As a young platoon leader in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, John Faunce experienced the chaos of combat, including shifting missions, limited intelligence, and the need to rely on soldiers’ input to make decisions in uncertain conditions. His later experiences as a Special Forces officer, particularly working with Afghan commandos, emphasized leadership through trust, autonomy, and partnership, while navigating complex coalition dynamics. In this episode, he shares what he learned in those combat zones about leadership and recounts a career defined by embracing difficulty, learning from failure, and adapting under pressure.
In the fall of 2006, Rory McGovern was a company fire support officer assigned to a combined arms team operating in the area around...
On August 11, 2004, Staff Sgt. John Borman’s platoon ventured out on what was supposed to be a short counter-mortar observation mission. Except that...
In 2010, Scott Haran was a company commander in Afghanistan. His company was responsible for establishing police checkpoints in and around the city of...