The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 5 | Page 33

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | May 2017
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The British attacked General ‘ Mad ’ Anthony Wayne at Paoli , in the dead of night , in stealth mode if you like , having removed their flints from their rifles and attached bayonets on the instructions of Major General Charles Grey . ‘ In the upmost confusion that followed , the British light infantry bayonetted every man that came out and the cries of the wounded formed together one of the most dreadful scenes that I have every beheld in warfare .’
Wayne escaped to fight another day , however . Despite this being one of the smallest battles in the Revolutionary War , it had far -reaching implications , as within a week the British will march into Philadelphia with their drums beating , pipes playing , ceremoniously in full regalia right along the centre of the city . The capital of the nation had fallen to the British on September 25 th 1777 . Had it ended there , I would have been pretty pleased , but it did not .
Either way , the defeat at Paoli was yet another black mark for General George Washington in a string of defeats that stretch from New York all the way to Philadelphia , including the Battle of Brandywine and Battle of the Clouds . However , the ruthless fight at Paoli was not soon forgotten by the Americans ; indeed it became a rallying cry “ Remember Paoli ” that cemented the resolve of the Americans , making martyrs of those who died . Indeed General Wayne later went on to lead a bayonet charge at night against the British some 4 years later at Green Spring , on that occasion with some degree of success .
So what does this have to do with present day leadership ? Firstly , it ’ s important to note that George Washington suffered many setbacks , on the road to independence , yet continued with his mission and vision . General Wayne learned from his mistakes at Paoli , and put them into practice for himself at a later date . As we are all professional , we should also learn that we can become complacent occasionally , and let our guard down , cut corners , just like Wayne . Complacency on the battlefield breeds defeat .
We can also learn here about “ unintended consequences of our actions ”. General Grey ’ s attack at Paoli , albeit a minor skirmish in the grand scheme of things , woke a giant within the Americans that raised morale to a level that proved impossible to defeat , and victory in the campaign was not far behind . Morale in any unit is the best indicator that the unit is being led well .
So we moved on to Valley Forge . Although no battle was fought here , Valley Forge saw the very antecedents of the American Army , forged in this very spot from the embers of the Continental Army . The lesson here comes from the very challenges faced at the encampment , such as limited finances , limited logistics , numerous nationals and languages , morale , and political interference are all amongst those challenges faced by General George Washington . I am sure we all have political issues tugging at our sleeves all day long . Washington ’ s troops , camped at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 through to the summer of 1778 , thousands of personnel suffering low morale from a number of defeats ( including the Capital being taken by the British – did I already mention that ?). As leaders , we lead men and women for whom we are responsible , no different to George Washington .
He successfully kept a fledgling army who had never worked together in the field for so long under difficult circumstances , at the front line of the battle , that it became a premise on which the US won its independence . His leadership made the difference . His presence made a difference . He was visible , accessible and familiar .
The final lesson at Valley Forge came from Inspector Major General Friedrich Wilhelm Barron von Steuben , who initiated training exercises on the plains of Valley Forge ; specifically he orchestrated bayonet drills . The Continental Army had not really been trained in close fighting , despite bayonet charges deciding the outcome of most battles of the 18 th Century .
Steuben taught first the continental armies , and then Washington ’ s , and is credited with starting grand parades , drilling mass brigades and training for the military , which has continued to this day .
The final day of the Police Executive Institute , for which I was regrettably unable to stay , featured my colleague from the UK , Chief Inspector Dean O ’ Connor ( Dorset Police ), who outlined some of the issues experienced in the UK from a Chemical , Biological , Radiological and Nuclear ( CBRN ) commander ’ s perspective , including counter-terrorism issues linking this work to leadership lessons learned throughout the week-long Police Executive Institute . Focussing upon strategic objectives , planning , and contingencies , this was a CBRN masterclass made easy . Participants were exposed to new ideas in this field . I know Gordon Graham would have endorsed this as one of his rules , alongside Steuben ( above ) is that constant learning , training and new ideas are paramount in a healthy organisation .
The main point to come from this presentation was the fact that the Gold Commander should always give the team some ‘ Actions ’ , otherwise there will be no successful command and control . The actions should be reviewed regularly , and only change
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