--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most terrible job in warfare is to be…" description: "\"The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.\" — Dwight D. Eisenhower" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_history_the-most-terrible-job-in-warfare-is-to-b_2536741.jpg" --- # The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second… ![“The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.” quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_history_the-most-terrible-job-in-warfare-is-to-b_2536741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_history_the-most-terrible-job-in-warfare-is-to-b_2536741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_history_the-most-terrible-job-in-warfare-is-to-b_2536741.jpg) > “The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.” [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leading troops in combat is a harrowing responsibility, demanding courage and decisive leadership under fire. **In simple terms:** Combat leadership is extremely difficult. Key Takeaway Prepare leaders for high‑stress battlefield decisions. Themes leadership war responsibility Mood serious somber Type military reflective When to use this quote - military training - crisis management - team building - decision making Key Concepts military strategy psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders maintain composure under fire? - What support helps soldiers cope after battle? A Different Perspective The stress can cause lasting trauma for leaders and soldiers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) ## Related quotes > [When I had the honor to be a second lieutenant, I ate dry bread, but I never let anyone know that I was poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/when-i-had-the-honor-to-be-a-second-lieutenant-i-ate-dry-bread-but-i/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Because I was into like proving myself, which was one of the big things that ah, that the whole military experience sort of offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-mahoney/because-i-was-into-like-proving-myself-which-was-one-of-the-big/) [Peter P. Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-mahoney/) > [I had a terrible job letting me do anything that wasn't comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/i-had-a-terrible-job-letting-me-do-anything-that-wasn-t-comedy/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [I don't want to be a hardware engineer. That seems like a terrible job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-hardware-engineer-that-seems-like-a-terrible-job/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [I think the absolute worst job I ever had - not because it was a terrible job, just because I was just so bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-simons/i-think-the-absolute-worst-job-i-ever-had-not-because-it-was-a/) [Timothy Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-simons/) > [When we don't unite, we do a terrible job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brady/when-we-don-t-unite-we-do-a-terrible-job/) [Kevin Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brady/) > [Even if God exists, he's done such a terrible job, it's a wonder people don't get together and file a class action suit against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/even-if-god-exists-he-s-done-such-a-terrible-job-it-s-a-wonder-people/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [We've done a terrible job of hiring, supporting, and retaining the people tasked with the difficult responsibility of teaching our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/we-ve-done-a-terrible-job-of-hiring-supporting-and-retaining-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Hillary Clinton's done a terrible job for the African-Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-s-done-a-terrible-job-for-the-african-americans/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I've never had a terrible job. 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If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/ceos-are-paid-for-doing-a-terrible-job-if-the-system-wasn-t-so-messed/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [In this war, which was total in every sense of the word, we have seen many great changes in military science. It seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/in-this-war-which-was-total-in-every-sense-of-the-word-we-have-seen/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I feel impelled to speak today in a language that in a sense is new-one which I, who have spent so much of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-feel-impelled-to-speak-today-in-a-language-that-in-a-sense-is-new/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) ## More by Dwight D. Eisenhower > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/every-gun-that-is-made-every-warship-launched-every-rocket-fired/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [We have won an armistice on a single battlefield, not peace in our world. We may not now relax our guard nor cease our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-have-won-an-armistice-on-a-single-battlefield-not-peace-in-our/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [With a full century of contrary proof in our possession and despite our demonstrated capacity for cooperative teamwork, some among us seem to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/with-a-full-century-of-contrary-proof-in-our-possession-and-despite/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-ever-were-before/) [Dwight D. 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Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [For all that we cherish and justly desire - for ourselves or for our children - the securing of peace is the first requisite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/for-all-that-we-cherish-and-justly-desire-for-ourselves-or-for-our/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/never-waste-a-minute-thinking-about-people-you-don-t-like/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Do not needlessly endanger your lives until I give you the signal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/do-not-needlessly-endanger-your-lives-until-i-give-you-the-signal/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) [Explore all 515 Dwight D. 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The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dwight D. 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