Fwd: Indian Navy Clearance Diving Officers Why Orderlies - Col Brij Raj Singh Dahiya
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mike dimri
Jul 18, 2017, 3:19:52 AM7/18/17
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Yours Aye
Mike Dimri
9675279112
Mike Dimri
9675279112
9490049112
Why Orderlies - Col Brij Raj Singh Dahiya
To:
To:
WHY ORDERLIES?
After I assumed command of my first company, the senior JCO, a decorated soldier, came into my office and asked, “Captain, will you select your orderly, or do you want me to pick one for you?”
Of course I knew it was customary for the company commander to have an orderly. But I replied: “well, Saab, I live in the mess and can take care of myself. There isn’t much to do and mess has mess boys, so I don’t think an orderly is necessary.
The JCO stood silent a minute. Then, choosing his words carefully, he said: “Sahib, the company will not like it that way. It’s best you take care of the company and we take care of you.”
So I got an orderly, who was also the company runner.
Battle-wise soldiers know that if their company commander is chasing his own chow in the field, caring for his equipment, running his own errands- the company will suffer as a result. In fact a company commander who operates in this way during combat will not only fail to take good care of his company, he might jeopardize their lives by poor decisions. His rank and responsibilities do not make him a superman immune to laws of time, space and fatigue.
Any outfit that has failed to gain officer-men relationship of mutual responsibility toward each other will be tremendously handicapped in battle. While the company commander and his orderly are a symbol of this, it should pervade the whole outfit. Professional soldiers, especially combat veterans, know this goes beyond physical factors — there is a need to develop a state of mind and mental attitude. This does not happen suddenly after bullets begin to fly, but is established during training, based on mutual respect and understanding.
Unfortunately, distorted diatribes alleging universal abuse of orderlies appear in the press from time to time. This deceives civilians about the place and function of military orderlies. It also misleads many inexperienced soldiers, officer and PBOR who think in terms of privileges rather than multiplicity of duties and responsibilities.
The reality of need for orderlies does not condone their misuse or abuse, nor should we dignify absurd allegations by trying to justify them. In every endeavour involving large numbers of people there will be some poor judgement, some injustice. And orderlies are vulnerable to abuses. Proper corrective action in such instances is the elimination of errors, not emasculation of an operational procedure for which no adequate alternate has yet been found.
Perhaps the function of military orderlies may be clarified by my experience when in command of a battalion. There was a staff of three personal with me in operations. One orderly in the command post responsible for my personal gears, laundry, meals, sleeping arrangements – anything that would rob me of time and energy, or distract my concentration from our battle mission. He was an armed fighter, but his primary mission was to conserve my strength in every possible way. It is amazing how much energy and time an alert bodyguard can save his commander-in addition to protecting him from enemy action.
One radio operator who followed me everywhere, instantly available when needed.
One jeep driver, ready day and night to take me anywhere.
These three men were soldiers whose only job was to do my bidding, instantly, thus helping me carry out my heavy responsibilities. All of us had the same mission; success of our battalion in battle. They understood this and were picked men, proud of their jobs and eager to do their part.
Without any one of them I would have been seriously handicapped. Make no mistake: when you stumble back into the command post at sundown, physically and mentally exhausted, your heart bleeding from what you have seen, yet faced with the necessity of issuing orders on which many lives will depend—it is important that a cup of coffee come a running, and that you need give no thought to food, where you will bed down, or other personal needs.
If these procedures are not established during peace, they will not suddenly be there during war. A state of mind, on both sides, is concerned that cannot be achieved by pressing a button, it is a feeling. Inexperienced officers and men who have never been in battle are likely to be deluded into getting the wrong feeling after reading some of the things about orderlies that appear in the press.
Be alert to stop abuses, yes. But my experienced senior JCO stated a universal principle that is beneath the dignity of no soldier, and must pervade every good outfit if it is to achieve its greatest combat effectiveness: “Captain, it’s best you take care of the company, and we take care of you.”
After I assumed command of my first company, the senior JCO, a decorated soldier, came into my office and asked, “Captain, will you select your orderly, or do you want me to pick one for you?”
Of course I knew it was customary for the company commander to have an orderly. But I replied: “well, Saab, I live in the mess and can take care of myself. There isn’t much to do and mess has mess boys, so I don’t think an orderly is necessary.
The JCO stood silent a minute. Then, choosing his words carefully, he said: “Sahib, the company will not like it that way. It’s best you take care of the company and we take care of you.”
So I got an orderly, who was also the company runner.
Battle-wise soldiers know that if their company commander is chasing his own chow in the field, caring for his equipment, running his own errands- the company will suffer as a result. In fact a company commander who operates in this way during combat will not only fail to take good care of his company, he might jeopardize their lives by poor decisions. His rank and responsibilities do not make him a superman immune to laws of time, space and fatigue.
Any outfit that has failed to gain officer-men relationship of mutual responsibility toward each other will be tremendously handicapped in battle. While the company commander and his orderly are a symbol of this, it should pervade the whole outfit. Professional soldiers, especially combat veterans, know this goes beyond physical factors — there is a need to develop a state of mind and mental attitude. This does not happen suddenly after bullets begin to fly, but is established during training, based on mutual respect and understanding.
Unfortunately, distorted diatribes alleging universal abuse of orderlies appear in the press from time to time. This deceives civilians about the place and function of military orderlies. It also misleads many inexperienced soldiers, officer and PBOR who think in terms of privileges rather than multiplicity of duties and responsibilities.
The reality of need for orderlies does not condone their misuse or abuse, nor should we dignify absurd allegations by trying to justify them. In every endeavour involving large numbers of people there will be some poor judgement, some injustice. And orderlies are vulnerable to abuses. Proper corrective action in such instances is the elimination of errors, not emasculation of an operational procedure for which no adequate alternate has yet been found.
Perhaps the function of military orderlies may be clarified by my experience when in command of a battalion. There was a staff of three personal with me in operations. One orderly in the command post responsible for my personal gears, laundry, meals, sleeping arrangements – anything that would rob me of time and energy, or distract my concentration from our battle mission. He was an armed fighter, but his primary mission was to conserve my strength in every possible way. It is amazing how much energy and time an alert bodyguard can save his commander-in addition to protecting him from enemy action.
One radio operator who followed me everywhere, instantly available when needed.
One jeep driver, ready day and night to take me anywhere.
These three men were soldiers whose only job was to do my bidding, instantly, thus helping me carry out my heavy responsibilities. All of us had the same mission; success of our battalion in battle. They understood this and were picked men, proud of their jobs and eager to do their part.
Without any one of them I would have been seriously handicapped. Make no mistake: when you stumble back into the command post at sundown, physically and mentally exhausted, your heart bleeding from what you have seen, yet faced with the necessity of issuing orders on which many lives will depend—it is important that a cup of coffee come a running, and that you need give no thought to food, where you will bed down, or other personal needs.
If these procedures are not established during peace, they will not suddenly be there during war. A state of mind, on both sides, is concerned that cannot be achieved by pressing a button, it is a feeling. Inexperienced officers and men who have never been in battle are likely to be deluded into getting the wrong feeling after reading some of the things about orderlies that appear in the press.
Be alert to stop abuses, yes. But my experienced senior JCO stated a universal principle that is beneath the dignity of no soldier, and must pervade every good outfit if it is to achieve its greatest combat effectiveness: “Captain, it’s best you take care of the company, and we take care of you.”
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