by M. Caleb Bloom
The first time I heard the phrase, “Row well, and live,” I did not know what it meant. I was a First Lieutenant on a Battalion-level staff after finishing my time as a Platoon Leader. The Battalion was only a few months into a 9-month rotation to Kuwait. Up to that point, I had been generally happy in my career since commissioning. However, that assignment and that particular rotation were breaking me.
I felt forgotten by my leadership. The previous battalion commander told me, “We forgot we had you for so long.” I found no enjoyment as I adjusted the size of cell blocks on the Excel document holding the battalion’s long-range training calendar. The relatively new battalion operations officer noticed the decline in my morale and general demeanor. He decided to offer some advice: “Row well, and live.”
When he noticed my bewildered look, he told me it was a quote from a movie. The quote comes from a scene in the 1959 film “Ben-Hur.” Upon finding the scene on YouTube, I gained an understanding of the context and meaning of the phrase. The titular character finds himself in the galley of a Roman warship as a rower. A Roman guard or officer explains the plight of all the rowers to motivate them. “You are all condemned men,” the Roman says. “We keep you alive to serve the ship. So, row well, and live.”
Since that first encounter with this quote, I have heard it referenced many other times. I now understand it is common to call a maneuver officer’s time on a staff “rowing.” However, I find it peculiar that in an all-volunteer force, we equate any duty position with involuntary and forced labor. In a military that professes itself to be the guardians of freedom, and a country that regards itself “The Land of the Free,” perhaps we should find better ways to motivate our officers as they fulfill the less desirable, yet necessary roles within the military.
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I experienced more effective, and more involved leadership in my next assignment to a battalion-level staff. Assigned to the 3d Cavalry Regiment, I deployed to Iraq with Longknife (4th) Squadron as the planner. The reality on the ground became 17-hour workdays planning operations in Iraq and the training cycle we’d enter upon redeployment. I worked harder than I’d ever worked on staff before. The Squadron Commander had high expectations of his staff officers, which resulted in a better product delivered to the Troop Commanders. Despite the long hours in a deployed environment, I look back on that time fondly.
The difference was the leadership. The Squadron Executive Officer, then-MAJ Sean Miller took it upon himself to coach, teach and mentor me. He knew I was taking on more than what is normally asked of a new captain, and wanted to ensure I would not fail. In addition to professional investment, he also invested in my family. For example, MAJ Miller wrote a letter home to my wife where he introduced himself, let her know I’d arrived safely in country, and opened communications to ensure my family was cared for while I was away. He also made certain that I stopped working and took time to video chat with my family. Though I missed my son’s first birthday and another wedding anniversary, I wasn’t buried in work so much that I couldn’t be a husband and a father.
Despite the busy work schedule, MAJ Miller ensured I took time to take care of myself. We conducted PT together to maintain my physical readiness. MAJ Miller relied on my passion for weightlifting to improve on some of his weak areas, while he used his passion for running to improve my cardio capacity. During our initial counseling, I told MAJ Miller that I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue military service beyond Troop Command because none of the majors I’d worked with to that point seemed particularly happy. They seemed to hate their jobs and had no time for their families. But MAJ Miller’s example of involved leadership inspired me to continue service so that I can follow former SMA Preston’s advice to take care of my “piece of the Army.”
A great way to get after this is to wholly commit to the Army’s recently published doctrine on leader development. FM 6-22 lays the framework for leaders to develop their subordinates through counseling to address past performance, coaching to provide correction and direction for the present, and mentoring to invest in the future. Get to know the junior officers. Understand their goals and dreams, both professional and personal.
Rather than squeezing all the usefulness out of them, we should invest in our subordinates so the Army may reap the benefits in the future. Help them hone their leadership styles and professional knowledge. Most of the officers that I have seen request Release from Active Duty (REFRAD) submitted their REFRAD packets after burning out on staff. If we do not invest in the next generation of officers, I dread the thought of what will be left in the future. The Army needs more leaders who steward the profession through investments in the next generation of officers to enable personal success and mission accomplishment.
MG John M. Schofield encouraged treating soldiers in such a way that builds respect and a desire to obey. The opposite manner of treatment has the potential to destroy the Army, foster disobedience, and inspire hatred of the leader. If Schofield’s definition of discipline still holds true, we can do better as an army to inspire our staff officers to greatness than to equate their efforts to those of galley slaves. A company grade officer’s time on staff is difficult, yet not glamorous, work. Following MG Schofield’s advice, and LTC Miller’s example, I learned that taking time to work with junior officers yields better staff products in the short term, and better officers in the long term.Rather than motivating our Soldiers with advice from the Roman, let us instead work with our subordinates so they can manage their workloads better. Let us be the lead sled dogs, and pull with the team to accomplish the goal.
CPT M. Caleb Bloom is an Armor Officer currently attending CGSC at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. He previously served as an OCT at JRTC, and as the commander of HHT and Nomad Troops in 4th Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment. He is happily married to Estefany Bloom, and the proud father of Santiago, Susan, and Alejandro.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the United States Army, any unit or commander they have served, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government.
