Airman Pitsenbarger Motivation

Leadership manifests itself in many ways. The actions of Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger clearly demonstrate that one does not have to be an officer to be a leader. From a young age, Airman Pitsenbarger was driven. He attempted to join the Green Berets at 17, however, his parents would not let him. After finishing high school, Airman Pitsenbarger took the first step in his journey of becoming a truly remarkable Air Force leader. In January of 1962, he shipped off to basic training in San Antonio Texas. He volunteered to become a pararescueman(PJ) while at training. After completing his pararescue training, he was sent to Vietnam for the first time. After his first deployment, he volunteered to go back again. Leadership is both an art and a science. Airman Pitsenbarger lived by the Air Force core values and pararescue creed making him not only a highly skilled and motivated PJ, but who also an outstanding leader throughout his career. To prove the outstanding leadership of Airman Pitsenbarger, I will first prove that he lived by …show more content…
Even the most accomplished leaders struggle to motivate at times. Motivation came naturally to Pit. His daily actions demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the mission. What he viewed as the ordinary course of business served to inspire and motivate. During one of his missions a wounded South Vietnamese soldier was stranded in a burning minefield filled with old and unstable explosive devices. These conditions didn’t deter him. With no regard for his personal safety, he improvised a solution. "Lower me down on the penetrator (a rudimentary seat lowered by cable from a hovering helicopter) and I'll straddle the guy. Pick him up, and then you can lift me up."(Home of the Heroes) His selfless act of heroism as he hung from an HH-43's cable to rescue a wounded man earned him the Airman's Medal and the Republic of Vietnam's Medal of Military Merit and Gallantry Cross with Bronze