General Joe Dunford
Commander in the U.S. Forces, Afghanistan Age: 59
Joe's Background
Dunford was born in Boston in 1955 and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts. He is also Irish like me!He graduated from Boston College High Schoolin 1973 and from Saint Michael's College in June 1977.He is a graduate of the United States Army War College, Ranger School and the Amphibious Warfare School. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Government from Georgetown University and a second Master of Arts in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Joe's Early Life
His dad was a Marine sergeant during Korea. His dad got out of the Marine Corps as a sergeant and became a Boston policeman, he did that for 40 years. He also had three uncles who were World War II Marines.In his neighborhood, you either went into the Navy or the Marine Corps. The old Charlestown Navy Yard was close by, and the Marine influence was strong. the area area he grew up in had about 50,000 in South Boston lost 26 people in Vietnam, and 17 were Marines.
How Joe became a leader
Joe was inspired to join the marines because of his family's history with fighting and the marines.So he went to school and majored in army and war, then in 1978, Dunford served in the 1st Marine Division as a platoon and company commander in 3rd Battalion 1st Marines and a company commander in 1st Battalion 9th Marines until 1981. He earned the nickname “Fighting Joe” when he led the 5th Marine Regiment during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and is known as a relentless, energetic commander. His staff members sometimes carry a voice recorder with them to keep up with his commands and ideas. In other words he became a leader because, he showed that he will be brave and is wise in his choices.
Fact
He’s been ranked one of the world’s 50 greatest leaders.
Influencing Event
AN interviwer asks,"Are there any other major post-war reset issues you're focused on?" Joe responds with, "We've operated in a much more disaggregated manner over the past 13 years than certainly before the war. So today, in many cases, our tables of equipment still reflect the manner that we operated in 13 years ago. Now the Marines have in many cases the equipment that they need, it's just not part of the table of equipment. We haven't institutionalized that amount of equipment. We've operated in a much more disaggregated manner over the past 13 years than certainly before the war. So today, in many cases, our tables of equipment still reflect the manner that we operated in 13 years ago. Now the Marines have in many cases the equipment that they need, it's just not part of the table of equipment. We haven't institutionalized that amount of equipment." Joe, not only answers the question but he answers honestly and telling us every thing he knows, also he reassures us that thir new equipment can provide better protection that the old ones.
Information from:http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/02/06/dunford-q-a-planning-guidance/22968949/
The picture above shows that Joey cares about his fellow comrades. The man in this picture is U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Roger Rua he was biased in Afghanistan. On March 29 Rus was awoken in a way he would never forget, he was asleep in a stationary truck with two fellow Marines but, what they did not know is that they were parked next to an IED all night long. Four months and four surgeries later, Rua is able to walk with a cane but does not know if he will fully recover. The incident and subsequent surgeries caused extensive nerve and muscle damage, and his weak legs have trouble holding his body up. In the hospital Rua was visited by Joe. To me that shows that Joe cares for others, that is one thing a leader needs to have, they need to care for others like Joe did for Rua.