Battalion Commander - The Big Picture

A Battalion Commander holds one of the most responsible and respected jobs in the Army--representing, in his single experience, a career of national service and Army leadership. Under his command are hundreds of men, machines and weapons - forged together into a thunderbolt representing many thousands of dollars in the nation's investment in military security. This week, THE BIG PICTURE focuses on crowded days in the life of the commander of an armored battalion in West Germany, where United States and NATO forces serve in the forward lines of the free world's defenses.
National Archives and Records Administration
ARC Identifier 2569826 / Local Identifier 111-TV-614
Big Picture: Battalion Commander
DVD Copied by Thomas Gideon - Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 - 05/15/1984).

[@lucash.214]

This is terrific. I've been a battalion commander, and this is really great.

[@imnotsmart99]

What unit?

[@ArmyOne519]

I hope you lead by example, as i did as a Senior NCO during the Gulf War 🇺🇸

[@geofbennett5591]

The German town in the establishing shot is Baumholder, home of Smith Barracks, an active U.S. Installation that is still there today. If you look at the aerial view on google maps you can clearly see the former tank trails in the nearby training area (there is no Armor stationed there today). The unit being portrayed is the 1st BN 68th Armor Regiment which was a part of the 8th Infantry Division (as can be seen by the unit patches being worn that represent a sheild with the number "8" and an upward pointing arrow.) At the time of filming 8th ID was Headquartered at Rose Barracks in nearby Bad Kreuznach (about 40 miles away and closed in 2001).

[@bodyboardingchronicles602]

TF Silver Lion 1-68 AR 2003-2004, Ft. Carson CO. OIF-1. There now 1-68 CAB.

[@stephenabm7779]

I was stationed in Baumholder from the mid to late 1980s with the 8th Infantry Division. I was in the Field Artillery.

[@globaladdict]

I love how these youtube videos come to life with real participants commenting. Respect

[@georgesykes394]

​@bodyboardingchronicles602 Did 1-68AR fight in Sadr City Iraq unit sounds real familiar?

[@rph111745]

I was with C/1/68 Armor, at Baumholder in 1968.

[@timothyday8565]

800 man Armor BN that's huge

[@sirfanatical8763]

This is on another level. Running a platoon is already hard enough.

[@billr2375]

Ah good old Baumholder---back then home of the 8th Mechanized Infantry, and the largest concentration of Combat Ready Troops outside of Continental U.S....lots of Armor, Field Artillery, Infantry, Helicopters. It is a cold, dreary, constantly foggy place, full of tank trails, woods, wild boar and constant Artillery at all hours---or it used to. Nice to see 1/68 again. I worked under the 2nd Brigade Commanders HHC, who was in charge of it all...Battalion Commanders reported to him. Rommels troops trained and lived here and we lived in the same Barracks. It wasnt always a pleasant experience on "The Rock" as they called Baumholder.

[@luvslogistics1725]

Excellent portrayal, reminds me of my SCO with his even justice, measured approach, intelligent diplomacy and understanding.

[@ben38154]

What’s an SCO?

[@friendofcoal]

Back in the mid 80's, I probably saw the BN Cmdr less than 5-8 times in the 19 months I was stationed in West Germany... and that was 2 different one's.

[@martialmusic]

Thanks for posting these great old shows. Bob M

[@jtbeatty2224]

I love the look on the Colonel’s face when he has to explain they can’t maneuver because the cows were upset.

[@imnotsmart99]

The Commander s played by John Conte. I saw him on a Perry Mason ReRun

[@MarioMastar]

I had a feeling he was someone strong. His distinct voice, poise and even his lip had me thinking he was a younger Sylvester Stallone. Granted Sylvester was even born yet by the time this was filmed, but it definitely leaves an impression.

[@scottjoseph9578]

Note that the chewing out the Captain received was mild (I've been chewed out worse as a resident MD) and focused on system and not individual dislike. If the Captain does not have a bright career, it is his own fault.

