Army - Kicking Tires On Jltv

Creative Answers for
Sagging Morale By Capt. Robert C. Sprague
U.S. Army/Sgt. William A. Parsons
A 1st Cavalry Division platoon during a training exercise in Grafenwoehr, Germany
The way of today’s Army is to “do more with less.”
This phrase is a foolish oxymoron; the concept of
completing more tasks does not call for stretching the
existing process beyond its means but instead for innovative
ideas and strategies. To embrace such creativity allows
for a true transition in thought.
Applying this thinking to an aviation maintenance company
offers opportunities for more efficient completion of its
multifaceted mission. As an aviation maintenance company
(AMC) maintenance platoon leader, I witnessed firsthand the
impact of attempting to do more with less. From my perspective,
this mentality was toxic to the unit’s morale, esprit de
corps, and faith in the chain of command.
The modified table of organization and equipment describes
the standard structure of an AMC. The company is broken
into three standard platoons—headquarters, maintenance and
shops—that have their own individual command structures
and sections. These independent platoons must work constantly
to accomplish the two demands of their job: maintenance
and training.
To complete maintenance tasks, all three platoons must work
in harmony. This sounds simple enough but the required training,
additional tasks and personal soldier appointments all increase
the complexity of the situation tenfold. To balance all the
demands, leaders attempt to keep the ratio of time, tasks and
available troops coordinated with one another. More likely than
not, either training or maintenance suffers on behalf of the other.
Constant Unpredictability
For my unit, this caused longer workdays with constant unpredictability
as to what the top priority of the unit truly was.
The consequence of this method of operation caused a severe
drop in the unit’s morale; many soldiers questioned the intentions
and competence of their leadership.
As with any issue, the procedure to find a solution must begin
with identifying the problem. Often, however, many in the
chain of command are unable to see the underlying problem
and instead, focus on the symptoms. In my unit, the symptoms
included low morale, slower turnaround for maintenance tasks,
and more training tasks completed with the bare minimum
level of success obtained. The implementation of many control
measures had a minimal effect on rectifying the symptoms.
February 2016 ■ ARMY 43