Marine Corps Generalship by Dr. Edgar F. Puryear Jr.
Marine Corps Generalship
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Puryear at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces as one of his students. His was my professor for "American Generalship". At that time he had interviewed hundreds of American General Officers, conducted thousands of interviews and authored several books on leadership.
The focus of his class, and I believe this book, is to find the common leadership threads that tie these extremely successful Marines together. By finding the common leadership threads of these Marine General Officers we can focus on their leadership qualities - not to make us Marine General Officers, but the common leadership qualities and traits that will make us better Marine Leaders.
Thanks very much to Dr. Puryear and the National Defense University Press for allowing portions of this book to be reprinted. You've done a great service to your Corps and Country!
Edgar F. Puryear, Jr., is a professor emeritus at Georgetown University,where he taught from 1983 to 2000, and has served as a scholar in residence at National Defense University. Over the last 45 years he has lectured on military character and leadership at numerous American military institutions and installations. He currently practices law in Madison, Virginia. Dr. Puryear is the author of
Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership (Presidio Press, 1978); Stars in Flight: A Study in Air Force Character and Leadership (Presidio Press, 1981); George S. Brown, General, U.S. Air Force: Destined for Stars (Presidio Press, 1983); American Generalship: Character is Everything: The Art of Command (Presidio Press, 2001); and American Admiralship: The Moral Imperatives of Naval Command (Naval Institute Press, 2005)."For my father, Edgar F. Puryear, Sr. As a Marine in World War I, he received a bayonet wound in his leg and had a limp the rest of his life. He still wore his Marine Corps ring when I buried him at age 87."
Forward (By General Al Gray)
It is a rare privilege to prepare the foreword for this superb study on Marine Corps Generalship
. Dr. Edgar F. “Beau” Puryear is a renowned author and lecturer on military character and leadership. His previous books on Army, Navy, and Air Force flag and general officers have won wide acclaim from many distinguished military and civilian leaders. In many ways, this book is a unique history of our Marine Corps, as it tells the story of how many of our Commandants and other distinguished leaders met challenges in war, peace, and times of adversity. It also details the unusual role and responsibility that the Commandant has to our Nation and to our Corps of Marines.
There are many reasons why several Marine general officers are not represented in this study, including availability of individuals for interview, lack of oral histories, and time and space constraints. Dr. Puryear has graciously consented to allow me to comment on some of these distinguished Marine general officers who are not included in this book:
■General George B. Crist, a brilliant officer and an expert in joint matters, who was our first Marine to lead a unified command when he was chosen to head U.S. Central Command in 1985.
■General Joseph P. Hoar, who commanded U.S. Central Command from 1991 to 1994. Because of his leadership and broad knowledge of strategic matters, he received strong support from many corners to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1994. ■General Charles E. Wilhelm, whose major contributions to our special operations and low-intensity conflict policy were instrumental in elevating knowledge of this vital area within the Department of Defense. As the first Marine to command U.S. Southern Command, his oversight of military and defense policies throughout Latin America was superb and improved relations at a critical time. ■General Carlton W. Fulford, Jr., a great field Marine who was equally adept concerning joint and combined matters. He was the first Marine to be selected as Deputy Commander in Chief of U.S. European Command. He, too, was a finalist in the Commandant selection process because of his superb leadership and his breadth of experience in policy and military matters. ■General Joseph J. Went, a distinguished Marine aviator and a brilliant logistician, who made lasting contributions to our Corps. Well respected throughout the Department of Defense, Joe served as my Assistant Commandant from 1988 to 1990. ■General John J. Dailey, who served as Assistant Commandant during and after the Persian Gulf War with the highest distinction. His broad knowledge of air and ground matters and his total credibility within the joint arena and with the Department of Defense were priceless. A finalist for the role of Marine Commandant in 1991, General Dailey went on to a key assignment with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ■Generals Richard D. Hearney, Michael J. Williams, William L. Nyland, and Robert Magnus, who all served as Assistant Commandant with great skill and made innumerable contributions to the success of our Corps. Although their tours came after my retirement, I remain keenly aware of their accomplishments during critical times in our history.
There are additional Marine general officers who should receive special recognition for their splendid service to our country and our Corps. Some who have been mentioned by other Commandants in this book are not mentioned here. For those who are serving on Active duty today, know that
I believe we have never been better led. You are the right people at the right time for this complex and dangerous time in our history.Dr. Puryear has also asked me to make some comments on leadership based on my experiences and observations through the years. Since 1950, it has been my privilege to serve under and to personally know all the Commandants as well as some of the other “giants of the Corps,” including Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller, Lieutenant General Victor Krulak, General Lewis Walt, and General Ray Davis.
