Becoming "The Old Man"

Becoming ‘the old man’ by Nate Bender – 10/1/2013

Completing my tour of military duty in Thailand in late August, 1970, I was infused with a notable lift in my morale: I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant; I had avoided combat duty in Viet Nam; I had experienced an easy assimilation into the Buddhist culture of Thailand; and, I felt like I had made a successful contribution as a leader. 

My new assignment orders directed me to a yet-to-be-defined unit in Germany.  After a month vacation in California and Iowa, arrival in my ‘father-land’ offered a stark contrast to Thailand.  Cold, early autumn weather, complete with gray skies, replaced the sunny, tropical heat of Thailand.  And, the prevailing mood, both on Army bases and in the general populace seemed something less than high spirited!  In retrospect, social discontent and upheaval concerning the lingering Viet Nam war, along with civil rights matters, contributed to the dark mood.

The 10th Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Kitzingen, became my assigned Unit.  The Battalion served as an engineering support unit for the 3rd Infantry Division, headquartered in Wurzburg.  The battalion was comprised of approximately 7-800 soldiers, in support of a of Division of approximately 13-15,000 soldiers. Eastern European communist countries extending to the Soviet Union comprised Cold War enemies since WWII.  Their threat called for maintenance of a line of defense manned by American forces, along with a modest contingent of Canadian military.  From building infrastructure roads in Thailand to supporting a military line of defense in Germany, a whole new set of experiences awaited my next encounter. 

Assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) as the Executive Officer, with additional duty as the Battalion Mess Officer (central dining facility for the Battalion).  Troop living quarters (barracks) were old and much in need of an upgrade, while challenging the spirits of its inhabitants. My Commanding Officer (CO) was a West Point Captain, who in short order lost favor with our Battalion CO, and was relieved of his command duties after a very short stint.  Nice guy, my CO was, but lacking the presence of a leader and the respect of his men.  In subsequent action, and completely unforeseen, I was appointed Company Commander of HHC, despite my lack of experience and junior officer rank of 1st Lieutenant.  Successful Command stints are vital to career progression ‘ticket punching,’ the absence of which led to termination of career goals…..up-or-out stakes at play. 

All Company Commanders, yay all Commanders, are dependent on the senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO’s) who serve as first-line of interface with the organization’s troops around day-to-day operations.  In a somewhat affectionate way, they refer to their commanders as ‘the old man,’ despite often significant age differences.  My senior NCO was First Sergeant Orfio Augustino, a crusty, cigar-chomping, often belligerent veteran of more than 25 years of service.  We were quite a team presence – old, short, balding, Italian and a young, tall German, with both having a certain charisma in mobilizing recalcitrant troop behaviors.  As an extension of the State-side Civil Rights movement, racial tensions in the unit and surrounding units, were palpable, compounded by many German citizens showing disdain for black people in their midst.  Interestingly, during WWII, Kitzingen was a headquarters for a segregated Quartermaster (supply) unit, which produced a goodly number of mixed race German offspring, now in their young adult years.

Very early into my command tour of duty as ‘the old man,’ it became clear that some ‘house-cleaning’ was called for.  Particularly during after duty hours and weekends, there existed an unacceptable degree of disorder and mischief, central of which was drug trafficking and use.  With support of my Battalion Commander, several initiatives were launched to bring order and discipline back into the life in the barracks, as well as off-post deportment in the German community.  First of all, we tightened security by employing NCO’s as CQ’s (charge of quarters during off-duty periods).  Secondly, we conducted thorough ‘shake-downs’ of each and every room in the barracks, which produced the uncovering of drugs and other illicit contraband, while serving as a reminder that the ‘new CO was now in charge, and troops-beware.’  Thirdly, I increased my presence in the barracks during after-hours, resulting in fewer opportunities for incorrigible behavior.

Over the course of eighteen months, unfit and undesirable unit members were purged, via administrative measures as well as through judicial court-marshals.  Organization health and well being became notable.  Overall, more than 200 administrative/non-judicial actions were processed, resulting in less-than-honorable to dis-honorable discharges from the Army.  Two incidents and undertakings stand out for me:  one, a very insubordinate soldier, whom I had demoted to the lowest rank of Private, refused to dress and report for duty.  When his sergeant was unable to roust him, I ascended to his third floor room, picked him up and carried him over my shoulder down to my car, where I handcuffed him to an inside handle.  After readying the necessary paper work documentation, I drove him to the stockade in Neurenburg.  The scene offered a dramatic representation to any observers of what this old man would resort to.  Two, another insubordinate soldier with a propensity to leave his duty station without permission, while awaiting administrative discharge called for another creative leadership undertaking.  I assigned an armed guard to be with him, 24/7.  This scenario also created a battalion-wide conversation among the troops!

The results of my efforts became known to the Division Commanding General, and the Division Psychiatrist.  Additionally, my OER (Officer Efficiency Report) noted that I was deemed to hold ‘General Officer Potential!’  The unexpected results and acclaim expanded my perceptual map of future possibilities, including a recommendation that I consider graduate school and pursue the professional status of a psychologist! 

Guided more by my intuitive powers than by the rational facts indicating that a career in the Army held important sponsorship and likely a secure future, my energies became mobilized.  In short order I began exploring graduate school options in psychology, all the while knowing my academic history would likely close most grad school doors.  Out of the exploration, a vision for a course of action emerged, namely, return to an environment in which I was familiar – Pepperdine University!

I formulated a plan to leave the Army in June, 1972, returning me to Los Angeles, where I felt certain I could be re-employed as a Probation Officer and enroll in graduate psychology classes at Pepperdine as a provisional student.  Following the enrollment I would then apply for graduate school admission.  In the interim I expected to demonstrate some degree of scholarship worthy of full-time admission.

The learning points of this vignette include: step into the fray, regardless of preparation, trust intuitive instincts, learn from the process, and authenticity holds strong influence.