"We don't have to do this tonight do we, sir? Couldn't we get our convoy delayed until the route changes?" I think I'll always remember the look in his eyes and the tremble in his voice as he asked me that question that rainy evening. I couldn't blame him for feeling that way — I remembered my first time commanding a convoy along a route I didn't know. The feeling of complete overwhelm and fear that you'll take a wrong turn and be out in the middle of nowhere, beyond the help of the better armed and armored route security forces. Getting caught in an ambush in a tractor-trailer convoy is like fighting off a bear with a toothpick. And this was precisely the reason I had decided to come with him to "ride in the backseat" during his first convoy through the combat zone. His senior sergeants kept saying he wasn't ready, and their hesitation was feeding his insecurities. He kept living under their shadow, and you can't become your own leader in that situation. Leadership is all about figuring out who you are and getting people to respond to that person, not someone else you're trying to emulate. Maybe they were right about him not being ready, but at their pace, he would never be ready. They were burnt out and needed a break from running these convoys, and SSG Noonz was their relief. "Maybe we could, Tom — but we're not going to. We can't hole up here, and there's no guarantee that we won't have to run the same route tomorrow. Let's go over the route again." Calling him by his first name softened the reply — he knew that I was right, and he was somewhat relieved that I had said it, even though none of us wanted to do it. I now know that he was relieved because he didn't have to make the decision. We covered the route again, did some rehearsals, and checked loads one more time. We were leaving the gate in an hour.
A Lost Rifle on a Dark Night
A Lost Rifle on a Dark Night
A Lost Rifle on a Dark Night
"We don't have to do this tonight do we, sir? Couldn't we get our convoy delayed until the route changes?" I think I'll always remember the look in his eyes and the tremble in his voice as he asked me that question that rainy evening. I couldn't blame him for feeling that way — I remembered my first time commanding a convoy along a route I didn't know. The feeling of complete overwhelm and fear that you'll take a wrong turn and be out in the middle of nowhere, beyond the help of the better armed and armored route security forces. Getting caught in an ambush in a tractor-trailer convoy is like fighting off a bear with a toothpick. And this was precisely the reason I had decided to come with him to "ride in the backseat" during his first convoy through the combat zone. His senior sergeants kept saying he wasn't ready, and their hesitation was feeding his insecurities. He kept living under their shadow, and you can't become your own leader in that situation. Leadership is all about figuring out who you are and getting people to respond to that person, not someone else you're trying to emulate. Maybe they were right about him not being ready, but at their pace, he would never be ready. They were burnt out and needed a break from running these convoys, and SSG Noonz was their relief. "Maybe we could, Tom — but we're not going to. We can't hole up here, and there's no guarantee that we won't have to run the same route tomorrow. Let's go over the route again." Calling him by his first name softened the reply — he knew that I was right, and he was somewhat relieved that I had said it, even though none of us wanted to do it. I now know that he was relieved because he didn't have to make the decision. We covered the route again, did some rehearsals, and checked loads one more time. We were leaving the gate in an hour.