Virtues of Leadership
Virtue of Leadership
Virtues of Leadership
Because a thing hasn’t been done, doesn’t mean it can’t be done, and no reason not to try.
Without a doubt, the hardest training I ever did in my life was at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS). During my time at the Naval Academy, it was mandatory that midshipmen that aspired to be Marine Corps Officers had to go through the OCS program known as “Bulldog.” The training was six weeks of living hell on Earth where Marine Corps Drill Instructors and officers are screening you to decide whether they want to take a chance on you leading Marines. During this “training”, the instructors would identify individuals they didn’t think had what it took. They would inevitably place them in a leadership position for closer evaluation, such as the “Candidate Platoon Commander.” (CPLC) All the candidates knew this position was a “death sentence” because we never saw a candidate survive the position and not get kicked out… Until my good friend Andrew Burchfield. I went to prep school with him and knew him to be a bit of a funny, happy-go-lucky firecracker with no end of positive enthusiasm. I will never forget the fateful day he was told he was the CPLC for that day. We all thought it was the end. Halfway through the day, we had just finished noon meal and were standing at parade rest outside the chow hall waiting for our Drill Instructors to take us to our next training evolution. Burch was standing in front of the platoon awaiting the drill instructors for the march to our event as was normal. Time ticked by and no Drill Instructors. Burch executed an about face, faced his fellow candidates, called us to attention, executed a right face and was about to march us out. I will never forget this moment! Many of us called out to Burch and said, “What the heck are you doing, are you nuts?” His response, “We are late for our next evolution. There are no drill instructors to take us. It’s better to have a tiger by the tail than to have to kick a mouse in the ass.”
Burch got us to our event on time and from the looks of things saved the butt of our drill instructor. Burch was the only person I ever knew to survive the position and go on to be an amazing Marine and leader.
