ort Leavenworth 

PHILOSOPHY 

LTG Jack N. Merritt 

US Army Combined Arms Center 

' and 

Fort Leavenworth 
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Integrity is nonnegotiable. 

Th~' rock hllltom central core of the chanl.cter of ell1 individual is lhat 

c1l1ything he :,;ays is, to the \:ery hest of his knowledge, the honest, 

complete. and total truth. Every action we take must be consistent t with that ('oncf'pt. 

Don't do dumb things because of orders from "they " 

We must be intelligent about responding to requirements. Even 

the best motivated, most smcere, and intelligent people occasionally 

generate reqUlrements which simply arc noL realistic. Disagreement is 

not disrespect. To bring coni1lcting or overburdening requirements to 

the attentlOn of superiors is simp1y using one's head. 

Set high standards and enforce them. 

Best results are obtained by setting meaningful, high standards and 

demandmg that those standards be met. We do this patiently, quietly, helpfully, but we set high standards. High standards will be 

enforced when every officer and noncommissioned officer, every enlisted 

man and woman, ann every civilian on this installation feels a fundamental responsihility for lhose st.andards. 

The chain of command is primary. Use it. 

Too many think only of the aspects of the chain of command that 

{ send orders down. There is somethmg more important than that. The 

chain of command is our primary tool for taking care of people. 

People depend on the chain of command for professional accomplishment, ego satisfaction and the care and feeding of themselves and 

their families. Chain of command also means being responsible and 

being in charge. To make the chain of command work, people must 

know' who is in charge and those persons must be held accountable 

for being m charge. 

l 
Nobody has a corner on anything. 

No activity on this installation is the sole concern of anyone person. 

All have a legitimate interest if they have a good idea. Teamwork and suggested improvements go h and-in-hand. 

Look for a better way. Always consider the long term. 

Challenge the assertion. 

Everything that is being done well can be done still better. We 

all h ave th e tendency to react to the immediate, but we must always 

keep the long term objectives in mind. We must not accept information 

as gospel simply because we are told it is so. Keep thinking. 

Get the job done first then tidy up the battlefield later. 

We must not get wrapped up in the sheer artistry of the beautiful 

scheme-we must do things. Ten percent of our effort should go for 

planning, ninety percent for execution. Figure out wha t you're going 

to do, then don't hesitate to jump in and start getting it done. 

Be sensitive to and intolerant of misuse of people. 

Don't waste people's time. This is one of the biggest problems we 

h ave in our Army today. We must keep our people gainfully occupied. 

When people are bored, we have not done om' job. In this day and 

age, despite our individual heritage, it is inconceivable that a mature 

man or woman cannot see beyond the color of skin, a person's religion, 

or the sex of an individual, and see that only their competency in 

serving the U.S. Army is what is important. We must remind ourselves 

that all the people in the Army are what is important. We must 

remind ourselves that aU the people in the Army have the same 

burdens, the same responsibilities, and offer us eq ual opport unities 

for leadership and performan ce. 
Admit mistakes. 

Fixing the problem is more important than affixing the blame. 

We are here to tum out the best possible products for the Army, not 

just good statistics. We must admit our mistakes to our subordinates 

as well as our superiors so others can learn by them. 

All acts are rewarded or corrected as appropriate. 

Making corrections does not necessarily mean imposing punishment. The idea is to make corrections in a manner that insures the 

task is done correctly. We must be equally responsive to good work by 

rewarding accomplishment. 

Keep your perspective and sense of humor. Work 

friendly. 

We're deadly serious about what we're trying to do, but we also have 

families, friends and other activities which are a concem to us. If you 

are not having fun in your work, then somebody's wrong. We ought to 

be able to do our jobs, do them well, with a degree of happiness, and 

with a sense of humor and perspective. Basic to this is the presumption of good intentions on the part of others. The more 

senior we are, the greater our responsibilities are to serve people. We 

are going to serve the soldier and civilian workforce here-by working 

hard, by working smart and by working friendly. 

Teamwork is the Combined Arms Center's most 

important attribute. 

As the Army's principal integrating center, CAe must be built upon 

teamwork. A good team gets things done, and teamwork must extend 

into everything we do at Fort Leavenworth. The enormity and diversity 

of the missions at Fort Leavenworth require that all know how their' 

actions affect what others are doing. 

83-1771- 300(}---4 Feb 83