Quote Originally Posted by Courtney Massengale View Post
Having a good balance of the two allows you to have perspective. If you’ve never had to execute a screwed up order, how do you know if you’re writing one? If you’ve never had to push down an order that was the lesser of two bad options, how can you turn to your Soldiers and ask them to execute one?
Sir, understand and agree with you, but as a PL in Iraq, I was executing screwed up orders from battalion, and giving orders to my platoon. It was 30 intead of 100. Command has more responsibility and burden, but deployed, it was usually just platoons or squads out. I want to command, and hopefully will get a chance, but no guarantee. Worst case, I've still been on the receiving end of no intel, vague directions,and bad guidance; then had to issue tough orders.

Also, on staff as S4 and then S2, I wrote more Frago's and OPORDs than most of the batteries. Learned very quickly how easy it is to make life hard for people with a couple keystrokes and a sig block. Never fun.

Agree its better to have both staff and command, but still think that you can be a good leader and officer without it, especially in CS and CSS. If command is the only box for success, should everyone without command get out at MAJ, since they can't be future great leaders?