Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Selvage | First Lt. Robyn Moore, a native of El Paso, Texas, platoon leader and convoy commander...... read more read more
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Not every soldier joins the military with leadership skills. Some have to learn these qualities throughout their military career while others might feel they are born with them.
The Army defines leadership as influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation while operating to accomplish a mission and improving the organization.
First Lt. Robyn Moore, a native of El Paso, Texas, platoon leader and convoy commander assigned to the 51st Transportation Company, 77th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, has been a leader since she was in high school and has applied her strengths and lessons learned to her career and positions in the Army.
“In high school, I was extremely involved with every sport possible,” said Moore. “I played softball, soccer and was the team captain of my golf team.”
She said she is a very competitive person and always wanted to better herself and her team.
“I would always have to be the best and I think that helped with being the team captain always pushing to get to the next level,” said Moore.
The next level came by means of joining the U.S. Army.
She said that by being an Army brat, she couldn’t picture herself doing anything other than serving her country.
“I joined the Army because I wanted to do great things for America,” said Moore. “If I didn’t join the Army, I would have gone to some other government agency.”
Moore said she likes being an empowered woman in the military.
“Growing up, my father has always been huge a role model for me,” said Moore. “Watching him excel in the military influenced me.”
She said that she has been able to identify the good qualities in her father and tries to apply them to herself. Her father is a command sergeant major in the Army.
“I credit my leadership skills to my mother and father,” said Moore.
She said her mother was always a strong willed and independent person and feels she gets that from her mom.
“I kind of get the best of both worlds,” said Moore.
There isn’t always a good mentor within arm’s reach but she likes the idea of being able to call her father if she needs any guidance about a difficult situation.
Leaders are often called upon to make hard decisions. She said she will always strive to make the hard right over the easy wrong.
“My main focus as a leader is to uphold the standards that are already in place and to improve the overall organization the best I possibly can,” said Moore. “With the tools I’ve been provided, I feel I have made some improvements.”
Moore’s actions have not gone unnoticed.
“She constantly wants to improve everything she does and bring the best to any team she's a part of,” said Moore’s father, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Moore, senior enlisted leader of the 16th Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade. “A natural leader who just continues to drive on even when she's told it can't be done, she will find a way.”
Seniors and subordinates have spoken speak highly of her.
“She is always willing to go above and beyond,” said Capt. Stephen Hughes, a native of Draper, Utah, commander of the 51st TC. “Willing to do what it takes and then some to improve the organization.”
Army values are a big part of being a soldier and a leader. Moore knows it and identifies with two in particular.
“The two most important Army values to me are integrity and personal courage,” said Moore.
She said she has applied personal courage to herself after doing some of the things in the military. She likes integrity because it encompasses so many of the Army values.
“I read a lot of military history books and books on leaders in the military,” said Moore. “I try to learn from the mistakes they have already made.”
Since her commission in May 2011, she said she has come across two issues as a young female officer.
“I feel like I have to prove myself a lot more because I am so young,” said Moore. “I was commissioned when I was only 20 years old and being a female can really add to that.”
Each time she has had to overcome any barriers because she is a female, she said it helped empower her even more, but not all soldiers see gender as a barrier.
“I don’t think her being a female has impacted me whatsoever,” said Sgt. Antrell Bender, a native of Milwaukie, Wis., team leader assigned to the 51st TC. “I believe that if a female can carry her own weight, especially being in a male dominated profession, I’m totally for it.”
Moore said she hasn’t noticed any issues being a female in her company. An issue that has been brought in the past has been about physical strength, such as carrying a male soldier in full combat gear. After explaining or showing how she has done the tasks, some males still have come back with a rebuttal, she said.
She said she feels she has earned the respect of her soldiers and they fully support her.
“I believe it makes her look better being a female and carrying her own weight in a male dominated profession,” said Bender.
Moore says she really has a fantastic group of female soldiers as well.
“I have to reinforce that as a female soldier you have to do a lot more and make it look easy,” said Moore. “I never let my female soldiers fall under the set standard.”
Moore ensures she is a visible leader by assisting soldiers with their needs when she can.
“I’m a strong runner,” said Moore. “Back in Germany, I would offer help to anyone who needed help with their run.”
She said she would offer up her weekends to help her soldiers improve their run or any task they needed assistance with.
“I help with proofreading papers for school and with any school work,” said Moore.
Moore also encourages her soldiers to continue their education and better their career. She has talked to and provided guidance to many soldiers who are considering going to airborne school.
“She has definitely motivated me and has given me different things to consider for my career,” said Bender. “She definitely takes care of her soldiers.”
Moore is in charge of two convoy escort teams and knows that, although she is a leader, she is also part of a team.
“There are several things that make her a good leader,” said Bender. “For one, she comes to us as NCO’s and asks what it is that we expect from her as leader. She doesn’t micromanage. She will delegate the different duties and obligations to us and allows us to delegate those duties out. As long as the tasks are accomplished or completed, she has no issues.”
Bender said she goes above and beyond to make sure things are 100 percent when performing her duties. He said Moore is very diligent by ensuring she is taking her time to make sure everything is done right.
“We haven’t had any issues with our convoy escort teams since she has taken the role of convoy commander,” said Bender.
Soldiers in her unit are not the only ones who notice that she is value added to the organization.
“Lt. Moore’s convoy has been the go-to convoy if we ever have a difficult mission or any complicated route or load,” said Hughes. “Her team can go out there and handle anything that gets thrown at them.”
On the road conducting convoy operations or helping a soldier with their school work, Moore has improved herself in many aspects of leadership and continues to further improve herself throughout her career.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2014 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 122518 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 519 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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