Before General David Petraeus was brought into command of the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), the War on Iraq seemed to be heading south. By the time President George W. Bush announced the surge policy in 2007, Iraq appeared to be slipping steadily towards chaos. Enemy attacks were growing in both number and sophistication. Something needed to be changed and fast. On January 10, 2007, President George W. Bush embraced a major tactical shift on the war in Iraq when he declared that the only way to quell sectarian violence there was to send more than 20,000 additional American troops into combat. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did not agree with the President’s decision of sending additional troops to Iraq, and the day after the
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General Petraeus is a successful military leader due to his resiliency and high standards. During his time in Ranger School, he won all three leadership awards in his class and was the top-raking in his class at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. His resiliency, strong willed character and physical fitness are what make him a remarkable leader. In 1991, at Fort Campbell, General Petraeus (Colonel at the time) was shot on the right side of his chest while observing a squad level live fire exercise by an M-16 round. General Petraeus did not panic or even go into shock.17 The doctor that took General Petraeus began operating on him explained that the procedure inflicts so much pain that the body usually jumps and the patient cannot control himself.18 General Petraeus just grunted from the pain, though.19 After the surgery, General Petraeus demonstrated incredible recuperation characteristics, returning to full activity much earlier than anticipated and back to his unit within a week.20 His strong willed-character and resilient behavior would transfer over into the War on Iraq. General Petraeus is the type of leader that pushes for things to finish and always has a can do attitude. During his time in command as MNF-I, a damaged electrical power tower had been inoperable for …show more content…
After understanding and visualizing his strategy, he was able to assess how efficient and effective his plan was. When General Petraeus first got into country as the commander, he observed the effectiveness of the Sunni Awakening. “Given my recognition of the importance of reconciliation, I was determined that we would support the nascent Awakening and then, over time, gain our Iraqi partners’ support, as well. In fact, my first trip outside Baghdad, shortly after taking command on Feb. 10, 2007, was to assess the progress of the initiative in Ramadi. After seeing the results of the Awakening up close, I quickly resolved that we would do all that we could to support the tribal rebellion there and also to foster its spread through other Sunni areas of Iraq.”23 By getting an on ground assessment of the situation, General Petraeus was able to refine his strategy, create guidance for his subordinates, and ultimately make his decision to go through with his plan. General Petraeus also had weekly meetings with President Bush and Secretary Gates to brief updates and give an assessment of the current situation. “I also had a weekly video teleconference with Secretary Gates, who personally drove forward a number of programs of incalculable value to our men and women on the ground, programs such as the accelerated production of mine-resistant, ambush-protected MRAP vehicles; a huge increase in
General Petraeus is a successful military leader due to his resiliency and high standards. During his time in Ranger School, he won all three leadership awards in his class and was the top-raking in his class at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. His resiliency, strong willed character and physical fitness are what make him a remarkable leader. In 1991, at Fort Campbell, General Petraeus (Colonel at the time) was shot on the right side of his chest while observing a squad level live fire exercise by an M-16 round. General Petraeus did not panic or even go into shock.17 The doctor that took General Petraeus began operating on him explained that the procedure inflicts so much pain that the body usually jumps and the patient cannot control himself.18 General Petraeus just grunted from the pain, though.19 After the surgery, General Petraeus demonstrated incredible recuperation characteristics, returning to full activity much earlier than anticipated and back to his unit within a week.20 His strong willed-character and resilient behavior would transfer over into the War on Iraq. General Petraeus is the type of leader that pushes for things to finish and always has a can do attitude. During his time in command as MNF-I, a damaged electrical power tower had been inoperable for …show more content…
After understanding and visualizing his strategy, he was able to assess how efficient and effective his plan was. When General Petraeus first got into country as the commander, he observed the effectiveness of the Sunni Awakening. “Given my recognition of the importance of reconciliation, I was determined that we would support the nascent Awakening and then, over time, gain our Iraqi partners’ support, as well. In fact, my first trip outside Baghdad, shortly after taking command on Feb. 10, 2007, was to assess the progress of the initiative in Ramadi. After seeing the results of the Awakening up close, I quickly resolved that we would do all that we could to support the tribal rebellion there and also to foster its spread through other Sunni areas of Iraq.”23 By getting an on ground assessment of the situation, General Petraeus was able to refine his strategy, create guidance for his subordinates, and ultimately make his decision to go through with his plan. General Petraeus also had weekly meetings with President Bush and Secretary Gates to brief updates and give an assessment of the current situation. “I also had a weekly video teleconference with Secretary Gates, who personally drove forward a number of programs of incalculable value to our men and women on the ground, programs such as the accelerated production of mine-resistant, ambush-protected MRAP vehicles; a huge increase in