utmost to pass onto them everything I wish someone had taught me prior
to leading in combat. In the final weeks of each course, we ran the Marc
Lee and Mike Monsoor Memorial Run, a five-mile, uphill course that
climbed to the top of the huge cliffs of Point Loma and finished at Fort
Rosecrans National Cemetery, where both Marc and Mike are buried. In
that serene setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean, most fitting for these
two noble warriors, I gathered the class of junior officers around the
headstones and told them about Marc and Mike. To me, it was deeply
important to tell their stories so that the legacies of Marc Lee and Mike
Monsoor could carry on. It also served as a stark realization to these
future SEAL combat leaders of just how immense their responsibilities
were and how deadly serious the burden of command.
As they went forth to serve as officers and leaders in SEAL platoons
and beyond, all responsibility and accountability rested on their
shoulders. If their platoons underperformed, it was up to them to solve
problems, overcome obstacles and get the team working together to
accomplish the mission. Ultimately, they must fully accept that there
truly are no bad teams, only bad leaders.
PRINCIPLE
About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior, by Colonel David
Hackworth, U.S. Army (Retired) influenced many frontline leaders in the
SEAL Teams and throughout the military. The lengthy memoir details
Colonel Hackworth’s military career, combat experiences in Korea and
Vietnam, and his myriad of leadership lessons learned. Although a
controversial figure later in life, Hackworth was an exceptional and
highly respected battlefield leader. In the book, Hackworth relates the
philosophy of his U.S. Army mentors who fought and defeated the
Germans and Japanese in World War II: “There are no bad units, only