Automaticity and leadership models

Automaticity and leadership models

Automatic behavior is a state where individuals comply during combat because the training that they get entails them to do so. This makes compliance to be an automatic action and a proper form of conduct. A spontaneous behavior is what would best describe conduct in combat but automaticity has one basic problem (U.S. 2010). The setback with automaticity is that the things that are commonly true tend to be made impractical by automaticity. One example is that it is impossible to expect soldiers to rebel and disobey commands even if automaticity is true. Military soldiers receive training that will enable them to face enemy troops (U.S. 2010). This occurs through taming whereby armed forces train through habituation. Through training, armed forces receive instructions from their commanders and thereby learn the art of responding to instruction. Armed forces are trained to respond to instructions and not to think or questions commands that are given by their superiors. The United States military pays real costs in order to train their soldiers (U.S. 2010). This makes it easier for them to positively act in response and meet the terms of the orders that they receive during combat. One of the things that the military teaches soldiers is that combat can only work through team production and unity. It is important that soldiers show confidence in one another during war. They are required to fight for one another if they want to win a war. Cohesion is a vital part for any military setting.

Human beings display certain automatic response models that develop as a result of practice, recurrence and learning. This is the act of automaticity and is very influential in influencing the way people behave especially leaders. Leaders in the community demonstrate automaticity in the way they make crucial decisions that affect their subjects (Scouller 2011). When leaders incessantly make sound decisions, they become more rational in the way they handle things and therefore this translates to good leadership skills. There are three commonly known leadership models. Public leadership is a behavioral leadership model whereby a leader displays certain behavioral tactics that influence two or more people in a simultaneously manner (Scouller 2011). Private leadership is a leadership model that a leader exhibits conducts that influence people on a one to one basis. Personal leadership is the third and last leadership model that is based on a leader’s familiarity with current affairs, charisma, skills, sentiments and conviction. It is mandatory for a leader to utilize all the three leadership models in order to be a good leader (Scouller 2011). This will make the leader to make sound decisions that will lead to progress and success of his regime.

United States combat compliance in world war two and Korean conflicts

The United States was able to win the world war two along the allies because they had an effective military force. The United States Military was able to influence the soldiers who fought in the war in a way that they fought with a passion to protect their interest (Hanson 2010). The military was able to fight in unity mainly because they knew that the benefits that came with the war surpassed the cost associated with it. The military offered the army with compliance bonus whereby the army knew that they would receive many benefits from the United States government (Hanson 2010). Some of the benefits that they would receive were pensions and medical care that they did not have prior to commissioning for a post in the military. They were also promised of huge payments for taking part in the war. Another factor that led to the U.S success in the war was domestic commitment.

It is common knowledge that domestic commitment does not cause wars to erupt. The main benefit of domestic commitment is that it determines who is likely to win in the war. There was huge assistance from the citizens to their army to join in the fight. The main thing that led to America to take part in world war two was because Japan planned an assault to the coast of the U.S and thereby raising anger and detest among Americans towards Japanese people (Hanson 2010). Another factor that added to the triumph of the U.S in the war was the reality that Americans were rational in making the decision of the possibility to join in the war. The United States level of combat compliance was higher than most other states and this played a vital role in the triumph of the allies.

Rationality played a key role in determining the involvement of America in the world war two. America was resolute to staying neutral and not play a part in the war (Hanson 2010). Germany had nothing to do with the decision of the U.S to take part in the world war two. The key reason that United States come to a decision to get caught up in the war was Japan. Japan acknowledged war on America by sending bombers to the Philippines. They did this hoping that the bombers would destroy all planes and warships that were kept in the Philippines. President Roosevelt decided to involve his country in the war when Japan decided to lay an assault on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This decision was important because the president was attempting to shield American citizens against further attacks by Japan. By joining the Allies, United States was unstoppable and this led to the attacks in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The U.S made contributions to the Allies in terms of industrial output, food, monetary assistance, petroleum products and industrial innovations. With all these resources the troops were able to stay motivated. Motivation is an essential part of combat compliance as it determines the height of output that the soldiers give. The resources made the Allied forces to fight with a passion and to fight continuously without any worries of lack of resources. Patriotism also played a major role because the all the soldiers knew that they were fighting for their countries. Patriotism made people who did not take part in the war to embrace extra work in the United States while the rest were fighting the war. The U.S forces were well trained and were advanced than enemy forces. Through rigorous training, American forces contributed highly in the triumph of the Allies.

President Roosevelt rebuilt the navy that the Japanese bombers destroyed at Pearl and afterwards sent the country’s military strength to fight the war. The United Nation rushed most of the soldiers in Europe in an effort to help the British survive Germany’s onslaught. The Americans made a crucial decision not to attack Germany in a quick manner. They decided to attack German and Italian troops based in North Africa. This was a wise decision because they defeated them and later crossed Mediterranean Sea in a mission to attack enemies based in Sicily. The Germans were flashed out of Sicily in a matter of weeks.

