Lance's Legion

Leaders should assume the blame when an operation fails. When it succeeds, credit the men and women in your team. They do the lion’s share of the work.

For leaders to hold units together under adverse conditions, they first must fight and win the battle within themselves. They must have the personal strength and determination to lead themselves.

Thucydides: “War is inevitable…. War is necessary.”

Every leader must walk a fine line. That’s what makes leadership so challenging. Leadership requires finding the equilibrium in the dichotomy of many seemingly contradictory qualities.

The Soviet Principles of Military Science Preparedness – The ability to fulfill missions under any conditions for starting or the conduct of war. Initiative – Utilizing surprise, decisiveness, and aggressiveness to continuously strive to achieve and retain the initiative. Initiative, in this sense describes efforts to fulfill the plan in spite of difficulties. This is in contrast to the western usage of the term which means attacking (or threatening to attack) to force enemy reaction, thus denying his ability to act. Capability – Full use of the various means and capabilities of battle to achieve victory. Cooperation – Coordinated application of and close cooperation between major units of the armed forces. Concentration – Decisive concentration of the essential force at the needed moment and in the most important direction to achieve the main mission. Depth – Destruction of the enemy throughout the entire depth of their deployment. Morale – Use of political and psychological factors to demoralize opponents and break their will to resist. Obedience – Strict and uninterrupted obedience. Orders are to be followed exactly and without question. Commanders are expected to directly supervise subordinates in a detailed manner in order to ensure compliance. Steadfastness – Subordinate commanders are to carry out the spirit and the letter of the plan. Security – Security complements surprise. All aspects of security, from deception and secrecy, to severe discipline of subordinates who through action or inaction allow information to fall into the hands of ourselves are to be vigorously carried out. Logistics – Restoration of reserves and restoration of combat capability is of paramount concern of the modern, fast paced battlefield.

Outcomes are never certain. Success is never guaranteed. Leader must be comfortable in the chaos and act decisively amid uncertainty.

What pleases the Legionary most? Not Life, but HONOR. Not Liberty, but EXCELLENCE. Not Happiness, but the overcoming of all obstacles and the fulfillment of the WILL. That is what is most beautiful.

"At the height of the Roman Empire, Rome was an idea, a principle, that allowed different peoples to be united without converting or repressing them. The principle of imperium, already at work in Republican Rome, reflected the desire to realize a cosmic order that was always under threat. The Roman Empire did not require jealous gods. It admitted other deities, known or unknown, and the same was true in the political order. The empire accepted foreign cults and a diversity of legal codes. Each people was free to organize its federation in terms of its traditional concept of law. The Ius Romanus prevailed only in relations between individuals of different peoples or in relations between federations. It was possible to be a Roman citizen (civis romanus sum) without abandoning one's nationality." — Alain de Benoist