One of the prime tenets of leadership is that a leader is accountable for his actions as well as those of his subordinates. The resignation of Army Secretary Francis Harvey, regardless of whether it was forced or voluntary, demonstrates this principle in action. Based on this comment by Defense Secretary Robert Gates it appears that he was indeed forced to resign -

“I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed.”

…a leader is accountable for his actions as well as those of his subordinates.While the departures of both Harvey and Walter Reed’s (former) commander were both appropriate and necessary, as a retired Army Senior Noncommissioned Officer I can’t help but wonder what role Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Miller - Major General Weightman’s senior enlisted advisor - played in this unfolding scandal.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ways of the military, taking care of soldiers is one of the most critical and central responsibilities of NCOs at all levels. In addition, the primary role of a CSM is to advise the commander on all matters relating to the enlisted soldiers under his care. The CSM also wields remarkable power when it comes to getting things done to solve problems and take care of his troops.

I would dearly love to know what, if anything, CSM Miller did to rectify the deplorable conditions some of our wounded warriors were forced to deal with and/or advise his commander on those issues and recommend command-level solutions. In my mind he is just as accountable for what has happened as those leaders who have already paid a price.

This veteran would like to thank those who take time out of their lives - today and everyday - to recognize, remember and honor the service and sacrifice of America’s warriors and their families.

That’s the title of the new Keynote that I debuted this evening. In it I take a look at how carefully chosen words can impact pivotal moments, using as a primary example one of the most famous tiny words that ever influenced a battle. The presentation still needs a bit of polishing, but for the first time out of the gate I thought it went fairly well.
I’d love to tell you the whole story, so feel free to contact me about presenting the speech for your organization.

The VA medical system - long the butt of jokes and target of complaints over substandard care - has made a major about face. Witness this Douglas Waller article in Time -

The VA runs the largest integrated health-care system in the country, with more than 1,400 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes employing 14,800 doctors and 61,000 nurses. And by a number of measures, this government-managed health-care program–socialized medicine on a small scale–is beating the marketplace. For the sixth year in a row, VA hospitals last year scored higher than private facilities on the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index, based on patient surveys on the quality of care received. The VA scored 83 out of 100; private institutions, 71. Males 65 years and older receiving VA care had about a 40% lower risk of death than those enrolled in Medicare Advantage, whose care is provided through private health plans or HMOs, according to a study published in the April edition of Medical Care. Harvard University just gave the VA its Innovations in American Government Award for the agency’s work in computerizing patient records.

Read the whole thing and you’ll likely be amazed at both the VA’s cutting edge technology and the cost containment measures. That’s not to say that all is rosey, of course. As the article points out, waiting times and red tape still plague the system. And resource constraints have forced the VA to limit eligibility to low income veterans and those with service connected health issues. But it’s still good to know that dedicated people are working hard to provide veterans with state-of-the-art care at an affordable cost.

The blackhats at the US Army Airborne School love to tell you that your first jump will be a night jump with a water landing - - because your eyes will be screwed tightly shut from the time you exit until you hit the ground and you’ll wet yourself at some point on the way down. I’m happy to say that my BDU pants were dry when I landed and I know my eyes were open on exit because I watched my Ranger glasses (sturdy black plastic frames secured to your noggin with what it essentially an industrial-strength rubber band) stretch to the limit when I hit the C130’s prop wash, only to see (and feel) them slam forcefully back into place when I fell into more tranquil air.

Thanks to Blackfive for pointing out that today is National Airborne Day. What he says is true - it’s amazing to work with such a dedicated and motivated group of individuals.

I know from first hand experience that a package from home can be a real morale booster for a soldier deployed to a combat zone. I also know from talking to my wife that coming up with the necessary packaging and customs forms can sometimes be a challenge. So if you’d like to boost the morale of someone near and dear to you I recommend you call 1-800-610-8734, select option #1, and ask for a “Military Pack.” That’s all it will take for the USPS to send you - at no cost - the following supplies:

• Three (3) each flat rate boxes O-FRB1 and O-FRB2
• Two (2) each cube boxes OBOX4 and OBOX7
• Ten (10) address labels #22B
• One (1) roll of Priority Mail tape
• Fifteen (15) customs forms with envelopes

You’ll also receive an I.D. number to use for quick and trouble-free reordering. Now I ask you - how much easier can it get? And if that’s not enough, the Postal Service also has a website chock full of information about packaging, addressing and shipping care packages.

So what are you waiting for?

Is it too much to ask that a newspaper in a military town match a headline to the facts contained in a story?

Sergeant delivers sustenance to her troops

By STAFF SGT. NIKKI PRODROMOS
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TIKRIT, Iraq — First Lt. Demechel Robinson likes helping people.

From her job as the assistant S-4 of Operations, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, to her involvement in many charitable organizations, she spends most of her time giving back.

Robinson helps bring the 3rd Brigade Combat Team troops on the ground their medical supplies, water, food, ammunition and other necessities by providing an accurate and continuous picture of the brigade’s combat power

That’s right - read the entire article and you’ll learn that First Lieutenant Robinson is the self-same Sergeant referred to in the headline. It may be a small detail to the uninitiated, but it’s a large mistake to anyone who understands military rank structure. Not to mention being an easily avoided mistake when you have a town full of military experience from which to draw for help with fact-checking. And since the article was written by a military Public Affairs NCO I must assume that a headline writer at the paper is the source of the mistake.

With that said I’ll give the Leaf-Chronicle the benefit of the doubt and assume that the editor I attempted to contact about the error hasn’t checked his email since yesterday afternoon. Surely if he had they would have published a correction by now.