The Battles of Peace: One Company Commander's Battle Against Drugs and Racial Conflict in the War to Rebuild the Post-Vietnam Army

By Michael Lee Lanning

Book Overview

One company commander's battle against drugs and racial conflict in the war to rebuild the post-Vietnam army In 1974, being a soldier was neither an easy nor a popular profession, as Captain Michael Lee Lanning found out when he assumed command of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany. The start-up problems of the all-volunteer forces were still painfully evident in the United States Army. Morale was low, drug abuse high, racial conflict frequent, discipline poor, and criminal activity common. Even the barracks were a pathetic shamble. These were just some of the problems Captain Lanning faced as he struggled to make Alpha Company "combat ready." What followed is a shining testament to how leadership by example can make a difference. In eighteen months, Alpha Company went from being an unruly, unprofessional, drug-infested unit to the best in the battalion, racking up top marks, honors, and commendations. They became a company to which Lanning could honestly say: "You are the best soldiers in the best company in the best army in the world."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345483049
• ISBN13: 9780345483041
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Great book for junior leaders

An excellent book for anyone trying to figure out how to be a good officer or senior NCO. There are plenty of books out there that go on about what this general did and what happened in that great battle, but VERY few books speak to what it is like to command and train soldiers. The problems of getting people to work for you, helping them through their problems, and at the same time building a team spirit that will survive adversity - real challenges that Michael Lee Lanning, a combat veteran in Vietnam who later commanded this company in Germany has met and overcome. You would do well to read his book and learn from his example.

A textbook course in leadership

In the days after Desert Storm, perhaps few Americans remember that the U.S. Army of 1974 was the garbage can of American society. Drugs, racial strife and indiscipline were rampant. Officers were often afraid to enter the barracks alone or unarmed. Captain Lanning took command of A Company, 2nd Battalion of the 30th Infantry in Germany in 1974. What happened over the next months can only be described as a textbook in motivational leadership: Lanning transformed a drug-infested, undisciplined rabble into one of the best units in Germany. He describes in his book how he used a combination of strict discipline and attention to the needs of his men. Lanning hastens to say that almost all of the techniques he used were old tricks. I feel he is too modest. This book is a testament to the importance of the junior officer and NCO in forming an effective army. He does not hesitate to criticize superior officers and the "feel good" methods that are unfortunately are making a comeback in most of the branches of the armed forces today. One can only hope that there are more Michael Lee Lannings waiting to pick up the pieces when this system inevitably fails. This book should be read not only by those interested in the military, but anyone seeking hints on how to be an effective leader.