About Professional Courage
Are you curious about the real-life experiences of a soldier who stood on the frontlines of history?
Professional Courage by Major General Jack Leide is a captivating journey through the life and career of an exceptional soldier and intelligence officer. With a profound blend of history, personal experiences, and invaluable insights, this book is a must-read for historians, students of warfare, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the military and intelligence realms.
Leide’s narrative takes you through his remarkable career, spanning airborne infantry, intelligence organizations, and special operations. His dedication to serving his nation and supporting fellow soldiers shines through the pages, offering a firsthand account of the challenges and sacrifices made in the line of duty.
The book offers a unique window into the latter half of the 20th century, with vivid accounts of combat in Santo Domingo, the jungles of Vietnam, and the intense war room during Desert Storm. Leide’s role as a defense and army attaché to China during the Tiananmen Square massacre and the evacuation of American citizens adds another layer of depth to his experiences.
This book also sheds light on the challenges of working within international coalitions during combat, the value of human intelligence and special operations forces, and the moral dimensions of war.
In this book, you will learn:
Hardships of the infantry in combat.
Importance of Language and Area Study.
Necessity to tell it like it is no matter the consequences.
Importance of intelligence in peace, crisis and war.
Parochialism is counterproductive during military operations.
From global crises to personal sacrifices, this book offers a comprehensive view of a distinguished military career that has left an indelible mark on US national security and policy. It’s a vital contribution to history and an essential resource for those seeking to learn from the past to navigate the challenges of the present and future. Get a copy now!
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Author Bio:
A native of Auburn, New York, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University College of Law. (Where he was inducted into the Phi Alpha Delta legal honorary society). He served as a senior military fellow at the Harvard University John Fitzgerald Kennedy School of Government.
He completed the Infantry Basic Course in 1958. After holding various infantry platoon-level assignments, he graduated from the Infantry Advanced Course in 1963 prior to being assigned E Co. 325th Battle Group, 82nd Airborne Division.
After commanding an 82nd Airborne Division rifle company (B/3/325) both at Fort Bragg and the Dominican Republic, Major General Leide was selected as aide-de-camp to the Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps. During 1966-1967, in Vietnam, he again commanded an airborne rifle company (C/2/503) with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In 1968, after transferring to the Military Intelligence Corps and joining the Army’s Foreign Area Officer Program, specializing in China, he served as Chief, China, Korea, and Japan Military Branch in the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence’s Special Research Detachment.
In 1969-1970 he again served in Vietnam as Commander, 101st Military Intelligence Company and as Plans and Operations Officer, G-2, 101st Airborne Division.
On return to CONUS in 1970, Major General Leide studied Chinese Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute and graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in 1972. In 1972-73 he studied at the State Department Foreign Service Institute’s School of Chinese Language and Area Studies in Taiwan. In 1974 he was the first and only U.S. officer to attend and graduate from the Chinese Army Command and General Staff College.
Major General Leide then served as Assistant Army Attaché in Hong Kong until 1978 when he returned to CONUS to command a Special Forces Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He then was the G2 of the 82nd Airborne Division until 1981 when he attended the National War College. In 1982 upon graduation from the National War College, he served as Chief, China Far East Division, Directorate for Estimates, Defense Intelligence Agency, until his selection in 1982 as Military Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, with major responsibilities in the fields of counterterrorism, special operations, and international security assistance with particular emphasis on African affairs.
Major General Leide then commanded the Japan-based 500th Military Intelligence Group, with a Pacific-Basin-wide mission, from July 1984 to July 1986. He then served as the Director of Foreign Intelligence, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army from July 1986 to January 1988. Major General Leide then performed the duties as U.S. Defense Attaché/Army Attaché to China from May 1988 through the Tiananmen Square incident until assuming the duty as Director of Intelligence, J-2, United States Central Command in August 1990. He served as General Schwarzkopf’s chief of intelligence (J-2} throughout Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Following this assignment, he served as Director for Attaches and Operations from 15 June 1992 to 1 June 1993 when he assumed his position as Director for the National Military Intelligence Collection Center, the Defense HUMINT Service, and the Central MASINT Office, Defense Intelligence Agency.
His military awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star for Valor with three oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendations Medal with three oak leaf clusters. He also has been awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Special Forces Tab, and is a Master Parachutist. He wears the OSD Service, Army Staff, DIA and CENTCOM badges. He was awarded the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement for his duties in China. He was also awarded the Central Intelligence Agency Seal Medallion and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.
He was presented with the “Ba Yi (8/1) Medal” which is highest award given to foreigners by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and was also awarded the PLA parachutist certificate and badge for jumping with the PLA airborne.
He was awarded the Liberation Medal First Class by the Government of Kuwait for his duties during Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM.