The Army Values and Resilience

In this essay, I am going to reflect on the importance of being Resilient in the Army and a servant leader. The information that I have learned at this Basic Leadership Course (BLC) and my own personal experiences continue to set me up for success. The environment the Army has been in for many years is a staple for being resilient. Over the past two decades, the conflicts we have fought and continue to fight have created resilient leaders. Going back to my unit I plan to continue the Army’s initiative to build resilient soldiers. As a resilient leader, it will also play into other aspects of how I will lead my soldiers. To build resilient leaders, there must also be servant-leadership involved. Here is a little back story into how I have utilized resiliency to complete my mission of graduating BLC.

Sometimes obstacles are placed in front of you. Usually, there are two choices that must be made. You either give up or you continue to fight. That is what I have done. It started with my son having issues with his heart before leaving. I sat down with my husband and decided since nothing was emergent I should go ahead and go to BLC. Two days after getting to BLC I received news the older brother had been in an accident. He lost his right hand. Still, I knew there was nothing I could do for him at home. I made the choice once again to continue my mission of completing BLC. A week before graduation I got a call from my older sister that my grandmother had been rushed to the hospital. She was on a machine to keep her alive and they needed to decide to let her go. I knew once again there was nothing I could do from here. With only a week until the course is over I knew once again, keep pushing forward and complete the mission.

Resiliency can be seen in everything that went on here at BLC. I had the issues back home but I also had the stress of passing the course. Even though my home life was falling apart I pushed it to the right. I focused on the task in front of me and completed it. As each obstacle was placed in my way I had to sit back and think can I do anything now about it? I knew that if the answer was no, I needed to focus on the course work in front of me. That is what I did. With the knowledge and firsthand experience, I can now take this back to my unit. I can teach my soldiers the tools that I used to keep pushing forward. Keep pushing through adversity no matter what kind it was. Teaching resiliency is not just telling your soldiers to “drink water and drive on”. It is being able to connect with them.

The tools learned at BLC to become more of a servant-leader allows me to better connect with my soldiers. In the servant-leadership characteristics, I relate to “commitment to the growth of people” (Servant Leadership, e.d.) most. I have seen great leader who have utilized this characteristic throughout my career. I did not see that amongst my peers as I have seen in the past. Going forward I will utilize this characteristic to the best of my ability. I believe you are only as good as the weakest person amongst you. As a leader, I commit to the growth of my subordinates. They should not have to do it alone. A tree does not just grow on its own. It must have food, water, and sunlight. I will be the food, or any other element to help the growth of my soldiers.

In conclusion, BLC has been a growing experience for me. It has taught me resilience and servant-leadership. The Army teaches resilience because of the way it has worked over the past two decades. It will continue to instill and teach me about resiliency. I will continue to find new ways to stay resilient and get the mission accomplished. I will do this by utilizing characteristics from being a servant-leader. Strength for myself and my soldiers starts with the mind. 

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