Texas Military Department ·6 min read
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Next month I will pass the Regimental colors to a new leader for the organization I have had the honor and privilege of commanding for the past three years. As I reflect upon my personal learning during this time and focus on my next duty assignment, I re-read the command philosophy letter I published when I first joined the unit. I still think it’s a pretty good framework for leaders of both military and non-military units alike. I don’t take credit for all of this as original work; I borrowed liberally from other leaders I have known and worked for over the past 30 years.
Command is a privilege and it is an honor for me to join you as commander of the 19th Regiment. The most important and sacred responsibility entrusted to an officer or noncommissioned officer is the privilege of leading others in execution of an important mission. We must never forget that others depend upon us, they look to us for guidance and to set the example, and when we ask them to go in harm’s way they and their families expect us to lead them back home safely. This memorandum outlines my leadership philosophy and expectations of you, the leaders of this Regiment. I define my leadership philosophy simply as People First: Mission Always.
I developed this philosophy as I advanced through several levels of responsibility within the Army, from platoon to regiment and across a wide range of missions. This philosophy recognizes that the most valuable and important resource a leader has to accomplish the mission are people.