Timing…

Editor’s note: The following piece was submitted by a fan and friend of Ranger Up.  If you have a story you would like to tell, email it to me at RURob@rangerup.com .

By RU Fan Chris

I received my recently ordered “Officer Wisdom” tee shirt, put it on, and turned on the news minutes later to find out that General Norman Schwarzkopf had died. He had been my brigade commander during the mid 1970s when I served as S2 of 3-39 Infantry, 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division just before he was promoted to Brigadier General and became the Assistant Division Commander of Operations.

On a quiet Saturday, I found out that one of my finest soldiers who was ETSing on Monday was getting effed out of receiving his well deserved ARCOM medal in front of our formed battalion on the coming Monday because G1 had sat on the paperwork. My Battalion Commander was away, my Brigade Commander was away and the FOD was a bureaucratic dink whose definition of “the field” was a piece of land on which farmers grew crops.

As I drove by Division Headquarters, I saw BG Schwarzkopf’s POV and instantaneously decided to bet my 1LT’s bar on my own personal “officer wisdom” decision. I walked into Headquarters and knocked on the General’s office door. He advised me to enter, to introduce myself and to tell him “my story” while standing at attention, adding that he was going to “throw my ass” out of his Army if he determined me to be full of s–t and wasting his time.

Standing motionless at attention, I gulped and told my story. Bottom line: one of my best soldiers was getting effed due to “ass dragging” at G1 and that I had decided to jump over three field grade officers in my chain of command due to the pressing need to give a fantastic 11B soldier the respect he deserved by allowing him to receive his ARCOM medal while he stood in a battalion formation near his infantry brothers.

The General listened quietly while I was standing at attention in front of his desk telling my story. When I finished, the General looked out his office window, picked up his phone, called the G1 at home and told him to have my soldier’s ARCOM medal and accompanying text on his desk within one hour.

Then he said, “Lieutenant, both your Battalion and Brigade commanders are going to s–t twinkies that you came to see me today. I will handle that. By the way, you may stay in my Army precisely because you decided that the welfare of one of your soldiers was more important than retaining your officer’s commission. Good job, son. Now, get out of my office.”

Two days later, without advance notice, the General arrived at our battalion formation to personally award the ARCOM medal to my soldier. The soldier and his brother infantrymen were thrilled. Both my Brigade Commander and Battalion Commander told me later that my audacious decision to jump the chain of command to protect the interests of an outstanding soldier was the type of action that separated our Army from all others. I wonder to this day what the General had said to them. I never found out and I never forgot the whole incredible experience. I pray that the General is now resting in peace that he so richly deserves.

17 Comments

1. 

   Steve Malbasa

   January 5, 2013 at 9:32 am

   Awesome story, thanks for sharing. Gen Schwarzkopf retired before my time, that is my loss.

   Reply
2. 

   Tim Enlow

   January 5, 2013 at 12:43 pm

   What a GREAT story! True leadership on both ends….putting your men first, even if it’s at your own peril and rewarding/appreciating those who do so. Thanks for sharing this wonderful example of great Leadership.

   Reply
3. 

   TF Hoh

   January 5, 2013 at 1:22 pm

   Thats a great story, but I think you could have also called the title “lucky”. That took some brass (or lack of common sense) to go see the old man, but I have also seen good men I still respect to this day, nuke a subordinate in place for little shit becuase they just were ready to snap over an unrelated issue. Probably just one more testament to who Gen. Schwarzkopf is/was.

   Reply
4. 

   Cecilio Mendez

   January 5, 2013 at 1:24 pm

   When I first knew of Gen. Schwarzkopf’s death, I posted: “This is one of the last ones, if not the last, of the great USA generals.” This story confirms what I said back then. RIP General!

   Reply
5. 

   Murphy

   January 5, 2013 at 1:31 pm

   Got a little misty-eyed, almost.
   Good leadership, and good to be reminded what good leadership is.
   Thanks, Chris.

   Reply
6. 

   Elizabeth Henderson

   January 5, 2013 at 1:33 pm

   This is a perfect illustration of the concept of leadership. Seems like we live in an age where attaining a position of leadership means you can sit back, enjoy more privileges, and either ignore or abuse the ones they climbed over to get there. It is sickening and it is a cancer in our military. I don’t know what the answer is but part of the answer includes bringing this up over and over again and stories like this accomplish that task very well. Thank you for sharing this.

   Reply
7. 

   Eugene Yeo

   January 5, 2013 at 1:59 pm

   Hooah, sir. Wish there were more like that.

   Reply
8. 

   Smith

   January 5, 2013 at 2:40 pm

   Yep, a little misty eyed here as well. Excellent story, thanks for sharing!

   Reply
9. 

   Mark

   January 6, 2013 at 5:16 am

   Great story. Three good men there — you, the soldier, and the general. Thanks for sharing.

   Reply
10. 

