S. flag at a ceremony.

While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field
to prepare for a rehearsal. During the meeting
Your first assignment as squad leader is to fold the U.S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field to prepare for a rehearsal. During the
meetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirst
assignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquad
leaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.

Leadership Primary and Secondary

Objectives
Mission accomplishment means
that you must know your job and do it
well. You must know how to control
PURPOSE and employ your unit under varied
conditions. In military situations,
This lesson will explain to you the primary and
leaders must be skilled in military
secondary objectives of leadership as defined
sciences and in the use of weapons.
by the Marine Corps.
Military leaders must ensure their
troops know the basics: care and use
of weapons and equipment;
Introduction camouflage, fire and maneuver; cover
The primary objective of
leadership is mission
accomplishment. Mission
accomplish-ment is achieving your
goal. Achieving your goal is your
primary focus when asked to take on
a task. The secondary goal of
leadership is troop welfare. The
welfare of your troops should always
be a consideration for you as a leader.
Both objectives go hand and hand in
accomplishing any task.
In the MCJROTC program, and concealment; preparation of
these same objectives apply. You are fighting positions; use of supporting
expected to accomplish assigned arms, land navigation, discipline,
missions and to take care of the hand to hand combat; and other
cadets under your leadership.
Accomplishing your primary and
secondary objectives develops DID YOU KNOW?
leadership.
President Harry S. Truman kept
a plaque on his desk with the
Mission inscription “The buck stops here.”
Accomplishment Truman was one of America’s most
honest and ethical presidents. He
never flinched from accepting

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 S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field
to prepare for a rehearsal. During the meeting
Your first assignment as squad leader is to fold the U.S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field to prepare for a rehearsal. During the
meetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirst
assignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquad
leaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.
essentials on how to fight, survive and Marine leader to make the most of
win. each Marine’s ability.
In MCJROTC, mission Leaders must put the needs of
accomplishment is also your primary their troops before their own needs.
objective. As a cadet you are given They must instill a feeling of
many different tasks that your camaraderie and team spirit in their
instructor expects you to carry out troops and a sense of trust in the
properly. Examples include: executing leader.
drill movements properly, or
In MCJROTC, the welfare of the
completing your assignments in a
cadets is of no less importance. In
timely fashion. It is your
order to be at their best, cadets must
responsibility to accomplish these
know that their leader is concerned
tasks.
about their welfare. Leaders, at every
level, must make an effort to get to
BE a leader of character. know the cadets they lead. No cadet
Embrace the values and is exempt. The leader must set the
demonstrate the leader attributes. example and in doing so, will earn the
Study and practice so that you will trust and respect of their cadets.
have the skills to KNOW your job.
Then act, DO what is right to

Case Study
You are a newly promoted
sergeant and the platoon leader just
made you a squad leader. During
your initial encounter with the
members of your squad, you sense
some resentment toward you as their
Troop Welfare
“new” leader. The squad leader you
The secondary objective of replaced was popular with them, but
leadership is troop welfare. Marine the platoon leader relieved him for
leaders must know their Marines and failure to motivate the squad to
take care of them. They must learn all achieve standards.
they can about each Marine in their
unit: their background, their Your first assignment as squad
problems, their strong and weak leader is to fold the U.S. flag at a
points, their military skills, their ceremony. While you are meeting
endurance, and their courage. This briefly with the platoon sergeant, your
knowledge will help predict and squad departs for the football field to
influence their actions. It enables the prepare for a rehearsal. During the

