Few officers arrive prepared to be a battle captain and the Army doesn’t provide formal training for the position. Although the role is typically an additional duty, the performance and experience of this single officer can have outsized impacts on unit effectiveness. A unit that invests even a little time in the selection and preparation of their battle captains will experience asymmetric returns. They will gain benefits in the immediate, upcoming operations as well as in the development of a future organizational leader. A well-trained and well-informed battle captain provides organizational flexibility, enables greater coordination among subordinate units, and empowers leaders to make better decisions.
So there I was…
Following the Maneuver Captains Career Course, I found myself sitting in a brigade headquarters assigned as an alternate battle captain. With a brigade rotation to the National Training Center (NTC), there was little time to prepare. I had never served on a staff and had absolutely zero experience, even tangentially. Compounding the issue, I just missed the brigade’s certification exercise that validated the unit for NTC. The primary battle captain, who was also the Chief of Operations, did his best to train me. But his garrison responsibilities often overwhelmed any teaching opportunities.
Furthermore, the deployment timeline for this particular NTC rotation shifted earlier by an entire month. I quickly found the dark void that is existing literature on how to perform the duties of a battle captain.
Feeling completely unprepared, I committed to not let my inexperience contribute to the unit’s failure. I never stopped asking questions. Nor did I blamed others for my current situation. And I never stopped learning even in the face of the harshest of criticism. After a glorious month-long haze through the crucible of the NTC, I emerged battle-tested and all the wiser.
The Job
The primary role of the battle captain is to assist the commander, the executive officer, and the operations officer in the command and control (C2) of all current operations. In contrast, the secondary role is general manager of the Tactical Operations Center (TOC). She is ruthlessly focused on enabling the commander to make the best decision possible with the current knowledge on-hand, and within a fast-paced, kinetic environment. A battle captain who is more concerned about the state of the TOC floor as opposed to finding out the ground truth of a delayed resupply operation is not serving the commander’s needs.
The battle captain is not a decision-maker. He or she does not deviate, except in the direst of circumstances, from the published operation order (OPORD). He is not the approval authority for the re-tasking of fires or the redirection of enablers when subordinate units request assistance. Instead, he relays these support requests to the appropriate decision-maker and connects the right resources, as needed. The battle captain does request…and at times demand…situational reports (SITREPs) from subordinate TOCs and all war-fighting functions within the current operations (CUOPS) cell. She always has the latest relevant documents . He conducts accurate battle tracking and coordinates/synchronizes operations across the entire organization. The battle captain understands the concept of operations within the brigade’s deep, close, and rear areas.
Ultimately, the battle captain helps control the overwhelming flow of information and can provide an accurate picture of the battlefield. But he doesn’t do it alone.
The Team
The battle captain has a small team to assist in this endeavor. At a minimum, the team consists of a Radio Telephone Operator (RTO), a digital RTO, and a battle NCO. The delineation of jobs and responsibilities between the battle captain and the battle NCO can be compared to a company commander and the first sergeant. The battle NCO assists the battle captain in the management of TOC operations and serves as a temporary stand-in when necessary.
With the battle captain primarily focused on gaining situational awareness, the battle NCO :
- maintains accountability of the RTOs
- maintains battle products such as the common operating picture (COP) or serious incident reports (SIR)
- ensures the operability of all war-fighting functions within the TOC
- conducts shift changeover
- oversees PCC/PCIs of personal equipment as well as critical capabilities such as power generation and camouflage
- organizes TOC tear-downs and set-up
- maintains general order and discipline.
At a minimum, the battle NCO should be a sergeant first class or a staff sergeant with platoon sergeant experience. He or she should be familiar with the technical TOC operations such as radio communications, power generation, tent set-up, tent tear-down, camouflage, and protection measures.
Prior to execution, the battle captain and battle NCO conducts planning with the Operations Officer and Operations Sergeant Major to determine the TOC floor plan and systems of operations. These systems should be meticulously rehearsed so that the battle captain can focus on achieving the main objectives of generating and sharing situational awareness. However, if the current set-up fails in realizing this, then implement revisions to the floor plan when tactically appropriate.
