Two different types of soldiers

One thing I learned very quickly during my time in uniform is that there is two different types of leaders you will work with.  One there will be an over abundance of and the other will be hard to come by.

The first is those you learn what not to be.  Most often than not, they don't actually know their job and so they try to overcompensate in other ways.  When something goes wrong in their section, they are the first one to try to pass the blame on to someone junior to them in their shop.  These are also the same individuals who consistently ask of their soldiers what they are not willing to do themselves.  They become the most frustrating individuals you will deal with, often times setting a decision in stone among younger soldiers on their decision to separate from the Army.  Even years down the road when looking back on those individuals, a sour taste instantly comes to your mouth.

The other side is those that are your true leaders.  They push you to become a better person, even when you don't always realize when you are working with them.  Sometimes they will give you a bad taste at the time, but when you look back at the big picture, it's easy to see they were simply trying to make you a better soldier.  The lead by example and instead of writing soldiers off, they actually find out what's going on with a soldier.  When there is something to do, they are there next to you helping you do it.

As I look back now, there are individuals whose names still make me cringe.  They were horrible leaders.  On the other side, there is a handful that I can look back on and hope that I made them proud in some way, shape or form during my time in.