The great leaders that I have known or studied had, in their own way, similar traits that distinguish them from others. These leaders had broad professional knowledge of not just the military but also all other elements of national security, including political, economic, and social factors. They understood the value of training and education to include discipline, particularly self-discipline as essential to develop character, self-control, and effectiveness. A disciplined Marine was, in their eyes, a person who does what must be done.
The great ones had personal character that shone through in all decisions and judgments. They did what they thought was right, regardless of the consequences. They had a sense of fairness in dealing with people and more than a normal dose of common sense at all times. These leaders willingly shared their knowledge with others, and they took the time to teach, when appropriate. They had strong beliefs and a high moral code. “Service to God, Country, and Corps” was not just an expression, but a way of life.
Leadership by example and consideration of others were another hallmark of these distinguished generals. They understood the difference between authority and responsibility. They held themselves accountable for all that their commands did or failed to do, and they expected others to be responsible for their actions when appropriate.
These warriors were also fiercely loyal to their country and their Corps. They recognized that loyalty had to go both ways, and they never forgot those who had served well over the years. They were people who took great pride in their organizations and the people who made them elite. At the same time, they never sought personal credit for achievements, but rather saw to it that others were commended whenever possible.
They had a sense of humor, which they often used to put people at ease or to provide a steadying hand in times of confusion or hardship. Further, they had a knack for showing up at critical times to lend a reassuring presence.
The great commanders had courage, and they possessed the faculty for appearing unconcerned in the face of danger or grave uncertainty. They
also were inquisitive by nature and were attentive listeners to others, regardless of rank or grade. They gave serious thought to the future and the preparations that would be required for various situations throughout the world. Their instructions and orders were clear and easy to understand, with a focus on what to do and not how to do it. These traits and other human qualities made these generals inspirational leaders in their time. They also held one common belief that has been shared by all Commandants throughout the history of our illustrious Corps: they had an unbounded faith in their Marines and the Sailors who serve with them.
There may be as many definitions of leadership as there are authors or speakers on the subject. From my vantage point, there are three elements common to most definitions of the term. The first element encompasses the characteristics or traits possessed by the individual leader. The second element reflects the relationship between the leader and the followers. The third element, often somewhat neglected, is the effective utilization of the leadership process in the setting of goals and the time limits to accomplish them. Since I believe that leadership is more of an art than a science, this third element can be called “the art of getting things done.” All three of these elements can be achieved by abiding by a simple credo: know your profession, know your people, and know yourself.
To know your profession requires a lifelong commitment to learning. In addition to undergoing rigorous training and education at all levels throughout your career, those who aspire to lead Marines at any level, lance corporal through general, must take every opportunity for self-study and improvement. There are many ways to accomplish this, such as thoughtful reading and taking part in the numerous continuing education programs available today. Modern technology continues to revolutionize training and educational opportunities and methods. Audio and visual technologies combined with computers and the Internet will continue to enhance the learning environment.
As Marine leaders grow and become more experienced, they assume larger responsibilities. In addition to being proficient in tactics and techniques, they must develop an understanding of military strategy and its role in national strategy. Marines operate and fight as an air/ground/logistics team under a single commander, so as a leader, you must be an expert in at least one of these areas and very knowledgeable in the others. The more senior you become as a staff noncommissioned officer or an officer, the more you will consider logistics, regardless of your occupational field. Further, it is never too early to learn about intelligence and how the system
operates. No matter how complex the situation is, you must know the enemy, his capabilities, and his limitations. As one of our great warriors, General Ray Davis, used to say, “With good intelligence, I fought the enemy and not the terrain.” Speaking of terrain, you would be well advised to learn all you can about military geography and practice its use. You must also understand combined arms and how to use fires from a variety of means as well as operating in the joint/combined and coalition arenas.The United States remains a maritime nation. It is on those highways we call oceans that most of the goods and materials of commerce are moved for us and the rest of the free world as we know it. Marines are and will continue to be naval in character. Our expeditionary forces and our amphibious expertise will continue to play a vital role in maritime strategy execution. As the Nation’s experts on coming from the sea, we must have a good grasp of naval operations to include air, surface, subsurface, and mine warfare, and naval special warfare capabilities.
Today and in the future, our Nation will continue to face dangerous challenges throughout the globe. Marines must renew efforts to understand the religions, cultures, languages, and thought processes of other people, as well as their needs. In other words, we must be able to see situations through their eyes and not just our own.
