The Program

29The First Standard of a Leader: Accomplish the Mission

THE FIRST STANDARD to which a leader is held is Mission Accomplishment. The leader of an organization is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen in that organization. Every Marine officer is taught this on the very first day of Officer Candidate School and it is reiterated and reinforced throughout their career.

The leader of an organization is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen in that organization.

A few hours into the battle of Najaf, Mac and some of his Marines witnessed an American helicopter shot down. Najaf was the biggest fight in the entire area of operation at the time, so the Marines and sailors present received more support than ever before. It appeared that every type of aircraft in the U.S. arsenal was buzzing over their heads while dropping bombs and firing rockets into the cemetery. American helicopters were by far the most vulnerable aircraft to the enemy’s return fire. They flew low and slow over the fighting, acquiring and engaging enemy targets, evacuating casualties, and providing intelligence to the ground forces. Mac’s platoon was spread along a main road engaging enemy targets in the Najaf cemetery. Out of the corner of his eye, Mac saw a helicopter shudder and jerk. It swayed drunkenly over the ground, smoke belching out of a rear engine, and then it dropped. It didn’t slam into the ground in an overly dramatic Hollywood fireball. Rather, it just ...