Photo By Ronald Wolf | On January 19, 2023, the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) hosted another of its...... read more read more
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On January 19, 2023, the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) hosted one of its series of Resilient Leadership Webinars. The goal is the share the experience and wisdom of senior Army leaders. This webinar featured Command Sgt. Maj. Erano Bumanglag, who discussed his thoughts on resilience and his 4 Fs: faith, family, fitness, and finance. Bumanglag led the webinar from the Best Medic Competition at Fort Polk, LA.
The webinar supported The Surgeon General's Campaign Objective of "Readiness.”
What lessons does Bumanglag have for motivation?
He has done a great deal of jumpmaster duty. One of the highlights of his career as a jumpmaster in Special Operations Command is continuously putting relevance in the lives of the injured Special Operations teammates. On one occasion his was jumpmaster on a UH-60 aircraft, and one of his jumpers was a Special Forces 18 Delta double amputee, harnessed into his parachute and ready to execute the jump. That Soldier, wanting to remain a Soldier, was a powerful motivator for Bumanglag. He said. “I am motivated because I see the commitment of our Soldiers, which makes our country great.”
Why does Bumanglag serve?
He goes back to the 4 Fs of his life.
-- Faith: he believes it is his purpose to serve and to make other people realize that they can become positive contributors to the Army community, The azimuth he has for his life is his religion.
-- Family: “I serve because my family motivates me every single day.”
-- Fitness: “I am very competitive. When I can no longer score 575 or above on ACFD, it is time to retire.”
-- Finances: “As long as I do the first 3 Fs,” Bumanglag said, “the finances and stability in my life will be complete.”
Buma told two stories of resilience in two different Soldiers.
The first, a sergeant first class had deployed at least 4 times to Afghanistan and Iraq. One day, he conducted a sensitive items inventory. As he completed the inventory, while walking to brigade headquarters to turn in inventory lists, a specialist shot him in the throat. He lost all use of his right hand. That Soldiers remained resilient, and today that soldier is a preacher and believes that incident was a rebirth.
A different sergeant, one subordinate to Bumanglag, had a CONUS posting and was about to received orders to rotate to the next posting but stay stateside. That sergeant requested a change in orders to deploy to Kosovo. Bumanglag assisted in getting the change of orders. That soldier, for whatever reason, did not remain resilient and committed suicide not long after arriving in Kosovo.
A factor in the suicide may have been a lack of strength of faith. Bumanglag said that, while at Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, Iraq, he believed his faith saved him during rocket and mortar attacks.
What about Soldiers who are struggling with suicide within the ranks? Leaders need to clearly understand their responsibility regarding potentially suicidal Soldiers. While smiles are positively infectious, negativity is also infectious but in the opposite way. A positive attitude sends a message that reinforces positive thinking in others.
What message do you have for future soldiers? “Who is to say I would be talking to you now if I had done things differently,” he said. “However, mistakes from the past can help me shape my future. A message for future Soldiers is to be there for your Soldiers. Take the time to talk to one of two individuals per day.”
“Follow what drives you and what makes you happy” is his message to future leaders of the military.
Good mentors are out there where their Soldiers are when conditions are at their worst. Good mentors should reassure their subordinates when mistakes are made. Leaders also should ask staff to give feedback on how he or she is doing. That helps to build teams.
The top three books of relevance to Bumanglag are Doug Stanton’s “The Horse Soldiers,” which was also a recent movie (12 Strong); John Maxwell’s “21 Laws of Leadership,” and Gen. Stanley McCrystal’s “My Share of the Task.”
PT, Bumanglag said, helps him to relieve stress. He also loves to cook and play golf. He said he tries to forget the things in life he cannot control.
“I am honored to serve as your speaker,” Bumanglag said. “Two things matter most in our military: people and equipment. Equipment won’t work, however, if you don’t have the (right) people. You are the people who are making this country great.”
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2023 08:34 |
| Story ID: | 437734 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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