating West Point class. It was published in the 1967 Army Digest and several Army Officers Guides titled, "As a Senior NCO Sees It."

What do we expect from you as officers, commanders, leaders? We expect of you unassailable personal integrity and the highest of morals. We expect you to maintain the highest state of personal appearance. We expect you to be fair- to be consistent- to have dignity, but not aloofness to have compassion and understanding- to treat each soldier as an individual, with individual problems.

And we expect you to have courage- the courage of your convictions- the courage to stand up and be counted- to defend your men when they have followed your orders, even when your orders were in error- to assume the blame when you are wrong.

We expect you to stick out your chin and say, "This man is worthy of promotion, and I want him promoted." And we expect you to have even greater courage and say, "This man is not qualified and he will be promoted over my dead body!" Gentlemen, I implore you do not promote a man because he is a nice guy, because he has a wife and five kids, because he has money problems, because he has a bar bill. If he is not capable of performing the duties of his grade, do not do him and us the injustice of advancing him in grade. When he leaves you, or you leave him, he becomes someone else's problem!

Gentlemen, we expect you to have courage in the face of danger.... During your tour, opportunities will arise for you to display personal courage and leadership. Opportunities could arise from which you may emerge as heroes. A hero is an individual who is faced with an undesirable situation and employs whatever means at his disposal to make the situation tenable or to nullify or negate it.

Do not display recklessness and expose yourself and your men to unnecessary risks that will reduce their normal chances of survival. This will only shake their confidence in your judgment.

Now gentlemen, you know what we expect from you. What can you expect from us?... From most of us you can expect loyalty to your position, devotion to our cause, admiration for your honest efforts- courage to match your courage, guts to match your guts- endurance to match your endurance- motivation to match your motivation esprit to match your esprit- a desire for achievement to match your desire for achievement. You can expect a love of God, a love of country, and a love of duty to match your love of God, your love of country, and your love of duty.

We won't mind the heat if you sweat with us. We won't mind the cold if you shiver with us.... And if the mission requires, we will storm the very gates of hell, right behind you!

Gentlemen, you don't accept us: we were here first. We accept you, and when we do, you'll know. We won't beat drums, wave flags, or carry you off the drill field on our shoulders. But, maybe at a company party, we'll raise a canteen cup of beer and say, "Lieutenant, you're O.K." Just like that.

Remember one thing. Very few noncommissioned officers were awarded stripes without showing somebody something, sometime, somewhere. If your platoon sergeant is mediocre, if he is slow to assume responsibility, if he shies away from you, maybe sometime not too long ago someone refused to trust him, someone failed to support his decisions, someone shot him down when he was right. Internal wounds heal slowly; internal scars fade more slowly.

Your orders appointing you as officers in the United States Army appointed you to command. No orders, no letters, no insignia of rank can appoint you as leaders.... Leaders are made, they are not born. Leadership is developed within yourselves.

You do not wear leadership on your sleeves, on your shoulders, on your caps, or on your calling cards. Be you lieutenants or generals, we're the guys you've got to convince and we'll meet you more than halfway.

You are leaders in an Army in which we have served for so many years, and you will help us defend the country we have loved for so many years. I wish you happiness, luck, and success in the exciting and challenging years that lie ahead. May God bless you all!