Prospecto Jacune

In late October 1947, Lt Col LeRoy Stefen wrote General of the Army Henry H. “Hap” Arnold regarding a question of leadership

(and implied command). General Arnold, having just retired from the Army Air Corps, spent two days a week in an office reserved for him at Hamilton Field, near San Francisco, handling a vo- luminous amount of correspondence. He believed the honors accorded him required this attention.

General Arnold’s vision, articulated more than 50 years ago, continues to hold relevance in today’s Air Force environment and continues to be a primer for those officers lucky enough to assume command. The original autographed letter is dis- played under glass at the Air University Library, Air Univer- sity, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

His advice for command addressed to Colonel Stefen follows (verbatim):

COPY

HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA

Office of the General of the Army, H.H. Arnold 5 November 1947

In Reply Refer To:

Lt.Colonel LeRoy L. Stefen, A.C., 641 Circle Drive

Palo Alto, Calif. Dear Colonel Stefen:

Your recent question has so many ramifica- tions, I can suggest but a few of what appear to be the most generally important requisites for a successful mil- itary career. Here they are:

1. Basic knowledge. Exact, clear knowledge; not a hazy smattering. This kind of knowledge of the basics of your profession; of every assignment you are given, - this is your “technique”; this constitutes your “tools”.

2. Hard work: unrelenting, hard work. Some persons have a natural capacity for it; others have to de- velop it. No outstanding success is ever achieved without it.

3. Vision. The degree of vision depends, naturally, upon the quality of an individual’s imagination; yet, one can train himself to look beyond his immediate assignment, to its relation to the next higher eche- lon of command, and the next, and the next, and, so on, to the highest level or overall sphere of activity of which he can envision its being a part. He can also, - if he has the capacity – envision possibilities yet undeveloped: new horizons of activity. This is the kind of vision that begets enthusiasm; and en- thusiasm is the eager, driving force that converts dreams into realities.

4. Judgement: not only the judgement that makes quick, correct decisions, but the ability to judge human nature, as well. Putting the right men in the right places, - this is an essential in building a strong, successful; organization.

5. Articulateness. A comparatively overlooked factor, but, nevertheless, a most important one. Many an excellent idea is “stillborn” because its originator did not have the ability “to put it across”. Public speaking courses are excellent aids in acquiring this faculty.

6. Properly adjusted human relationships. Naturally, this is largely a matter of personality: some persons just naturally get along with people; others, just as naturally, do not. But in the military sphere, if one is going “to get to first base”, he must be able to handle men successfully. The study of psychology is undoubtedly a great practical help to those who find the matter of human relationships somewhat diffi- cult; but I have also observed these things help: firmness, plus tolerance; sympathetic understanding of the little man’s position and problems, as well as understanding of one’s relation to the man at the top. Best of all, of course, is the practical applica- tion of the Golden Rule, - the simplest and the best code of ethics yet devised.

7. Personal integrity. This covers a very wide field. To touch upon one or two, - it means, for example, maintaining the courage of one’s convictions. By no means should this be confused with stubborn think- ing. Stubborn thinking is as outmoded as the ox cart. Its exact opposite, resilient thinking, is Today’s Must: a man must be able to accommodate his thinking quickly and accurately to his rapidly changing world; nevertheless, it must be his think- ing, - not someone’s else.

Personal integrity also means moral in- tegrity. Regardless of what appear to be some superficial ideas of present-day conduct, fun- damentally, - today as always -, the man who is genuinely respected is the man who keeps his moral integrity sound; who is trustworthy in every respect. To be successful, a man must trust others; and a man cannot trust others, who does not trust himself.

These are but a few thoughts. When it comes right down to “brass tacks”, however, in the military field, as in all other fields, it would seem to be a man’s native ability that spells the difference between failure and mediocrity; between mediocrity and success. Two men may work equally hard toward a common goal; one will have just that “something” the other lacks, that puts him on the top. This is the intangible, - the spirit of a man.

With very best wishes for your success, Sincerely yours,

/signed/ H. H. Arnold, General of the Army.

(Note: This letter typed from signed original; no punctuation or grammar changed.)18

Your Position as Commander

When things go wrong in your command, start searching for the reason in increasingly larger concentric circles around your own desk.

—Gen Bruce C. Clark

Commander in Chief of the US Army in Europe, 1960–62

“Your whole world expands when you become a commander,” remarked Colonel Isola. “I remember sitting in many squadron audiences as a young officer, looking up to the commander. I truly didn’t understand how much responsibility fell on him. I had to learn pretty quickly. It’s important to step back and look at the whole forest and not at a couple of trees.”19

Never forget that you now live in a fish bowl—all eyes are on you. People will look at you in a light you’re not used to nor probably comfortable with. It all comes with the territory. The troops are watching your every move, inside and outside the squadron. Every member of your unit will look up to you for guidance and leadership, and it will be your daily actions that will speak the loudest. What you do will be more important than what you say. The old adage of “do as I say, not as I do” will have no place in the command of an Air Force squadron be- cause your squadron members are adults, not children. They are very smart and will see through any veil of insincerity quickly, which will lead to your loss of credibility and respect.

Lt Col Rollins Hickman had the great fortune of commanding a large Security Forces squadron not once, but three times. After successful tours in command of the 355th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona; the 90th SFS, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; and the 4406th(P) SFS, Kuwait; he had a lot of advice to offer a new commander. One thing he emphasized repeatedly was the fact that you truly live in a “glass house” as a commander, “inside and outside the squadron, on- and off- duty, 24/7,” said Colonel Hickman. He of- fered this advice regarding informal discussions and implicit pol- icy decisions, “Be very careful of what you say and do, particu- larly outside the confines of your office. Many troops will try to

get you to make policy statements while you’re simply walking down the hallway or working out in the gym. Whether intentional or not, the word gets around quickly that you ‘approved’ some- thing without it having been formally staffed. A simple comment from you, as the commander, can make a big difference now, and cause a lot of headaches later.”21

Another piece of advice for your early weeks in command is to spend some time walking through your buildings and work- spaces during the solitude of a weekend. Do so with a jaun- diced eye toward detail. Study the bulletin boards. Are there outdated policy letters hanging on the corkboard? Do they have the signature of your predecessor? Is the standard wing inspector general (IG) letter up to date with the current IG? Is last month’s holiday party advertisement still tacked to the