    Leo Fugate

    January 8, 2013 at 9:26 am

    Excellent pass of information, this is the kind of stuff you don’t get from many higher ups because of the fear of being punished I respected my lt because he didn’t follow but led the way, true ranger thru and thru until they transfered him because he was to close to the troops, that’s what they need to do in order to understand the troops needs!!!!

    Reply
11. 

    PittMania

    January 8, 2013 at 10:22 am

    He will go down in history with all the great leaders. His name will always be mentioned with Patton, Eisenhower, Grant and MacArthur.

    Reply
12. 

    Peter D

    January 8, 2013 at 6:04 pm

    what a great story. Reminded me of one officer that I knew while I was in. I truly miss officers that LEAD from the front like this. And you always knew where they were when you needed them.

    Reply
13. 

    Just Plain Old

    January 8, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    Way to show some stones. It was even harder back in the “Old Army” to jump chain and still be around to tell about it. You must have had a fine troop, and you definitely had a fine Brigade Commander. My dad was an S-3 Officer with 2/29th around the time “the Bear” made BG. We ended up in Germany after Gen. Schwarzkopf went to the 8th Mech, too. Just lucky, I guess. My wife and I both ended up under him in I Corps back in the 80s, before he went under Vuono. Thanks for the story and the memories… don’t forget to say a little prayer for Brenda and their family.

    Reply
14. 

    leftoftheboom

    January 9, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    I laughed. I cried. He will be missed. Rangers Lead the Way

    Reply
15. 

    Chris

    January 15, 2013 at 11:25 am

    As the author of “Timing”, I want to express my sincere appreciation for the kind, reflective comments posted above. My role models were my late father, Major Stuart Ferris, XO of 266 FA Battalion 240 mm Howitzer – Towed on Omaha Beach and during the Battle of the Bulge, and my first battalion commander at 3-39 Infantry, the late Colonel William E. Powell, who took me under his wing when I was a know nothing 2LT.

    Colonel Powell headed off to command 2-75 Infantry ((Ranger) as I headed off to attend MIOAC and what was then SFOC at Fort Bragg before I PCSed to 10th SF Group Airborne’s MI Company at Fort Devens. While undergoing SF training, I was devastated to learn that Colonel Powell had lost his life when, during a Ranger training mission at Indian Springs NV, the C-130 in which he was riding impacted short of the runway and broke up.

    The aircraft subsequently caught fire, but Colonel Powell managed to escape the inferno. However, when he realized that some fellow Rangers were unaccounted for and were trapped inside the burning aircraft, he hesitated for not one second. He ran back into the inferno to try to save his fellow Rangers. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft exploded and Colonel Powell and the others on board were killed. He was a LTC at the time of his heroic sacrifice and was promoted to COL posthumously. Rangers reading this comment may recall this tragic training accident.

    A few years later, long story short, I experienced a serious partial chute malfunction during a night jump where high winds were wreaking havoc, and I ended up burning in upside down in an inverted body position and “performed” at high speed a Wiley E. Coyote head first PLF. I suffered a loss of consciousness for ten minutes or so and wondered WTF had happened when I awakened after having being pronounced prematurely dead by one of my best intel analysts who thankfully did not become a coroner when he ETSed. The medical consequences for me were TBI, Post Concussion Syndrome, Poly Trauma, cerebral small vessel disease and an eventual 100 per cent DAV rating.

    A Higher Power intervened to allow me to live to remain Army Strong in mind and spirit to better spread the word about heroes such as my late father Major Ferris, Colonel Powell, a dynamic, one of a kind Ranger who led the way “in extremis”, ignoring the obvious danger that caused his death, and the absolutely unforgettable General Schwarzkopf.

    The memories of these three great Americans will remain in my heart until I see them again. I wonder if General Schwarzkopf will threaten to toss my ass out of Heaven? Ha ha ha.

    Final note: these three men would have dragged the pathetic weenies who failed to launch a rescue mission to Benghazi to the sites of the graves of the four heroes left behind in Benghazi and would have thereafter tossed their useless butts out of the Armed Forces and the Federal Government. That “dragging” video would surely get 3,000,000 hits on YouTube! Remember the Benghazi Four!

    Reply
16. 

    Chris Parsons

    February 22, 2013 at 11:23 am

    Please contact me, I am SSgt. Brandon Parsons mother and I would like to talk to you about my sons case. I am trying to get this article you wrote to Fox news, Mr. Bill O’Reily for national exposure. My son is a patriot and a wonderful human being, caring and loving. Where is the justice here? I am in Minnesota, and my phone number is [Redacted by RU Rob]. Thank you so much for what you have done so far. Sincerely, Chris Parsons

    Reply
17. 

    Donovan Lepping

    June 16, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness, but most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don’t realize it. -”,^

    Have a good one
    http://www.homefamilydigest.com/index.php

    Reply