The first battle of the Japanese and the United States took place when the United States fleet engaged the Japanese fleet. There was no actual battle because neither fleet fired against each other. This was a starting point of the American army as the commanders of the American army learned crucial tactics that they would use in the war. This also served as training to the American army. The important lessons learnt at the Coral Sea prepared the Americans and this made them engage the Japanese navy that was commanded by Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto. The Japanese troops launched a massive attack on the Americans at Midway Island (Reed 2013). The Japanese were hoping to gain control of the island because it was a strategic point to be used as an airbase. The American intelligence was however trained and was steps ahead of the Japanese fleet. The Americans, through their intelligence intercepted the plan of the Japanese. They formulated a plan to counteract the ambush planned by the Japanese. A defensive plan was formulated and before the end, the Japanese lost four carriers whereas the Americans lost one. Their success in battling the Japanese fleet at Midway Island was a defining moment of the U.S because it was after this that they were now at their offensive until the world war two ended (Reed 2013).

The United States later embarked on a strategy to airfields in places that were unreceptive. General Hap Arnolds was at the time the commandant of the AAF (Reed 2013). General Hap Arnolds hoped that by building the airfields, the Americans would easily attack enemy fleets without them knowing of a possible impending attack. Leadership was a crucial role in determining if the commander would succeed in his plans. The American troops were ready to serve under the AAF commander (Reed 2013). This trust that the commander was able to build with his troops was effective because they were successful in launching attacks against enemy fleets. Strategic bombing was also effective in destroyed enemy troops especially those that belonged to the Germans. Most of the bombings took place by fleets dropping bombs in enemy territory. The tactic that the Americans used was tight box formations. The Americans would fly in the box formations therefore allowing each bomber to offer alternating machine gun fire. This was done in defensive mode to prevent enemy troops from shooting at the airplanes (Reed 2013). The P-51 Mustang was effective in such a way that it could make round trips in the heart of Germany.

The United States together with the allied powers won the Second World War because they were better managed than the axis power. The United States had superior combat tactics that were invaluable in combating the axis powers that were led by the Germans. Military superiority and unlimited resources was the main reason that the Americans were able to fight the Germans and the axis powers (Reed 2013). The success of many battles by the allied powers made them confident that they could win the war. The allied powers had strong military in the ground, air and water. The allied powers also had superior weapons compared to the axis powers. The United States had over the years developed nuclear bombs that could kill many soldiers of the axis powers with one single hit. The nuclear bomb that the Americans dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki sent a crucial message to the axis powers (Reed 2013). The Germans together with their allies understood that the Americans were a force to reckon with. The allied powers received crucial training tactics from the United States that they used to tackle the axis powers. The axis powers had an advantage over the allied powers. The advantage was that the axis powers had many soldiers compared to the allied powers. This advantage was however not helpful because the allied powers had better military tactics compared to the axis powers.

General MacArthur authorized the forces of America to scrutinize the battlefront in the war. The under strength army divisions were the only forces available for the general to control. The army divisions were largely consisted of men who were not experienced and who were also lacked military training. This army lacked the experience in using heavy weapons (Dvorchak 2000). The United Nations asked the American government to appoint a commander that will command the United Nations forces based in Korea. The command was appointed General McArthur. South Korea decided to support the United Nations and therefore placed some of its forces under the full command of the United Nations. The United Nations’ army was able to win the war in Seoul and therefore the North Korean army had to regroup and strategize a plan that would counteract the forces of the United Nations (Smith 2013). The South Korean army was able to resist the North Korean army but later the North Korean army was able to resist the forces of the South Korean army. The united nations saw this as a possible victory for the North Korean army and so they sent three divisions of the United Nations. North Korea was again able to resist the three divisions (Smith 2013).

North Korea was determined to win the fight and with much effort, they were able to press South Korean and United States army in a small corner. The North Korean army was defending a one hundred and fifty miles long perimeter (Smith 2013). The United Nations army was later able to resist the North Korean army after they acquired reinforcements from their military base. North Korea was able to resist the forces of the United Nations which mainly consisted of America and South Korea because they had very many soldiers (Dvorchak 2000). Compared to one hundred and thirty five thousand soldiers that were fighting for North Korea, South Korea had only forty five thousand soldiers who were serving as the national police force. The South Korean forces also consisted of ninety eight thousand soldiers who served as the army. Another reason was that the South Korean forces had light infantry weapons (Dvorchak 2000). The forces had no combat aircrafts and tanks. This made the South Korean forces seem inferior compared to the North Korean forces. South Korea was however able to win the war after they acquired reinforcements.

Works Cited

Dvorchak, Robert J. Battle for Korea: A History of the Korean Conflict. Conshohocken, PA: Combined Books, 2000. Print.

Hanson, Thomas E. Combat Ready?: The Eighth U.s. Army on the Eve of the Korean War. College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2010. Internet resource.

Reed, Boardman C. “UNITED STATES ARMY AIRCRAFT BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS.” Air Classics 11 2007: 52-3. ProQuest. Web. 3 Sep. 2013 .

Scouller, James. The Three Levels of Leadership: How to Develop Your Leadership Presence, Knowhow, and Skill. Cirencester: Management Books 2000, 2011. Print.

Smith, Matthew L. “The Korean Conflict and the United States National Security.” Pepperdine Policy Review 6 (2013): J1-J24. ProQuest. Web. 3 Sep. 2013.

U.s. Marine Close Combat Fighting Handbook. New York: Skyhorse Pub, 2010. Print.