General Robert E. Lee - Brightest Star In The South by Lt Col. Kent B. Dalton

Author:Lt Col. Kent B. Dalton [Dalton, Lt Col. Kent B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Military, Modern, 19th Century
ISBN: 9781782896289
Google: ABhvCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T05:03:40+00:00

CONCLUSION

General Robert E. Lee was a superb practitioner of operational art and leadership. Even though he fought many of the greatest battles of his distinguished career over 140 years ago, the lessons we can learn by studying his distinctive application of operational art and leadership and his strategy and utilization of that strategy on the battlefield are still pertinent today. Being able to hire who you want into a key leadership position and using their talents to accomplish the task at hand--exercising your “commander’s prerogative”, is crucial to success today just as it was in Lee’s time. Taking care of your troops and keeping their morale high is critical to operational success in all facets of our duties and translates directly into success on the battlefield. Nesting strategy to ensure activity consistent on the battlefield with grand strategy is crucial to achieving desired end states. Understanding the nature of time, space and force on the battlefield as well as the value of maneuver is as paramount today as it was during Lee’s time. Finally, retaining the initiative, understanding the concept of mirror-imaging and keeping a focus on all theaters of operation is absolutely key to our success today, especially in the Global War on Terror.

These are not the only lessons one could learn from a study of Lee; there are many more. A study of Lee as a commander at the operational level of war provides a brilliant source of information for future operational commanders. He clearly demonstrated that one simply cannot “show up” and turn out to be a great commander. It takes arduous study and sacrifice to learn and synthesize all the applicable lessons and it is our task to ensure we do not fail in this regard for the cost would be unimaginable.

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