Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 46

The Role of Character in
Col. Robert Gerard, Ph.D.,
U.S. Army, Retired
Col. Robert Gerard, Ph.D., U.S. Army, Retired, holds a B.S. from the
University of Southern Mississippi; M.S. degrees in education and counseling
from Monmouth University and Shippensburg University; and a Ph.D. in
public administration from Penn State University. He served in the Army
during the Korean War and had two additional combat tours in Vietnam.
Character, comprised of a person’s
moral and ethical qualities, helps
determine what is right and gives a
leader motivation to do what is appropriate, regardless of the circumstances
or consequences.

–Army Doctrine Reference Publication

(ADRP) 6-22, Army Leadership (2012)

G

reat Army leaders are
humble soldiers who
attribute their success to
the men and women who work for
them. They step aside while their
officers and soldiers receive the
awards and accolades they deserve.
Their character enhances their
leadership.
One of the Army’s great
leaders of character was Glenn
K. Otis. Among his many command assignments during war
and peace, he commanded the
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine
Command, and U.S. Army Europe
and Seventh Army/Central Army
Group. Gen. Otis spent the last
four years of his life in Carlisle,
Pennsylvania—maintaining a low
profile as a quiet, unassuming
retired officer. If you met him
casually, you would never know
of his impressive career, much
44

less his heroic actions during the
Vietnam War.

A Retired Officer
I first met retired Gen. Otis at
a military social function shortly after he moved to Carlisle.
I attended alone and saw him
standing by himself in a large,
noisy room full of talkative guests.
I thought I recognized him, but I
was not sure. I introduced myself
as Bob Gerard, and he replied
casually that he was Glenn Otis.
Although I had not been able to
recognize the face, I recognized
the name immediately. Had I
not recognized his name, I doubt
he would have tried to tell me
about his former rank or his
achievements. We talked for a
good while, and I told him about
a local breakfast club to which I
belonged—a small group of Army
retirees who met each Saturday
morning to solve the world’s
problems. Soon, he was a regular
member.
At our first breakfast meeting,
he made a point of saying he preferred to be called “Glenn” rather
than “General Otis.” However,
we would never be able to refrain

Gen. Glenn K. Otis, commander, Training
and Doctrine Command, visits with
soldiers stationed at Fort Jackson, S.C., 9
February 1983.
NARA

September-October 2014  MILITARY REVIEW