[@MarioMastar]

I think him saying "This is the second time you've been in my office for this reason" was enough to make my heart sink though. Sure when they yell at you it hurts, but it's when they calmly tell you how tight the noose is around your neck that you really might want to plan your next 2 weeks. Plus I detected a hint of sarcasm in his "It'll be corrected" which the Commander seemed to pick up as well. A very "Your word has lost meaning the first time you came here and failed, Captain...." kind of way. I can only imagine what the real deal felt like.

[@BETTERWORLDSGT]

Good one! I had a number of really good Battalion Commanders in My time! One thing though, Sergeant Thomas already had E7 rank on!

[@scottjoseph9578]

Let's see---3 rifle companies, combat support company---400 men? His company commanders lead the direct units he maneuvers. The LTs would handle platoons, which he SHOULD have knowledge of placement and training. Nice documentary.

[@richard3536]

White stars on the front slope . What a terrific aiming point ! You’d think they would have learned from WWII !

[@tightlaser]

At 10:45 he says he is an e-6 and clearly wearing e-7 stripes.

[@trivet1970]

possible he was frocked to platoon sergeant.

[@kfourom]

@@trivet1970 That sleeve insignia was e-6/ technical sargent in 1955. It was correct.

[@friendofcoal]

Yep, the pfc (E-3) guy was a single stripe which was an E-2 pvt back in the mid 80's....

[@edwinsepulveda5550]

A big difference in today’s atmosphere.

[@Lockbar]

The picture of the commander's wife on the desk looks like Jack Lemmon from "Some Like it Hot".

[@Patc-n6n]

It does 🤣😆 16:06

[@Lockbar]

@@Patc-n6n I think it is Jack Lemmon for real. I think they did it as a "inside" joke.

[@dadaonly5134]

damn this light colonel going in on CPT Smith gives me the chills. As enlisted I witnessed my CO getting reamed by the BC a few times like that. Now as a lowly LT XO, I dread the day I don't measure up

[@packtray6569]

11/10 head of hair on MAJ Terry

[@davidrobinson9043]

I know that look! All too well!

[@trivet1970]

is LTC John Starchman Rawlings, II the Battalion commander?

[@Bill23799]

Alpha Time? When we went to the field om an FTX in West Germany in the 70s and 80s we were all on Zulu Time.

[@billhammett174]

Nice swagger stick...

[@destroyer0685]

This guy has a swagger stick😮

[@Bill23799]

I'm sure the enlisted man's Company Commander also notified him that if he did not get a handle on his wife that she would be shipped home and he would go back to living in the barracks.

[@layneadams161]

73-75 Co C /187 Inf Baumholder Germany

[@Alex-ee5pl]

full metal jacket seeps backwards through time to make this extra goofy but also sickening lol

[@scottjoseph9578]

These men protected my parents when they were teenagers.

[@TravisLeeism]

It’s hard to miss that the SFC, referred to as a SSG, needed to transfer to another company so he could get promoted to SFC.

[@Rustman80]

"I've been E-6 for 5 years!", said the man wearing E-7 rank.

[@jeffreymcdonald8267]

We never salute inside without a cover. Hollywood

[@Patc-n6n]

Isn’t there an exception for the commanding officer’s office. Or there was. In the Army.

[@jeffreymcdonald8267]

@@Patc-n6n No ma'am, not that I have ever seen or heard of.

[@sandovalperry2895]

It’s been over 50 years but I remember saluting without cover for: pay call, boards and when reporting to the commander.

[@jeffreymcdonald8267]

Not in the Navy, sir. Best I remember

[@rph111745]

You DO salute when reporting to a commanding officer, I have been "on the carpet" with company CO's and BN COs.

[@LtColwtf]

What happened?

[@stivo2663]

Wait. Where is the diversity training?

