The Army describes leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing them with purpose, direction, and motivation while you are operating to accomplish a mission and improve the organization.”
In contrast, President Joe Biden appears to believe that leadership entails a refusal to adapt to changed circumstances, followed by hiding in a forest.
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That’s exactly what the president is doing right now.
He’s hiding in the forests of Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland, specifically the exquisite woodland at Camp David. But the hiding is clear. Biden left for the forest on Friday, but he won’t return to Washington until Wednesday. Whatever one thinks of Biden’s decision to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban and al Qaeda (I believe it is disastrous for America and our global credibility as a superpower), his leadership is inexcusable.
What must Army and Marine Corps officers be telling their personnel? After all, as Biden hides in his forest, young Americans are surging into Afghanistan. They will perhaps face combat, forced to fight to extricate diplomats and those lucky Afghans with U.S. visas. These service members will be asking themselves: How did it get so bad so quickly? Others will simply ask, “What the f*** are we doing?” But they’ll do their job well.
Their officers, however, will not look fondly upon Biden’s escape to the Maryland hills. No leadership course at Annapolis, West Point, Colorado Springs, or New London entails the instruction: “When faced with great challenge, the unit leader should hide in the forest or other concealed location and let their subordinates invent excuses for failure.”
On Sept. 11, we will, perhaps, see the Taliban waltz with al Qaeda in the burned ruins of America’s former embassy in Kabul. The enemy will pray in gratitude for its ordained victory. It will recognize Allah’s patient reward for those who strive. And its safe haven restored, al Qaeda will reconstitute itself toward new 9/11s.
But at least the commander in chief has his forest.
