[July 5, 2020] I first saw the men of 111th Sapper Company on the outskirts of Baghdad back in late 2003. What these Soldiers did was hard work. They had just returned from a grueling mission of finding and destroying roadside bombs and were getting their baseballs and gloves out for another fun game. Their commander, a red-haired Texan, told me that his men were happy to work hard and play hard.
Attitude is what distinguishes many exceptional and successful groups of people from the average. This attitude is usually found in high-performing organizations, highly-ranked private schools, and elite military formations. This attitude is often summed up as work hard, play hard. Such an attitude is highly infectious.
Not long after I was introduced to the men of the 111th, I had spent my time getting to know the military Engineers in the Iraqi theater of war because we were low on quality, aggressive folks who were eager to get ‘er done. Yes, even in combat, there can be an on-going search for talent among individuals and teams that harbor the right attitude.
I was a chilly day, temperatures in the lower 90s when I came across several Soldiers lounging outside their hooch. It was the end of a short day for me, so I had some time to chat with the men and ask about their tour of duty in Iraq, which was about to end. They told me that the war had been tough, but they were up to the challenge and were looking forward to returning home. I asked if any were willing to convert to engineers and stay for another six months on a special mission we had planned.
Their answer surprised me a bit. These men said that U.S. Engineers worked too hard. Not knowing right away how to address that bit of information, I said that our men also like to play hard and are heavily involved in team sports, friendly field competitions, and building up their sleeping quarters. Their answer again surprised me. They said these Engineers played too hard. Work hard, play hard; this was a reputation they did not want. It was too risky and too hard.
Soldiers of the 111th Sapper Company were a bunch of good old boys, mostly from the Texas, Oklahoma, and mid-western states of the U.S. All of them had grown up fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping. They could shoot, dress a kill, cook, and eat any wild animal. Their skills were impressive. But what impressed me was that they were a strong team.
When I come across any group of people who have the attitude of work hard, play hard, it is a time to be impressed. These are the teams that get things done and with little guidance and resources. These are the folks I like being part of my team.
An excellent post, congratulations !!
So interesting. Something that never entered my mind but, of course, now I can see what you mean and also that many in my company are doing exactly this. They are also the highest performing teams.
Good comment Greg. Same here. Thanks. Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend and did something patriotic on the 4th of July.
Another first-rate blog post. Keep it up. Oh, my wife and I plan on going to the beach for an enjoyable day off. Yesterday we were part of a car-truck parade thru my hometown. We enjoyed doing something constructive to recognize Independence Day.
Yes, my wife and family were standing by when our local VFW organized a parade. Waving the American flag made us feel wonderful. We showed our patriotism.
Thanks Gen. Satterfield for today’s article. I found it enjoyable to read and learn a bit at the same time. My only regret in life is not having also served in the US military.
I never gave this much thought but I do believe you are onto something here, Gen. Satterfield. I wish I had the chance to meet people like this. I guess it takes a lot of energy and self-motivation. I’m proud of our military service members and those who are in this forum like Army Captain and Lynn Pitts (and perhaps others). Keep up the great work you are doing and I hope you can enjoy the holidays.
Thank you, lydia truman. I will and so will many of my colleagues and friends.
I hope everyone enjoyed their 4 July time off. If you could spend it with family and friends, that is great. I love to do that too. That is also why I kept my television off for the day so I didn’t have to listen to a bunch of American haters ranting like lunatics.
Me too. The news is full of garbage anyway. It’s a waste of my time and energy to watch it. I do good things for my family, friends, and local neighborhood. That is what being a good person is all about.
Loved today’s article that points to some of the great men and women who serve our country. So many of them are doing great things. True. But also so many of our youth are being indoctrinated into believing America is just a bigoted place that should be destroyed. I’m confident those you are writing about will be the future leaders and not the pajama-boys (and girls) that we hear about in the news.
… they only get out of the basement of their parent’s homes to destroy statues (that can’t fight back), spray paint businesses (the buildings can’t fight back), and burn and loot (but an occasional shop owner might shot them). The latter is what our elite politicians are teaching (like Nancy Pelosi) as being “morally superior” behavior.
Great comment.
Somebody needs to do some butt kicking. Oh, in case you’re thinking this doesn’t work, it does. We need some real old-fashioned ass wuppin. Then, and only then, will they see the light. And if they don’t, then they get another ass wuppin.
old warrior, you made me nearly fall out of my chair laughing. What you say is indeed true. But we are too much of a lot of pansies for us to do anything about them.
Well said, old warrior. Made my day. Yes, there are too many young folks (and wannabe young folks) who just want to destroy and take what they can. You can see them on television looting stores for TVs, shoes, and clothing. They don’t give a rats ass about the ’cause’ but about getting what’s easy to get. I have only disgust for their behavior. If they come close to where I live, I hope they note that I own guns and know how to use them.
Brings back memories. Thanks. I hope you had a great July 4th holiday, Gen. Satterfield. Keep up the good works.