Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 91

WARRIOR SPIRIT

of memorized text. Nevertheless,
if senior leaders do not aggressively create a command climate in
peacetime that fosters risk taking,
trust, and leader accountability, the
warrior spirit is likely to dissipate
altogether soon after complete
cessation of combat operations in
Afghanistan.
Former Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates expressed concern for

such inherent problems associated
with a drawdown prior to his departure from office in 2011, saying,
Men and women in the
prime of their professional lives, who may
have been responsible
for the lives of scores
or hundreds of troops,
or millions of dollars in
assistance, or engaging

MILITARY REVIEW  September-October 2014

Pfc. Patrick Murphy (right) delivers a vicious kick to the head
of Pvt. Zach Rabenold in their
bout during the final night of
the modern army combatives
tournament held as part of the
82nd Airborne Division’s All
American Week celebration at
Fort Bragg, 21 May 2008.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Pryor, 2nd
BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. Public Affairs)

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