Lt Col Owens Big Assignment essays

Lt Col Owen's Big Assignment essays The 1948 movie Fort Apache directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda and John Wayne is a fairly straightforward tale of a bitter Civil War officer, Lt. Col. Owen Thursday, sent to command a remote army outpost in Arizona, Fort Apache. He is accompanied by his beautiful daughter, Philadelphia Thursday. Lt. Col. Thursday was trained at West Point, but his glory days are long gone and hes pretty steamed about it. I think a case could be made that Thursday had already decided on the stagecoach ride to Fort Apache that he would self destruct. Of course, he was a product of privilege, the American Dream, and wasnt prepared for it not quite working as promised, unlike the NCOs (peons) who, if smart or lucky, eventually come to understand theyll be lucky to have a pot when its all said and done. Thursday can no longer tolerate himself, and barely tolerates his beloved daughter, as witnessed by his withering stare when he dumps into a humiliating position in the chair she has secured for his home. It seems unlikely a great commander would arrive at his new assignment without some accommodation (planning) for home provisions, another clue the great Thursday is already bent on self destruction. Rigid Lt. Col. Thursday would certainly make plans for some basic needs, if not before then shortly upon arrival. But he did not. In this case, Thursday had made a directional plan something to the effect of, I will arrive, I will conquer, and I will die in glory (and screw everyone else). In the meantime, he manages to implement some specific goals (training of the men, and polishing their image). He does not conform to MBO, however, as he entirely leaves out the participative decision making, explicit time periods, and performance feedback, other than perfunctory. Perhaps that is enough; it certainly is for his goal. Of the four grand strategies of planning (Robbins, 99), Thursday h...