[@edwardkimball596]

Even though these films are quite dated & they tend to lean towards “propaganda lite,” I.e. mostly true, but omitting other relevant details, I find them very interesting. In particular, the exchange between Mrs. Morris & the commander. I would have thought that G-5 (community relations) would handle the problem, but the commander did with diplomacy & authority. In those days she was being an ugly American, & today we would call her an entitled “Karen.” Good acting, under the circumstances.

[@MarioMastar]

I really hate the "Karen" slur.... ironic that the people using it aren't realizing it bears as much weight as the N word and other slurs often used by said insecure people. I have an Aunt named Karen and the realization that real people have that name makes it exceptionally disgusting it's now a playground taunt to describe insecure women. We didn't need that. That aside, Yeah, a lot of these are heavily tonned down to paint the military in as good a light as possible for the folks back home. Plus we all know especailly in this day and age, she wouldn't have been nearly as quick to "Oh... I didn't realize it was my duty" as other cartoons and videos paint a very different picture of how civilians felt about military men (check out "Killjoy" That's a LOT more accurate....regardless of how a bad actor once behaved).

[@miklmiklmtrcycl6009]

Is the battalion CO an actor? Seems too Hollywood. Ok, and now so does the XO. Wow.

[@MarioMastar]

They're all actors in all these shows. The way they behave is extremely lackadaisical for the sake of making the military seem a lot more aloof for those getting into it and those at home wondering what happens. Though despite how silly it looks, it does make the point clear that you mess up, you eat dirt, by often showing the soldiers who do mess up tripping on thier own shoelaces and not getting a happy ending. It's silly yeah, but the air force one "This is it" really resonated with how it opens with a guy being told "and you... you can defend yourself in the court..." and you wonder what he did the whole time to get arrested until the end when you find out and it's like...well... it's brilliantly done. That's all I can say.

[@michaelditto5469]

This is not realistic. Not even during this time

[@MarioMastar]

Most of these were more rosy looking than it really was to make people feel better about the military during the draft era. Nowadays with the draft gone and incentive and personal discipline being the reason people join the army, they can be a lot more honest about the yelling and abuse you'll get. Though most of the appeal of these old shows is seeing how different presentation was compared to now. It's almost surreal how Hollywood makes the military look like another day at high school when we know it was more like a prison... (and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. I mean it in a "getting a bunch of delinquents to walk the stiff and narrow took more than letting them goof off and calling it a "gag") but I do love how "Human" the protrayal is with the characters.

[@domingolabong6317]

🥰❤️🙏🇵🇭

[@danielschultz7840]

The rank for the soldiers who come in is wrong. Come on Army, get this right. LOL

[@soultraveller5027]

Like it lol mimicking the German Panzer divisions lining up in formation to there commanding officer. ." Son what's the purpose of the armoured units "" to copy the German tactics of Blitzkrieg sir Lol

[@xys7536]

Mayour schomdt needs to understand who won war wife needs a slap

[@samuelcardenas3123]

when given the chance to procceed did any9ne else remember the ones who existed before u had a checl poitn too the dam list 2ent on forev3r by theitime wnyon3l3lse knew i had completed all my eduacation since thernothing to learn from abthat fancy offers u all dont confus3 a morron for alige or death experimecewith the morrons2ho dont like it

[@gregholton6406]

The guy playing battalion commander, was in another film about SAC, playing an Air Force Colonel 😂

[@barryjohnson409]

While viewing this U.S. Army Training film my mind thinks of my late Grandfather and my Elementary School Principal. They both served in the 1950's and later years ... My Grandfather was in the Artillery - 26 years ( Korea + Vietnam) My Elementary School Principal fought in the Korean War, I grew up as an Army Dependent ( Brat 🙂) but I was never able to identify with their military character & mannerisms until I entered the military. 🤝🏾🪖🤝🏼

[@robwolosek2613]

This is so real. I remember my respect for iron fisted command from the top while I served. Silly video. No real decisions are made like this.