TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01of purpose and understanding of their place in the world (worldview), greater control and workcommitment, and openness to change and the challenges of life. Even in the harsh environmentof combat, they can make meaning out of their experiences, see opportunities to grow and learn,and help others to do so as well. This contrasts with the person who feels powerless to affectboth his current and future situation. Studies clearly demonstrate that Soldiers with highhardiness levels when exposed to combat maintain higher morale and greater resilience totraumatic stress. 72 Predictably, hardy holistically fit leaders perform more effectively and garnergreater respect from their subordinates.The components of high individual morale are trust in unit leaders, trust in fellow Soldiers,confidence in one’s skills, weapons, and equipment, faith in the validity of the mission, and unitcohesiveness. Of these, unit cohesion and caring competent leadership remain the mostimportant determinants of Soldier morale and combat motivation.Esprit de Corps and CohesionIf morale is the “human dimension’s most intangible element,” then unit cohesion and espritde corps together form the organizational equivalent. While less tangible than weapons systems,esprit de corps can prove the old axiom of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.Future adversaries might achieve this spirit in their cause or ideological fervor. Future Armyconcepts postulate widely dispersed unitsfunctioning effectively out of direct contact witheach other. This will increase the value ofcohesion as a combat multiplier. In a militarycontext, cohesion is the bonding of Soldierstogether in order to sustain the warrior spirit—their morale, will to fight and commitment toeach other, the unit, and missionaccomplishment in combat or under the stress ofMy first wish would be that my militaryfamily and the whole Army should considerthemselves as a band of brothers, willing andready to die for one another.George Washington21 OCT 1798Writing to Henry Knoxother smaller contingency missions. 73 Like morale, esprit de corps is a dynamic relationshipwhose strength is dependent on many factors, morale being one. Trust and teamwork created bysustained formal and informal interaction through good training, common experiences, sharedidentity, symbols, and values builds unit cohesion. Unit cohesion aids commanders inestablishing the environment to anchor individual morale.Esprit de corps results from the long term pride and confidence Soldiers have in belonging totheir larger or higher unit and their determination not to diminish its reputation. Esprit de corpshelps maintain and even increase a Soldiers motivation, resilience, and perseverance toaccomplish assigned tasks and missions. 74In addition to esprit de corps, unit cohesion in the future Modular Force will help to extendthe reach and coverage of units. Unit or “primary” cohesion has two components: horizontal, or“peer” bonding, and vertical, or “Soldier to leader,” bonding. Sun Tzu addressed cohesion in TheArt of War stating that, “he whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious.” 75 One of thefirst written accounts of the power of cohesion in units is the example of the heroic andinspirational stand of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans before the overwhelming numbers of64