Category Archives: Lessons Learned

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Improving Company Performance in Offensive Operations

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The U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Battalions (CABs) form the core of the Armored Brigade Combat Team’s (ABCT) striking power. They include main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, 120mm mortars, and infantry squads. This impressive grouping of combat platforms and soldiers requires the company commander to skillfully employ and integrate platoons. Company commanders enable the CAB commander to rapidly combine arms. Based on observations of CABs executing offensive operations at the National Training Center (NTC), numerous shortfalls exist at the company level that impact the CAB’s ability to maintain momentum and extend operational reach. Units that can’t perform fundamental company and platoon-level tasks during the plan, prepare and execute phases of an operation will stall the CAB commander’s efforts to synchronize actions and achieve desired effects against enemy formations. To minimize this degradation in combat power, armor and mechanized infantry company commanders should consider the following best practices.

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The Science of Control

Synchronizing Current Operations

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The current operations (CUOPS) cell is essential to translating plans to orders and eventually the execution of combat operations. The CUOPS integrating cell “is the focal point for controlling the execution of operations. It “involves assessing the current situation while regulating forces and warfighting functions in accordance with the mission, commanders intent, and operations.” (ATP 6-0.5) CUOPS synchronizes operations, sustains the common operational picture (COP) and mitigates risk to the mission. In the operations process, the CUOPS cell is the commander’s most prominent tool to understand, describe, visualize, and direct operations. Because of the cell’s importance, the CUOPS teams must organize and train personnel, information systems, and processes to enable the commander to make a decision base on understanding rather than data points.

Currently, main command posts, commonly known as TOCs, still must be housed in tents until the U.S. Army can make the mission command systems smaller and mobile. Photographer SGM Thomas Murphy
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The Non-Commissioned Officer Task Crosswalk Guide

Observations and Recommendations from NTC Ops Group

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The non-commissioned officer has always been the backbone of our Army.  No matter what type of conflict America has faced, our Non-Commissioned Officer Corps has risen to the challenge each and every time.  As our Army continues to refine our ability to conduct Large Scale Combat Operations, the non-commissioned officers of Operations Group at the National Training Center have truly risen to the challenge.  Outlaw 40 and the senior NCOs from throughout Operations Group constructed this handbook specifically for NCOs, paying particular attention to rotational observations and current doctrine.  They established a cross walk guide for numerous non-commissioned officer positions at echelon throughout brigade combat teams and clearly articulated how the great non-commissioned officers in a unit can help their team fight and win.

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Assuming Risk to Save Lives

Placement of the Battalion Aid Station During LSCO

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Long-gone are the days of wide area security operations from static, built-up locations. The changing nature of war will reward flexibility and an expeditionary mindset, and punish conformists. Commanders and units have become comfortable with medical plans that assume very little risk regarding placement of the Battalion Aid Station (BAS). With the Army’s renewed focus on large scale combat operations (LSCO), leaders must consider employing the BAS and medical platoon in ways that have largely went untrained and unpracticed. To save as many lives as possible, commanders and leaders must consider placement of the BAS as far forward as tactically feasible.

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Building Your Brigade Staff Training Program

A Training Resource from NTC Ops Group

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Developing an effective training program represents a challenge for any unit. At the brigade level, simply resourcing and synchronizing a training program that creates capable subordinate formations easily consumes nearly all available time. Further, necessarily weighting the predominance of available training time and resources at the company level and below to maintain small unit proficiency constitutes another essential demand on a brigade’s organizational energy.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 3rd Cavalry regiment, “Brave Rifles” Fort Hood, TX, provides security during Decisive Action Rotation 20-02 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., Nov. 08, 2019. Decisive Action Rotations at the National Training Center ensure Army Brigade Combat Teams remain versatile, responsive, and consistently available for current and future contingencies. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kyler Chatman, Operations Group, National Training Center)
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The First Element

Leadership and Combat Power

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What does it take to bring the full power of the U.S. Army to bear upon enemies of America? Army Doctrinal Publication(ADP) 3-0 says that combat power “is the total means of destructive, constructive, and information capabilities that a military unit or formation can apply at a given time.”  Combat power contains eight elements which include the six warfighting functions intelligence, movement and maneuver, fires, protection, sustainment, command and control coupled with leadership and information.  The six warfighting functions are easy to comprehend with their tangible effects on the battlefield, but the effects of the other element, leadership, are often intangible and difficult to comprehend.  A recent training rotation at the National Training Center (NTC) provided a concrete case study about the true power of leadership leading to an infantry company with incredible lethality and the commander selected as the hero of the rotation.

