Answer

1. • The Charge of the Light Brigade

     The Charge of the Light Brigade is a widely-known failed military procedure that involved the British Light Calvary in a counter against Russian forces in the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 (Tennyson & Seifter, 2016). Spearheaded by the Lord Cardigan, the British Commander decreed the Light Brigade to restrict the Russians from retrieving captured guns from their Turkish counterparts. However, the operation was inhibited by miscommunication across the chain of command. Instead, the Light Brigade was referred to a different artillery battery mission other than the intended, which had prepared well in advance and possessed superior fields of defensive fire (Tennyson & Seifter, 2016). The Light Brigade got to the area and was attacked by direct fires, and although they scattered some of the gunners, they had to retreat instantaneously. The assault operation ended with several casualties and limited decisive gains among the British group.

     The issue of poor leadership and miscommunication in the case study can be applied to the NCO – Common Core Competencies of leadership. The model comprises of diverse attributes including; principles of leadership, values and ethics, army profession, counselling, character building, mission command, servant leadership and conflict management. Lord Raglan, the Commander in chief at Charge of the Light House, failed to adequately utilize the model’s attributes (Tennyson & Seifter, 2016). Consequently, he commanded the advancement of Heavy and Light Brigade with infantry support without clear communication on the effective battle approaches. Further, the order did not detail the intention of the movement, and how best the Brigades would execute it. According to the Department of the Army (2015), there was a lack of guidance on character concerning how the armies would conduct themselves or a practical strategic plan of attack to limit the totality of casualties and related injuries. Embracing the culture of effective leadership is critical for informing a disciplined army on best strategies of winning any battle.