Not motivation at all. First, Sir, thanks for your service. The 26th Infantry was at the Cambodian border area.
As to military experience, leadership development was the point - not service. The leadership elements are highly developed so that recognition of individual leadership ability is trainable and actually through long sustained study, have become very good as well as applicable in variously sized levels...equal to positional groups, offensive and defensive units, as well as team level evaluations and direction. Just like in service, accountability rests as well as start of each top level of those groups.
The difference in the Viet Cong and the American is that the Viet Cong attempted to win by beating the specific technique used. The Americans won because they used the principal behind the situation. That is what occurred with the Air Force 'Mafia' that developed the jet technique of avoiding surface to air and then circling back around, picking up the tracking vehicle and taking it out, and then taking out the launch vehicle. That was often in Cambodia, who was not 'in the war.'
Those pilots were teaching pilots, post 1975, those very techniques when Congress started to have them arrested and put in prison for being in violation of Johnson's Presidential orders.
That set of principals later became the very policy of our Air Force in Desert Storm and why our Air Force was able to dominate the skies in Iraq. Fact, but principal of leadership was the issue as is leadership in service, or a football team. That gives the most dominant use of resource and individuals.
If leadership is not followed then events dictate outcomes and direction becomes much more muddled than developed. It on a success level is not arbitrary success limited, but principal controlled on outcomes.
The very same applies to the Cowboys and now with a Jerry controlled, but a McCarthy led team.
I am rooting for a linebacker, and that takes quality leadership and not just once in a decade talent. The linebacker group directs a team's defense in principal...not just highlight talent but leadership.
I want to see Parsons become a great leader as all top defenses, notice it or not, have.