41.1 F
Clarksville
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsRakkasan company commander wins General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award

Rakkasan company commander wins General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award

Written by 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

187th Infantry Regiment - Iron RakkasansFort Campbell KY, 101st Airborne DivisionFort Campbell, KY – U.S. Army Capt. Joshua Powers, commander of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division,  was awarded the 2010 General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award for recognition of his leadership abilities both at home station and while deployed to Afghanistan, March 1st.

Powers, a 2004 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, was one of 14 active duty officers selected for the 2010 calendar year award in the Army-wide competition.

According the Department of the Army’s program overview, the MacArthur award “recognizes company grade officers who demonstrate the ideals for which General MacArthur stood – duty, honor, country. The award promotes and sustains effective junior officer leadership in the Army.”

Powers, a native of Atlanta, GA, demonstrated outstanding leadership while commanding A Co., bringing essential company-level leadership skills to bear through the preparation and execution phases of Task Force Iron Rakkasan’s year-long mission to Afghanistan.

“Josh’s combat leadership skills are unmatched.  He possesses the rare ability to be at the right place to influence the fight and courageously inspire his men,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. David Fivecoat, from Delaware, Ohio, 3-187 Infantry commander.

U.S. Army Capt. Josh Powers
U.S. Army Capt. Josh Powers

Fivecoat also said that Powers’ inspirational leadership skills extended beyond his own unit members, allowing him to inspire local Afghan government officials as well.

While A Co. was deployed to the Yahya Khel district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, Powers assisted the District Sub-Governor to be a more –effective leader to his own people by doing things he hadn’t done prior Powers’ unit’s arrival, said Fivecoat.

“Through hard work, diplomacy, and sheer force of will, Josh was able to inspire the DSG to supervise two small projects, regularly hold his shura [meeting], and walk the bazaar to talk to the people,” Fivecoat said.

Col. Viet X. Luong, 3rd Brigade Combat Team commander, from Fort Campbell, KY, also noted that Powers’ leadership reflected in his unit’s daily operations. “He cultivated an extraordinary command climate where Soldiers can learn and grow.  As such, the fighting spirit and discipline of his formation are simply unparalleled,” said Luong in a written statement.

“[He] exemplifies the indomitable spirit of Duty, Honor, Country ,” Luong added.

The General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award presentation ceremony and associated events is planned for 18th-19th May in Washington, D.C.

MacArthur Leadership Awards

MacArthurDuty, Honor, Country – those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”

-General MacArthur’s Thayer Award Speech
— Duty, Honor, Country (1962)

This program recognizes company grade officers who demonstrate the ideals for which General MacArthur stood – duty, honor, country. The award promotes and sustains effective junior officer leadership in the Army.

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles