The NCO 1700 Valley Forge case study depicts challenging events General George Washington faced in Valley Forge. Particularly, it details the Continental Army’s situation in the 1777-1778 Valley Forge winter encampment. With the aid of his camp allies and supporters, Washington oversaw a 12000-member unit of colonial militias at the time. In Valley Forge, Washington faced many obstacles in his leadership efforts to promote a unified and disciplined fighting army. Among the most prominent ones are the army’s low morale and high desertion rates combined with the uncontrollable spread of sickness and disease. In this context, the most efficient solution to these issues would be fixing a sufficient and reliable army supply process.
The events occurred in the background of a full-scale war between the Americans and the British. After the loss of Philadelphia, the Continental Congress – the head of the revolution – had to relocate to York (NCO 1700, n.d.). Consequently, Washington set up a winter camp at Valley Forge to strategically position the army. Unfortunately, the camp’s conditions could hardly be considered habitable. Insufficient provisions, equipment, and poor sanitary conditions resulted in strikingly low morale. According to NCO 1700 (n.d.), “for many that did not succumb to cold, hunger, or disease, desertion was their final means of survival.” Understandably, these issues had to be dealt with as soon as possible for the army to be ready for war.
Low morale and poor sanitary control might appear to have many solutions, for instance, establishing new respective policies and procedures, improving the camp layout, and enforcing some sanitation initiatives, such as inoculations. However, at closer inspection, it can be seen how ineffective these alternatives would be, given the army’s condition. Firstly, new orders, enforcement of subordination, or punishments for desertion do not solve the ubiquitous hunger. Secondly, improving the camp layout could have addressed the sanitation issue to some extent. Unfortunately, work does not come as a priority for a person suffering from hunger. Lastly, inoculation could have protected against some diseases, such as smallpox (Becker, 2022). Nevertheless, it cannot disinfect dirty dishes or animals’ rotten corpses, nor can it reduce the army’s exposure to winter.
Therefore, the most effective solution to the case would be not to force the army but to motivate it to work willingly. This could be done only in the case the army’s base needs in food and shelter are fulfilled. As a leader, Washington had to understand that tending to the needs of his subordinates is an inseparable feature of a successful leadership model (Kovach, 2018). Apart from addressing the issue of hunger, a reliable supply chain can ensure the soldiers are well-equipped and have a place to rest, not being afraid of the cold. These soldiers would be far more willing to improve the camp, clean the area of dirt, and not take chances as deserters.
Hence the potential recommendations for Washington include translating the army’s needs for the Continental Congress and ensuring the consequent implementation of its decisions. In terms of the former, Washington made the correct decision of informing the high command with a detailed list of potential consequences of current issues (HCO 1700, n.d.). A well-timed and informative communication provides a solid ground for future improvements. In terms of the latter, despite Congress authorizing the reorganization of the supply department in 1777, its thorough implementation failed due to a loss of Philadelphia (Herrera, 2022). Consequently, allocating enough resources to ensure any new directive from Congress would be crucial to the army’s survival.
During his winter encampment at Valley Forge, Washington faced numerous organizational challenges that could be addressed with an adequate supply chain. Food, warm clothes, and shelter from the cold would have significantly contributed to the army’s morale and reduced desertion rates. Apart from that, protection against the weather conditions and willingness to tend to the camp’s sanitary conditions would simultaneously address the spread of disease and sickness. Thus, by fulfilling the basic needs of the army, Washington’s leadership issues would become far less challenging.
References
Becker, A. M. (2022). Smallpox in Washington’s army: Disease, war, and society during the American Revolutionary War. Rowman & Littlefield.
Herrera, R. A. (2022). Feeding Washington’s army: Surviving the Valley Forge winter of 1778. University of North Carolina Press.
History of the NCO 1700: Valley Forge [Course Handout]. (n.d.).
Kovach, M. (2018). An examination of leadership theories in business and sport achievement contexts. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 11(2), 14. Web.