Both the battle captain and battle NCO must know their TOC battle drills. Additionally, the battle captain and battle NCO should review the unit’s TOC battle drills and provide recommendations to the Operations Officer and Operations Sergeant Major as needed. The expected enemy and type of operations will inform your specific battle drills. For example, in a low-intensity counter-insurgency operation, even one KIA or WIA garners a serious incident report. However, in large scale combat operations, that event may not be as critical for the commander in making a decision.
The FUOPS to CUOPS Transition
One of the most challenging transition points for the battle captain is the changeover from future operations to current operations. This is also known as the FUOPS to CUOPS transition. In a dynamic, noncontiguous battlefield, the enemy does not afford time for friendly forces to consolidate, reorganize, and redistribute the next phase of orders. Ideally, the battle captain is interfacing with the lead planner continuously. She remains in contact with the planning team to maintain awareness of ongoing developments. She should also provide information that might affect planning assumptions and ultimately lead to a better plan.
In this fluid environment, maintaining awareness is key to transitions. The battle captain should attend the OPORD brief and the Combined Arms Rehearsal. This leaves the battle NCO temporarily in charge of TOC operations. During the rehearsal, the battle captain is an active participant. He helps synchronize multiple operations while gaining an understanding of how the upcoming battle should unfold. He must comprehend how the brigade will conduct information collection in the deep area, execute the targeting process within both the deep and close areas, and how the unit will push sustainment forward from the rear area.
Floor Action
During operations, the battle captain is in the room with a CUOPS cell encompassing representatives from different capabilities such as intelligence, fires, electronic warfare, air, logistics, protection, and unit liaisons. She constantly interfaces with each of these representatives while communicating with the other TOCs across the battlefield. She is pushing and pulling information throughout the organization to help maintain synchronization across the entire spectrum of operations.
For example, the battle captain helps deconflict ongoing artillery fires and unmanned aerial intelligence collection efforts alongside an emergency air MEDEVAC. He ensures that the information is received by the correct individual for analysis or prosecution and also assigns tasks to the correct individual.
The battle captain provides overall supervision so that the brigade operation proceeds according to the OPORD and elevates any request for support or deviation to the appropriate decision-maker. She helps the entire CUOPS cell develop situational understanding. She does this using both digital and analog maps to visualize unit locations, operations graphics, and other key information. The battle captain also integrates the liaisons into the current operations cell to enhance battle tracking and information flow.
The battle captain will often interact and relay guidance to senior ranking Officers and Soldiers, who are often the sole subject matter expert on-hand. Emotions run hot during intense operations, and the battle captain must also be able to manage different personalities. Remember to listen, exercise empathy, know when to elevate a conflict, and understand what responsibilities lie with whom. Ultimately, he is the brigade command team’s representative at the TOC when they are not present. For example, as the maneuver expert, the battle captain may find himself in a situation where he is overruling the actions of the JAG officer who happens to be senior in rank.
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With no prior experience on a battle staff, my time as a brigade battle captain at NTC was overwhelming. However, I gained an understanding of brigade operations that helped me when I later served as a Cavalry Troop Commander. My experience working in close-proximity to the brigade commander her me understand and interpret his intent. Furthermore, my interactions with the staff helped me to develop a granular knowledge of processes at the brigade-level. Serving as the battle captain provided an opportunity for tremendous individual growth. If you get the same opportunity, fear not – you will be all the better for it.
Andrew Chack is an active duty Officer with over 8 years of experience serving in the Armor Branch. He recently finished serving as a Cavalry Troop Commander. His interests include national security, emerging technologies, armor and cavalry tactics, leadership philosophy, and Middle East/Asian studies. He is open to any questions and can be contacted at andrew.chack@gmail.com.
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Oh…and don’t forget that setting up and tearing down the TOC is part of your duties. JUMP TOC! (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Chelsea Hall)