The Decision That Changed My Entire Military Career...For the Worse

If you’ve read my earlier newsletters, you know I am proud of my service in the Marine Corps. The Corps instilled lessons with me I will carry with me for the rest of my life.?

But, it wasn’t parades, pats on the back and “thanks for your service” all day, every day.

I had one particularly bad experience in the Marine Corps that still troubles me today.

We were training at Twentynine Palms in California, near Joshua Tree National Park. It is the Marine Corps’ largest training base in the country. I was a brand new 2d Lieutenant with 2 months of being with the FMF (Fleet Marine Force) commanding four tanks in my platoon. We were “wargaming,” engaging a fictional enemy force.?

I was riding in my tank when we developed a problem with my radio contact with the tank’s driver. If I couldn’t speak to the driver, I couldn’t tell him where to go.?

Therefore, I jumped on another tank that was part of my platoon. Now, I was not as familiar with this tank crew, and they didn’t know me very well either. That’s why we train a lot.?

We were approaching a set target when the tank fired a round. After firing the round, the driver would typically slowly back off the target to prepare the next round. However, this driver gunned the throttle of the tank into reverse. I looked to the rear of the tank and saw we were fast approaching a 10-foot deep gully which the driver had obviously not seen (there are no rearview mirrors in tanks).?

Now, what the loader should have done was put the gun into what we call “elevation uncouple.” That keeps the gun parallel with the body of the tank so the breach is not moving up and down inside the turret. Well, when the body of a tank goes back, there is an inverse action and the breech inside the turret goes up. The momentum from the tank movement threw the loader forward, and the breech came up and crushed his face against the roof of the tank. The pressure blew his eyeball out of his head and tore his mouth apart.?

The impact knocked out all his teeth and crushed his jaw.

It left a laceration on his face from one side of his mouth to the opposite ear.?

One eyeball was hanging on his cheek, blood was pouring out his mouth.?

I grabbed the radio and started screaming, “November, November, November,” over the airwaves. That was the call sign meaning, “Real world emergency; stop all training.”?

The Marine was still conscious. Soon, a medical evacuation helicopter arrived.?

I then made a decision that affected my Marine career in a manner I did not foresee; I jumped on that helicopter too.

Look, if we were in combat against an enemy force, I never would have left my platoon. But this was a training exercise. Considering the accident, training had stopped.

I just wanted to make sure this Marine, who was under my command and my responsibility, got the treatment he was going to need.?

It took me another day to get back to my platoon. By the time I got back, I learned months later… My superiors were very upset with me for leaving the training exercise to accompany my injured Marine to the base hospital.? I was labeled a coward.?

Platoon leaders just don’t do that, even in training exercises.? In their eyes, I effed up. Immediately I regretted my decision. ?

And it hurt my career.?

Let’s just say I spent the remaining 24 months of my commitment in leadership roles that were not up to my potential. Up until that moment I was on a rocket moving up the ranks, and then the engine puttered out on me.?

Everything soured on me. I did what they asked me to do (and got my MBA on the weekends). I got out of the Marines to start the rest of my life, but I never forgot the incident. I’ve thought about it 1000 times since then. What would have happened if I hadn’t gotten on that helicopter??

Call me a wus (make sure you do that to my face), but there’s a huge part of me that would have made the same decision all over again.?

I guess there’s a huge part of me that cares about what happens to the people I’m responsible for. It makes sense that I’m a financial manager today. I take my clients' financial planning very seriously. I feel personally responsible for their financial future.?

What happened in that training exercise also drilled into me to look at every option. To not just go with natural instincts, but to carefully assess all the options available so I can choose the right one. That has helped me become an even better financial manager.?

I show my clients the loyalty and commitment the Marines trained me to show the Marines? under my command.?

You know what’s wild, there was a huge chunk of time that I pushed the fact that I saw a soldier's face being torn apart out of my memory. I suppose a part of me wanted to forget it all happened.?

There’s lessons that you learn from books, there’s lessons you learn from YouTube videos. Then there’s lessons you learn from training and the battlefield. I think this one will stick with me forever.?

The Marine lived by the way...thank god. He lost an eye and has plenty of scars to show for it. Not a fairy tale ending...but at least there’s that.?

Brett Henderson is the Founder of Strategic Wealth Endeavor in Hermosa Beach, CA. Strategic Wealth Endeavor provides wealth management services and business consulting for veteran entrepreneurs.?

After college, Brett served as a captain in the Marine Corps in an armor division. As a veteran, he knows it’s difficult in the civilian world to replicate the sense of comradery, selflessness and teamwork the military instills in its members. Brett lets his clients know that he and his team are there to support them. They can help them succeed in business. They can also help them create wealth-or keep the wealth they already have. If you’re interested, call Brett at 310-491-7045. You can also get on his calendar here.