We must also understand other government agencies and the roles they play to support our national security interests. The interagency process as well as the roles of nongovernmental organizations are vital parts of any endeavor and require appropriate military support.
In review, there is much to learn and think about if you are a leader in the Nation’s Corps of Marines. The aforementioned topics are by no means a complete list, but I hope they give you a flavor of the challenge. Of course, you can never learn all you need to know, and you shouldn’t attempt to. More to the point, you make a grave error by acting like you do! A leader who has a fair idea of what he does not know and tries to broaden himself accordingly is on the right track.
People are the most important and precious resource you will ever have in the military profession or in any other institution. Hence, you must strive to know as much as possible about your people. Everything that a leader accomplishes is done through them. Taking care of people is the first responsibility of all leaders at every level. This obligation extends to theirfamilies and loved ones. This belief is an ingrained principle of Marine Corps leadership. It is the responsibility of the Commandant and the duty of all leaders to ensure that our people are stronger morally, mentally, and physically when they leave us than when they joined us.
Knowing yourself is perhaps the most difficult idea to master but is of the utmost importance in developing leadership ability. Leaders must be fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Know what you do not know, and focus on those areas that will expand your base of knowledge. You can learn much from junior officers and from enlisted men, who often have a startling grasp of topics and are often specialists in their own right. You will find them eager to share what they know, and they will respect you all the more for it.
In the book
The Conflicted Leader and Vantage Leadership
, which I had the opportunity to coauthor with Dr. Paul Otte (also a Marine), we applied our Marine Corps warfighting philosophy to examine leadership at every level and in every level of society. We brought leadership and warfighting together in our examination of military, business, government, education, and community institutions. We identified five characteristics of “higher levels of leadership,” which we defined as seeing the possible over the probable; staying focused despite uncertainty; remaining conceptual in conflict; having commitment; and having a sense of presence. Higher levels does not refer to those in higher level positions, but rather includes all leaders who think at a higher level and as a result set higher goals for their profession, their people, and themselves. These leaders not only reach higher, but they also accomplish their goals in shorter timelines.
Marine Corps Generalship
has many examples of these higher levels of leadership themes as well as the concepts embedded in the Marine Corps publication Fleet Marine Force Manual 1 (now titled Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1), Warfighting. These concepts of maneuver warfare are in reality a thought process built on the ideas of concentration, speed, surprise, boldness, friction, uncertainty, disorder, fluidity, philosophy of command, commander’s intent, decisionmaking, focus of effort, shaping the situation, and mission tactics.Envisioning the possible is closely linked to the maneuver thought process and exploiting or creating opportunities. Those whose focus is limited to the probable often employ attrition reasoning. The Marines have always been an opportunistic fighting force, and readiness to go with what they have in their toolkits is their forte. At the strategic level, one of the best examples of being ready to go with what you have was General Douglas MacArthur’s use of the 1
st Marine Division at Inchon during the Korean War. The South Koreans and their American allies had been pushed to the very tip of the Korean Peninsula by the onslaught of the invading North Koreans. MacArthur realized that he needed to strike hard and boldly to stop the invasion. In MacArthur’s view, taking the time and effort required to reinforce the allied forces encircled at Pusan and then slogging northward would be extremely costly in time, men, and equipment, albeit the most probable course of action. He knew that the Navy/Marine Corps teams were experts at amphibious operations. Although Inchon presented an almost endless series of obstacles and the entire Joint Staff cautioned against such a precipitous move, MacArthur was determined to go with what he had. The North Koreans were stunned when the Marines, reinforced by Army units, seized Inchon and went on to liberate the South Korean capital of Seoul. Within months, the invaders were reeling all the way back to the Chinese border. By envisioning the possible, MacArthur had conducted one of the boldest and most successful maneuvers in American military history. This is a vivid example that an imperfect plan violently executed is often far better than waiting for perfect conditions.As expeditionary forces prepared for any and all contingencies, Marines know well the uncertainties of potential conflict. They maintain their focus by applying maneuver concepts of speed, surprise, boldness, and concentration while building momentum. Instead of seeking certainty, Marine leaders have relied on fluidity and disorder to overcome friction and exploit opportunities. Recall early in World War II, when the United States was increasingly desperate to stop the Japanese advance toward Australia. On an obscure island named Guadalcanal, the 1
