Danger dominates the commander not merely by threatening him personally, but by threatening all those entrused to him; not only at the moment he is present, but also, through the imagination, at all other times….not just directly but also indirectly through the sense of responsibility that lays a tenfold burden on the commander’s mind.

—Clausewitz, On War

Casualties many. Percentage of dead not known. Combat efficiency: we are winning.

—Colonel David M. Shoup, USMC, Tarawa November 21, 1943

“Terminator Six is down.”...A group of soldiers ran out the door, looking for revenge. Other soldiers gathered blankets…The hatch closed. The soldiers stared at each other. The soldiers stared at the ceiling. The soldiers stared at the hatch. The soldiers stared at anything but the mound on the floor. “

—Loss Of Leader A Blow To Alpha Troops” Miami Herald, Dec 3, 2004

If we did not have warriors, men and women willing to move toward the sounds of the guns and confront evil, within the span of a generation our civilization would no longer exist.

—Lt Col Dave Grossman, On Combat

With our perspectives on human behavior in battle, motivator, moral authority, and psychologist seem to be some of the roles we should expect from combat leaders. Tall demands, however, are made even taller--as the leader motivates his troops, he is subjected to the same physical and psychological stresses as his subordinates. Additionally, by virtue of his leadership position, he bears the widest burden of responsibility—both legal and moral—to his superiors, subordinates, and ultimately, himself.