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Today, we will take a brief look of a great military leader and commander, General John J. Pershing and what this man can teach us today!

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***Accomplishments:
- Taught African-American students prior to entering the military.
- One of the first white officers to command African-American soldiers.
- Fought gallantry in the Spanish-American War.
- Became commander of the American Expeditionary Force of WWI and was able to fully train US forces in a short period of time.
- Promoted to General of the Armies and the only active-duty 6 star general in US history.
- Won the Pulitzer Prize
- Mentored future US Army generals (Patton, Eisenhower, Marshall, and Bradley).
(Reed, 2017).

***Failures:
- Costly frontal assaults leading to higher causalities.
- Ill-equipped expedition to capture Pancho Villa in Mexico.
- Refusal to head cease fire during WWI armistice, leading to additional and unnecessary causalities.
(Biography, 2021).

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So what can we learn from the military leadership of General Pershing? He taught us that it is important to learn and understand the enemy in order to overcome great obstacles. Change is continuous and you have to roll with the punches and while continuing to push subordinates toward success, despite facing failures. Furthermore, he can teach us that it is not impossible to work or integrate with the new and still accomplish goals.

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Who is Pershing?: A Short Background of a Great Military Leader

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Who is Pershing?: A Short Background of a Great Military Leader

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John J. Pershing was an officer of the US Army during WWI. His beginning was in accepting a military appointment at West Point, US Military Academy. While not a great student, he showed great leadership skills leading to quick promotions by his superiors. After West Point, Pershing served in the 6th Calvary against the Sioux and Apache tribes, commanded the 10th Calvary in the Spanish-American War, and led American forces in the Philippine resistane. Cathching the eye of President Theodore Roosevelt, he was posted in Tokyo to observe the Sino-Russian War and returned to the US later to be promoted (skipping 3 ranks) by President Roosevelt and Congress. He would later be appointed Commander in Chief of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) as the US entered WWI. He helped to transform the US military from unprepared boys to "disciplined fighting machines". (Biography, 2021). His accomplishments within the military led to his promotion later in life by President Woodrow Wilson and Congress to General of the Armies.

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Biography. (2021). John J. Pershing. https://www.biography.com/military-figure/john-j-pershing.

History.com. (2009). John J. Pershing. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/john-j-pershing.

McCormick, Jinny. (2017). Leading by Example: John J. Pershing, Prime Mentor for Future US Army Generals. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-i/leading-example-john-j-pershings-prominent-career-made-prime-mentor-future-army-generals-mm.html.

Reed, Leslie. (2017). 11 Things You Probably Didn't Know About John J. Pershing. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/11-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-john-j-pershing/.

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In the beginning of his career, Pershing was thought to be of "stern demeanor and rigorous discipline" (Bibliography, 2021). This reputation created a form of fear from his subordinates and drove home the fact that he was unwilling to compromise in his determination to follow through with what he believed to be the right path. Furthermore, he was not known for his abilities when it came to operations and logistics. (McCormick, 2017).

On the other hand, Pershing was interested in his learning as well as understanding the culture and motivations of the people he fought and he respected his opponents. He also worked at sharing this education with others to create better, more informed soldiers. (McCormick, 2017). He was organized and his ability to understand others gave him an edge. He would listen to others, but he never let anything or anyone hold him back; a testament to his determination. (McCormick, 2017).

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General Pershing was a great leader in his willingness to continue to learn, adapt, and educate others in order to ensure their success as well as his own. He was determined and didn't accept his failures as defeat. He was a great mentor for future leaders, while not always through his operational skills; but with his ability to lead and teach others. He has been a mentor for many great military leaders, long after his active service and continues to be a great example of leadership to this day.