st Marine Division, led by Major General A.A. Vandegrift, conducted the first amphibious operation of the war under circumstances fraught with uncertainty. Without sufficient air cover or supplies, Vandegrift’s division fought tenaciously with focus and resolve. They never believed defeat was an option. Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors improvised by every means possible to defeat their enemy, and in the process, they proved to their nation that the Japanese war machine was not invincible. The Navy/Marine Corps team, again reinforced by the Army, had completely surprised the enemy, daringly seized the initiative, and at great sacrifice ended a long string of Japanese victories. In the 1st Marine Division, leadership stretched throughout the ranks, which, incredibly, included five future Commandants (Vandegrift, Clifton B. Cates, Randolph M. Pate, David M. Shoup, and Louis H. Wilson, Jr.) and numerous others who became legends.Our warfighting philosophy provides broad concepts, and they require judgment in application. You cannot write a recipe for all situations, nor should you try. Doctrine itself should only be a guide; anything more defeats the whole purpose of having a thinking Marine Corps—one that always fights and operates in a smart way. Remaining conceptual relies on the critical concepts of philosophy of command, implicit communications,
and commander’s intent. Intent is the what, where, with whom, and why something needs to be done. It is the glue that holds it all together, and it must be thoroughly understood two echelons above and below in any command. Mission type orders and tactics tell people and units what to do and normally not how to do it, since that would restrict initiative.Judgment is applied through decisionmaking. Dr. Puryear calls decisionmaking “the essence of leadership” and demonstrates through numerous examples how Marine leaders have applied their judgment. There is no decision—there is nothing worth seeking—that does not involve risk. Leaders must guard against the zero-defect mentality in all situations, as that is the antithesis of accepting risk in decisions. No one makes a mistake on purpose, and we must understand this. After all, it is a poor carpenter who doesn’t hit his thumb once in a while, for he isn’t driving many nails.
“Honor, courage, and commitment” is much more than a slogan in the Marine Corps; it is a way of life. A current recruiting commercial says, “We don’t take applications—only commitments.” Our Corps’ ethos embodies just that: commitment!
As leaders grow to meet greater challenges, they will find that having more people requires more trust and commitment—and that must go both ways. In this regard, we must continue to treat our people the way we would like to be treated and develop the best in them. The American public may value Marines for what they see as their physical toughness, but Marines know it is our mental toughness, our values, our passion, our courage, and our resolve that get us over the hurdles when we are exhausted. That mental toughness comes from our commitment at every level from private to general.
Marines understand their sense of presence in both time and place.The Marine Corps was founded in 1775 and today, as in the past, when a recruit earns the title
Marine, he or she inherits the past through our traditions, becomes accountable today for his or her actions and those of other Marines, and is responsible for the future of our Corps and our country. Achievement feeds on itself and fuels more achievement. These people remain the greatest thing we have ever had in our Corps, and leaders at every level must nourish them.Although this book is about generals, permit me to say a few words about our young officers, staff noncommissioned officers, and the sergeants, corporals, and lance corporals who are performing so magnificently in the current conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines, and elsewhere around the globe. These Marines are fighting and winning against radical, unscrupulous enemies whose methods include terrorist tactics and ruthless murder of innocent people. Today, as in
the past, small unit leadership is vital to mission success. These young warriors fully understand their commander’s intent, their unit’s role, the danger inherent to them, and their personal responsibilities to each other, our country, and our Corps. They operate far from home under intense scrutiny from a biased media against an enemy highly skilled in using propaganda to present a distorted view of events. Our generals and other senior officers also deserve enormous credit for providing the training environment and the framework within which these successes have been achieved. Marines, past and present, have always recognized that the backbone of the Corps is the noncommissioned officer.On a personal note, I would like to thank all the Marines, as well as the civilian and military leadership throughout the Department of Defense, for the privilege of serving with you and learning from you throughoutthe years. Thanks, too, to Dr. Beau Puryear for his
Marine Corps Generalship and the tireless research that he has put into it. In my judgment, he has hit a home run, and this effort should become a very special addition to our long and rich history.For all Marine leaders: try to do as much good as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you can. Your reward will be very, very special.
For the Nation’s Corps of Marines: take care of yourselves, take care of each other, may God bless you, and—Semper Fidelis.
General Alfred M. Gray, USMC (Ret.)
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Marines download an electronic copy of Marine Corps Generalship by Dr. Edgar F. Puryear, Jr.
Books by Dr. Puryear
Marine Corps Generalship
19 Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership
Stars in Flight: A Study in Air Force Character and Leadership
George S. Brown-General, U.S. Air Force: Destined for Stars.
American Generalship: Character is Everything: The Art of Command
American Admiralship: The Art of Naval Command
Categories: Leadership ~ Books
Tags: professional military reading
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