Loyalty

The picture that goes with this entry is the crest of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the Panthers. I was lucky enough to spend more time in that unit than any other in my military career. Three of my combat deployments were as a Panther; assigned to the Headquarters, the 2nd Battalion, and the 3rd Battalion. It is an amazing organization and has a historical combat record matched by few units since the beginning of World War II.

I will forever be loyal to that unit and the people I served with while in it. I cannot understate how much the 505th means to me. To make a point, that very crest in the photo is tattooed on my ribcage, much to the dismay of my parents. That unit and those fellow Paratroopers mean that much to me.

The question to ask is “why?” What makes someone loyal enough to an organization and to its members that he would put a permanent mark on their body? In my experience, the best way to gain loyalty is to show loyalty. I learned as a young officer that loyalty is a two-way street. When you give it, you get it in return.

I served in the 505th at some key points in my career, but at every turn there were people that allowed me to grow and learn. They were patient with my mistakes and they rewarded me for success. In turn, I did the same to the folks who worked for me and with me. That was the culture there. Don’t get me wrong, we demanded excellence of everyone but we knew that excellence didn’t come easy and no one was perfect. There was always a balance between getting smacked in the head and getting a high-five. No leader survived in that organization if you were a “smack first” type, but equally if you were always the cheerleader you didn’t last either.

That’s what loyalty is, at least to me. You are responsible for holding your people accountable, both good and bad. They are also responsible to do the same for you. As a leader, you have to be willing to look at yourself and the organization you are a part of and be honest when you are doing things well or poorly. What you simply cannot do is consistently blame people over and over when things aren’t going well.

I’ll be honest, finding that type of environment after the Army hasn’t been easy. When the world revolves around the “bottom line” and everyone lives in fear of their boss, there is no loyalty.

The men and women I served with in the 505th remain very near and dear to my heart, many of them are still some of the best friends I have in the world. Some of them I haven’t seen in a decade or more, but they have my loyalty. They always will because they earned it.

All the Way! Airborne! H-Minus!!

Keep Moving, Keep Shooting