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In the dangerous and demanding world of military personnel, teamwork can be the difference between life and death.
Author Daniel Dewald knows how valuable teamwork is and talks about it in his book about the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Division titled GREY FEATHERS Led By Love of Country. Your recruiter should continually emphasize the value of teamwork in the military from when you become a member or before your report to boot camp. Teamwork is the most crucial component of any military branch, division, or MOS, particularly the combat arms MOS.
You realize how accurate this is since many individuals can’t handle the continual screaming and yelling, and they virtually freeze up and panic as soon as you reach boot camp, where the cadre starts saying, “You best begin working collectively as a unit, or you’re going to all flunk.”
There have even been instances when people know what they need to do and how they should do it, but the yelling gets to them. They end up standing in place, typically shaking, and unable to finish even the simplest tasks like properly pleating their shirt.
Why Leadership is Need and What It Does for Teamwork
A great leader is a common factor in a great team. This person shouldn’t be someone who constantly instructs their team and barks orders at them. Any task given to the unit can be completed by a great leader who is always ready and prepared to do it even better.
Leaders who constantly try to achieve their best, whether in PT tests or weapons quality checks, is a good role model. If leaders could do such a thing, it would aid in setting an example for everyone on the team. In turn, this makes developing trust and camaraderie easier.
By being a good example, everybody in the unit or team will want to be at their best too. This is because each member would like to be better than their leaders to earn their leader’s respect and trust. The letter “i” doesn’t exist in the word team, and teamwork gets its power from cooperation, respect, and trust.
During the training regimen of the Green Berets and Rangers (special Army operations), they have what is called peer-outs. It aims to kick out individuals who like putting themselves in the spotlight, acting like one-person armies. They’re often called rambos and are risks for entire teams or groups.
In Daniel Dewald’s book about the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Division, everyone is focused on the reasons to be comrade-in-arms, helping and caring for each other despite being under fire. Rambos frequently think so highly of themselves that they can defeat the enemy alone.
They are the same people that boast about every purported combat they have engaged in, many of which are fabrications. The people who are sharing the truth are those who avoid discussing their actual battle experiences. Learning the value of teamwork in the military is crucial because it keeps everyone safe.
The Value of Teamwork in the Military Shining at Its Finest
The Rangers are one of the American military organizations that stands out above the rest regarding teamwork among all other military branches. The value of what a team is all about is taught to soldiers in the first session of Ranger training. Again, this is the reason they will do peer-outs following each trip.
The Meaning of Teamwork
Teamwork is more than bringing someone food while on bed rest or helping someone carry their ruck throughout a march. It involves working together to reach conclusions informed by knowledge and experience. Standing arm in arm, being prepared to face the opposition, and always being online are all aspects of teamwork.
For units to be a great team, every member must be cohesive, which can take years. However, the military doesn’t have years to spend, and there are only months, sometimes even days, to prepare for each mission. With that, everyone must be mindful of how each move and acts. This helps every member to be constantly thinking together as a single unit.
Teamwork is something that must be considered and appreciated. Working together towards a single goal and watching each other’s back to ensure everybody is safe going home is the epitome of teamwork.
You can witness a great example of teamwork in Daniel Dewald’s book about the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Division titled GREY FEATHERS Led By Love of Country. Purchase your copy by clicking here and read a heroic story!
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