Grasp Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Medal of Honor recipient, takes half in pre-game actions on the Oklahoma State College homecoming soccer sport in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Oct. 22, 2022. Plumlee, a local Oklahoman, toured his house state Oct. 18-22. (Oklahoma Nationwide Guard picture by Sgt. Anthony Jones)
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Grasp Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Medal of Honor recipient, returned to his house state to share his story with fellow Oklahomans.
“Oklahoma is the place I’m from; it’s the place I grew up,” Plumlee mentioned. “It’s at all times going to be particular as a result of it’s part of my childhood and turning into a younger man.”
Born in Clinton and raised on his household’s cattle ranch in Western Oklahoma, Plumlee enlisted within the Oklahoma Army Nationwide Guard at 17 years previous as a rocket artilleryman with the forty fifth Subject Artillery Brigade.
After graduating highschool, he enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps and served eight years in Particular Operation roles. In 2009, Plumlee joined the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based mostly at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Plumlee was offered with the Medal of Honor on Dec. 16 for his actions whereas responding to an assault by insurgents on Ahead Working Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2013.
“I at all times inform individuals we don’t have a unit; we’ve got a Special Forces Group household,” Plumlee mentioned. “There’s not one individual that’s carrying that unit. All people is doing their half in making it excellent. And it’s at all times type of awkward for me to be type of singled out as this success once I know that everyone in my unit was simply nearly as good as I used to be.”
Having served 24 years within the U.S. navy, Plumlee says it’s this camaraderie that permits him to have the ability to accomplish his job and succeed.
“The Army is a particular group,” Plumlee mentioned. “You’ve a full spectrum of personalities and backgrounds and types of pondering, and I feel that’s the distinction between success and failure. I’ve seen it many instances, you’ve gotten a novel drawback and you’ve got some farm youngsters like, ‘This isn’t an issue. I do know precisely tips on how to repair this.’ I’ve seen that nearly constantly all through my profession. I do know that the variety of backgrounds, inhabitants of Troopers is as a rule the important thing to why the Army would achieve success.”
As part of his Medal of Honor tour, Plumlee engaged with fellow navy members, media and on a regular basis Oklahomans. He attended conferences and lunches with authorities officers and civic leaders, spoke to Troopers in varied phases of coaching at Fort Sill and to Junior Reserve Officer Coaching and different college students from throughout the state.
Plumlee, a former student-athlete, attended soccer video games at his alma mater Merritt Public Excessive Faculty and Oklahoma State College.
Plumlee advised the younger individuals he spoke with that this can be very necessary to be a optimistic mentor and mentioned he has developed his personal management fashion extra from dangerous management than good management.
“I’ve had some very influential, optimistic leaders that I attempt to emulate. However the dangerous management that I’ve acquired, that stuff sticks in my thoughts,” Plumlee mentioned, including that he makes use of the dangerous examples as reminders to by no means deal with these beneath him poorly.
In response to Plumlee, continuously studying and adapting is likely one of the most necessary expertise inside the navy.
“In case you are available in with a set fashion of pondering and a way of engagement, that’s not how the world works,” Plumlee mentioned. “Being adaptable and in a position to take the cues the true world is providing you with and adjusting your plans to these cues are tremendous necessary life expertise. As a result of actuality doesn’t care that you just had this nice plan this morning.”
Plumlee mentioned one of the crucial necessary roles the Nationwide Guard performs is bridging the hole between the navy and civilian worlds.
“The Nationwide Guard is an effective face of what the U.S. navy is locally,” Plumlee mentioned.
Having achieved the unimaginable all through his navy profession, Plumlee urges youthful Troopers to embrace the adjustments they may face all through their careers.
“Don’t be afraid to return out and chase down one thing spectacular and go after it,” Plumlee mentioned. “The navy actually is simply nothing however evolving alternatives, and for those who don’t take them, that’s your loss.”
