The Dog Soldier feared separation from his squad

“The Dog Soldier feared separation from his squad more than he feared the enemy. He felt secure among men whose individual characters/capabilities he knew as well as he knew his own. They had been welded together by combat, and rightly or wrongly the infantryman was convinced that his chances of surviving the next firefight were much better with his own squad…. ” -Elmer Jones Rifleman, 89 th Infantry Division (WWII)

AT THE FRONT THERE IS NO TIME FOR DIFFERENCES OF: • RACE • RELIGION • CLASS

“When a soldier sees he can trust and depend on his platoon and squad members, the morale and efficiency go up. ” -Ellis Blake, 33 d Infantry Division

AN IMPORTANT MOTIVATION WITHIN THE SOUL OF THE COMBAT SOLDIER WAS PRAYER. IT CONTRIBUTED TO COMRADSHIP. “I said my prayers and composed myself for death when I noticed the muttering around me. The fellow just in front was Roman catholic, there was a Jew right across the way, a Mormon was nearby, and there were numbers of other religions, all saying their preparations for death as sincerely as I. ” -Radford Carrol, Rifleman, 99 th ID, WWII

UNIT COHESION: “The bonding together of soldiers and their leaders in such a way as to develop and sustain their commitment to their unit and their resolve to accomplish the mission. ” FM 22 -100

THE MOST CRITICAL OF ALL FACTORS IN DEVELOPING UNIT COHESION IS: LEADERSHIP

7 COHESION FACTORS: • LEADERSHIP • GROUP (UNIT) CHARACTERISTICS • INDIVIDUALS IN UNIT • UNIT SOCIALIZATION • UNIT/INDIVIDUAL GOALS/OBJECTIVES • UNIT ACTIVITIES • UNIT IDENTIFICATION & HISTORY

3 ELEMENTS OF COHESION: • BONDING • COMMITMENT • RESOLVE

TEAM BUILDING/BONDING INVOLVES: • SOLDIER ACCEPTS HIM/HERSELF AS MEMBER OF THE TEAM W/NEW ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES • SOLDIER DEVELOPS TRUST • FEAR/DISTRUST DISAPPEAR • SOLDIER PASSES INFORMATION RAPIDLY TO HELP OTHERS ADJUST TO NEW SITUATIONS • SOLDIERS BECOME DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER