Soldier Uses History for Motivation
(October 8, 2009) |
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| FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, Oct. 5, 2009 –
The Army is rich in history and legacy, and most soldiers
can answer questions regarding basic knowledge such as when
the Army was founded. But a 25th Infantry Division
noncommissioned officer here takes historical knowledge a
step further to draw motivation for his daily
responsibilities.
Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Fosheim, a paratrooper, considers
himself a history buff. He said he uses common sense and the
Army's legacy for insight and inspiration in his NCO duties
as a platoon sergeant for Company D, 3rd Battalion, 509th
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
“My great inspiration in life is probably my father and my
grandfather,” he said. “My grandfather was in World War II,
and [was] a very kind man. He brought home weaponry that my
dad inherited: German helmets, old mortar tubes. Then my
dad, he really gave me my love of history, and that's why I
wanted to join the Army. I wanted to live history, make a
difference, and really find out what it's like to be in the
fight.”
Fosheim said he tries to instil an appreciation for history
and Army values in his soldiers because he believes it is
important to understand what America's forefathers endured
to fully grasp the Army experience.
“How can you know about the Army and how can you appreciate
the Army if you don't know the history of it?” he asked. “If
you don't know how hard your grandparents had it, and their
grandparents, you can't compare the conditions in World War
II to what we have now; it's just impossible. We can't
imagine not having a [morale, welfare, and recreation
facility] and only being able to write letters, and living
in a foxhole every day for a year. So I just like to impress
that upon my soldiers.”
Fosheim said he draws encouragement from historical figures,
and models himself after great men of the past, such as Army
Gens. Douglas MacArthur and George Patton.
“They were audacious,” he said. “They basically had no
regrets. They did what needed to be done to win the battles
and to win the war, and sometimes they did first and asked
questions later. As Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Instead of
letting Congress debate the canal, I built the canal and let
Congress debate me.'”
In addition to his historical motivation, Fosheim said, he
has a strong understanding of the NCO Creed and strives to
exceed standards.
“An NCO is someone that trains and leads soldiers, but it's
a lot more than that,” he said. “It's someone who makes sure
all their soldiers eat before them, makes sure they are
taken care of. Someone who makes sure that before they move
on to personal stuff like the MWR or calling mom and dad,
their weapons are clean, everyone knows what's happening
during patrol, and it's been rehearsed. [An NCO is] someone
who puts the mission ahead of himself.”
Fosheim has an aggressive approach to leadership, and
insists on maintaining standards and integrity. His soldiers
said they were leery of him in the beginning, but have
developed a healthy respect for him.
“I came to this platoon with a reputation,” Fosheim
acknowledged, “because I was one of the graders at [expert
infantryman badge testing] and I adhere to the standards, so
people got ‘no-go's' at my station. A lot of them had a
prior conception of me. ... So, when I came here, they weren't
too happy at first, but now they see who I am, what my
leadership style is, and that I'm proactive.”
Army Spc. Paul Nichols, one of the infantrymen who received
a no-go from Fosheim during his EIB testing, said his
opinion has changed since Fosheim became the platoon
sergeant.
“It's strange how things work out,” he said. “It's different
now that he is with us. He's pretty on-the-ball. He knows
what he is doing. He likes to spot-check people, look for
mistakes, and correct them. He expects everyone to know
their job and the next job up. But he is pretty cool. He'll
talk to me about family, and just how it's going.”
Leadership styles take years to develop, and Fosheim said he
has matured over his course as an NCO, learning immensely
about himself in the process.
“I learned that I can have patience,” he said. “As a junior
NCO -- [as] a sergeant, and especially [as] a corporal -- I
was very short with soldiers. I was a loud NCO, not yelling
for no reason, but when the opportunity came, I would use
corrective training as a tool. I find now that I have a lot
more patience, or try to.”
Fosheim balances patience and discipline with a mix of
professional at-ease, allowing his soldiers to relax when
not under pressure.
“I come across stern at first, but once the soldiers learn
that I'm being serious when I tell them things, then we can
kind of relax the atmosphere and joke around a little bit,
but we always keep it professional,” he said.
At the end of the day, Fosheim said, he simply tries to lead
his soldiers, inspire his fellow leaders and continue his
personal development as an NCO in his quest to affect
modern-day history.
“I strive to take care of my soldiers, remain tactically and
technically proficient, and to mentor my NCOs to share the
same values as I do: ‘Be, Know, Do,'” he said. “I lead by
example. I would never ask a soldier to do something that I
haven't done myself, or that I wouldn't do.”
Whether inspecting soldiers' weapons and gear, teaching them
something new, or challenging them with a pop question on
Army history, he is constantly involved in their personal
and professional development.
“He asked me the other day who the youngest president was. I
didn't know,” Nichols said. “It's Theodore Roosevelt,” he
added with a smile.
From patrols to routine missions to down time on the base,
Fosheim said he hopes he can be counted on to be a steadfast
leader. Through history, Army values and a desire to leave a
legacy, he added, he strives to be the best NCO possible for
his soldiers, for himself, and for his wife and three
daughters.
“My daughters, they are everything I have to live for,” he
said. “That is why I want to make the world a better place.”
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By Army Pfc. Andrya Hill
25th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team
public affairs office
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2009
Reprinted
from American
Forces Press Service / DoD
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