Smoke billows to provide concealment for Soldiers as they maneuver across the battlefield to their next fighting position during a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise as Joint Base Lewis-McChord Jan. 16, 2020. Soldiers execute small unit tactics during rehearsals including dry-fire, blank-fire and live-fire iterations to gain multiple repetitions and increase proficiency across the formation.
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Principles to a Successful Army Career

A Command Sergeant's Major Perspective

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Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Schroeder, U.S. Army Forces Command senior enlisted adviser, discusses trends and priorities for Army leaders, and gets feedback from 1st Cavalry Division enlisted leaders during an open forum at Howze Auditorium Dec. 8 at Fort Hood, Texas. Schroeder, who served as the III Corps and Fort Hood senior enlisted adviser from September 2012 to June 2014, discussed FORSCOM priorities and topics with leaders, including improving readiness, equipping the force, training, operationalizing the total Army, sponsorship, career progression and development, family care plans and many other topics. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs, 1st Cavalry Division) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson)

Military service is a unique profession that less than one percent of our nation answer the noble call to serve their country. Some are motivated to join based on a relative that served or something more profound such as, answering a higher calling. In the quest to serve, some will make a career of their service while others will only commit to their first term obligation. Whether they decide to make it a long-term profession, or move on after a few years, one should aim to have a successful career serving their country. While there’s no exact recipe or secret to a successful Army career, it takes dedication and sacrifice to ultimately achieve success.

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Feats of the BSA Defense

Episode I

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Brigade Support Battalions (BSBs) are ill-prepared to defend the support area in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). This truth bears itself out at every Combined Training Center (CTC). BSBs require a large area, an ambitious enemy force, and a demanding sustainment synchronization to adequately prepare for LSCO or a Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) rotation at a CTC. This vignette shows how many of the engagements in the rear area unfolds as well as how an engagement can change when properly resourced and rehearsed. At the end of this vignette you will find some discussion questions that you can use to better prepare your BSB to defend itself.

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National Training Center Update (NOV 2019)

CO & PLT Observations & Best Practices

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In October 2019, the National Training Center distributed “Recommendations for Commanders to Consider During Home Station Training” to correct a few common shortcomings seen among rotational units. Mastering the fundamentals at echelon and the associated ability to truly focus units on training identified critical collective tasks to a high standard topped the list of recommendations for Commanders to consider.

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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Scout Platoon & Cavalry Troop Observations & Best Practices

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Reconnaissance formations constitute an invaluable asset on a modern battlefield. The notion that sophisticated enemies, equipped with air defense, electronic attack, as well as cyber capabilities will just allow us to remotely sense their actions prior to commitment of our forces is quickly fleeting. Responsible for answering Commander’s Priority Intelligence Requirements during either reconnaissance or security operations, Cavalry Troops and Scout Platoons often have less time than other maneuver units before being required to act. For the average Scout Platoon or Cavalry Troop, simple tactical mistakes can have catastrophic effects on a larger formation’s ability to understand the situation or maneuver effectively against a determined enemy. The ability to operate continuously utilizing sound SOPS, basic maneuver techniques and tactics at the crew, section, and platoon level, as well as the ability to share information collected are just of the few tasks these units must do exceedingly well to accomplish their mission. 

U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 3rd Cavalry regiment, “Brave Rifles” Fort Hood, TX, surveys the area with a FGM-148 Javelin on Oct. 27, 2019. (Photo: Spc. Jessica Rutledge)