The charge of light brigade summary

UNCLASSIFIED

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

25 June 2020

(U) What in the provided case study can be applied to the NCO CCC of leadership?

(U) The NCO Common Core Competency Leadership is comprised of several different attributes. It includes Principles of Leadership, Character, Army Profession, Values and Ethics, Servant Leadership, Counseling, Conflict Management, and Mission Command. In Charge of the Light Brigade, Lord Raglan, who was the commander-in-chief, failed to effectively utilize some of these attributes. It caused his Light Brigade to suffer many casualties and caused the loss of artillery guns. Lord Raglan ordered Heavy and Light Brigades to advance with infantry support. His mission command did not provide clear commanders intent, per ADP 6-0 (July 2019), to the Brigades and how to execute with the infantry. Lord Raglan also failed to develop Character in his Brigade commanders per FM 6-22 (June 2015). He allowed George Bingham the commander of the Cavalry and James Brudenell, the commander of the Light Brigade. Lord Raglan should have provided them with discipline for the commanders to model the right conduct among each other. This would have enabled the Brigades to formulate a plan for attacking and reduce the number of casualties taken. This lesson extract is that utilizing effective Leadership will form an informed and disciplined Army that is ready to engage and destroy the enemy. Leadership is influential, so as a Leader, you must be, know, do.

Robert C. Madison/MLC 106-20

robert.c.madison2.mil@mail.mil

References

Alfred, Lord Tennyson. (2003). The Charge of the Light Brigade. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45319/the-charge-of-the-light-brigade

Department of the Army. (2015). Leader Development (FM 6-22). Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/fm6_22.pdf

Department of the Army. (2019). Mission Command (ADP 6-0). Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN19189_ADP_6-0_FINAL_WEB_v2.pdf