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 S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field
to prepare for a rehearsal. During the meeting
Your first assignment as squad leader is to fold the U.S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field to prepare for a rehearsal. During the
meetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirst
assignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquad
leaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.
meeting, the platoon sergeant tells discipline while earning the long-term
you who in your squad has been on respect of your subordinates, you
these details before. consider the following alternatives:
As you approach the
field, you see your squad relaxing.  Reprimand PFC Hart in front of
Instead of going straight into a the squad, informing him that you
rehearsal, you decide to have a few will recommend him for an
knowledgeable people demonstrate instructor’s reprimand for his
how to fold the flag. insubordination. If he continues to
disobey, you will recommend that
You state to the squad that you
he be demoted.
are going to conduct a demonstration
and for them to move into a circle.  Stand directly in front of PFC Hart,
They don’t move. You walk up to PFC look him in the eye, and order him
Hart, whom the platoon sergeant said to stand up and take the flag from
knows how to fold the flag, and he you.
gives you a challenging stare as if to
say, “I don’t want to be a
demonstrator.” You ask him to come
forward and take the flag. He says
something disrespectful and still
doesn’t move.
This action infuriates you, but
you control your emotions and remain
calm. Your mind swiftly goes to work
on the situation. This subordinate has
challenged your authority and put you
in a difficult position. He has given
you a major disciplinary problem –
disrespect and insubordination –
You quickly weigh the
before you have even had the
advantages and disadvantages of each
opportunity to get to know your squad
course of action.
members and the informal norms of
the squad. The way you handle this If you take the first course of
situation will have a major impact on action, you come across as decisive
the cohesion, discipline, and the and strong and you immediately
respect these people will have for you. assert yourself as the authority. The
disadvantage is that it is normally
Case Study Options
unprofessional to reprimand someone
After identifying this challenge in front of others. In addition, it is
as one of how to take immediate never wise to tell a subordinate
action to gain control and maintain exactly what punishment you would

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 S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field
to prepare for a rehearsal. During the meeting
Your first assignment as squad leader is to fold the U.S. flag at a ceremony. While you are meeting briefly with the platoon sergeant, your squad departs for the football field to prepare for a rehearsal. During the
meetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirst
assignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquad
leaderistofoldtheU.S.flagataceremony. Whileyouaremeetingbrieflywiththeplatoonsergeant,yoursquaddepartsforthefootballfieldtoprepareforarehearsal. DuringthemeetingYourfirstassignmentassquadleaderistofoldtheU.
recommend until you have had a contingencies if he finally obeys you
chance to think the situation through or if he continues to disobey.
and discuss it with your seniors.
Depending on what PFC Hart
If you take the second course of does, take action in terms of your plan
action, you would not be or make appropriate changes. Also,
reprimanding PFC Hart in front of observe the effect of your actions on
others – you could do that later in the manner and obedience of the
private. You would show your squad other squad members. Explain that
that you do not back down from a you will not tolerate insubordination
challenge, and that you do not resort and disobedience, and that you will
to threats in order to maintain always take suitable disciplinary
discipline. Remember, you could still action against those offenses.
recommend punishment that you
You decide on the second
believe is appropriate later depending
course of action. Initially, some squad
on PFC Hart’s actions. The
members do think that PFC Hart got
disadvantages are that you would not
away with his insubordination, but
be immediately asserting yourself as
they discover otherwise when they
the unquestioned authority, and that
find out that you sternly reprimanded
some of your subordinates might
him in the presence of his team
think they could get away with
leader, counseled him, and
disrespectful and insubordinate
recommended him for additional
behavior.
punishment.
You quickly think through the
Conclusion
actions you could take, including the
use of possible contingencies. If you As MCJROTC cadets, it is
order PFC Hart to stand and take the important that you know and
flag and he does, continue with the understand the primary and
demonstration; then order him and secondary objectives of leadership.
his team leader to meet you These objectives are key to effective
immediately after the rehearsal. If he leadership. Remember, you must
refuses, inform him: (1) that he is accomplish your mission, but in doing
being insubordinate and give him so, you must also ensure that you are
another order, and (2) by refusing taking care of the cadets whom you
your order, he will have committed lead. Understanding that good
two serious offenses. If he still judgment, and respect for your own
refuses, immediately send for the subordinates as people, will make you
platoon sergeant or platoon leader an effective leader in the Marine
while you select other squad members Corps JROTC program. 
to do the demonstration. This plan
prepares you for possible

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