WEBVTT

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(bang)

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- How would've offer to you

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this can have a a downside effect.

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Alright when you communicate

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a really clear and understandable intent

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and then our soldiers accomplish it.

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When I was a brigade commander,

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as we were preparing to initiate

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what became known as the march to Baghdad,

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I had a final conversation

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with a the leaders in my formation

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before we cross the Bern
from Kuwait into Iraq.

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And of course I had come
up with this catchy phrase

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that I felt okay, this
will be something that

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every leader down to tank

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and Bradley commander
can absolutely understand

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and fulfill.

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I said,

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"The road to Benning..."

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Which was where we came from Fort Benning.

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"The road to Benning
goes through Baghdad."

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Okay.

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Soldiers got that.

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Fast forward about 20 days later.

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I'm doing a little bit of
battlefield circulation

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because I had my formation
spread way beyond.

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You know what all doctrinal guidance

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would tell you you could do

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because we were we were
covering Baghdad right

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with one division.

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And

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I get up to one of our

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northern most blocking
positions on highway one

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on the northwest side of
Iraq and a tank commander

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pops out of his you know,

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turret

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and says, "Hey sir, we're in Baghdad.

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When are we going home to Benning?"

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How do you think that went?

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So as you communicate
that vision, (chuckles)

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be ready for

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unexpected success

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and be thinking about okay,

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can I actually deliver (chuckles)

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on my part of the bargain?

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Right, which obviously I had promised

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something I had absolutely
no control over.