Category Archives: Warfighting

Posted on

Reviewing Cowboys Over Iraq

A Conversation with the Author, Jimmy Blackmon

by

Experiences shape people and training is a form of experience. It prepares us for the rigors of war. But we can’t fully comprehend the hardships that combat brings until we are in it. War is an experience unlike any other. Thankfully, we aren’t bound to our own experiences. Leaders can, and should, learn from the experiences of others. Former Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis once said that, “[people] have been fighting on this planet for 5000 years and we should take advantage of their experience.” Col. Retired Jimmy Blackmon once again contributes to that grand tradition of storytelling and gifts us his experiences. His new book, Cowboys Over Iraq, is gritty, honest, and high-energy.

Cowboys Over Iraq is an amazing story of leadership, innovation, initiative, and brotherhood.
Posted on

Fires on OBJ Sheridan (IBCT CO Fire Support Plan)

The Company Leader TDG 20-01

by

Your light infantry company is preparing to complete an air assault and secure a key intersection necessary for your division’s counterattack. The enemy’s airborne forces  defeated the Atropian Army units, forcing them to withdraw and consolidate. You haven’t encountered the enemy, but expect your base ammunition load to be at 90% after maneuvering to your objective. You are responsible for completing a fire support plan for the company attack and follow-on operations to secure the intersection. Your company will need to secure the intersection for at least 48 hours until the counterattack forces reach your position.

Sgt. Aaron Sweeny and Staff Sgt. Robert Novak, both with 3rd Platoon, Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force Spartan, watch explosions from a mountain top near Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, during a call-for-fire exercise, Feb. 3, 2012.
Posted on

Feats of the BSA Defense

Episode I

by

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.

Posted on

National Training Center Update (NOV 2019)

CO & PLT Observations & Best Practices

by

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.

Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Scout Platoon & Cavalry Troop Observations & Best Practices

by

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)
Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Armor Company/Team Observations & Best Practices

by

The Armor Company/Team constitutes one of the most powerful direct fire capabilities any Brigade in the world can commit to seize an enemy position thru overwhelming firepower, speed, and shock effect. In a decisive action environment, the ability of these formations to react quickly and decisively hinges on their intricate understanding of unit SOPS, a consistent understanding of their position relative to enemy forces, and the flawless execution of Company and below battle drills. Armor, like other units, achieve this standard by repeatedly ensuring they master truly essential tasks such as the ability to conduct tactical movement, actions on contact, attack by/support by fire, and defense of a position. They must exercise tactical patience by taking the time to clear restricted terrain, but, once committed, ruthlessly attack. 

Soldiers from the 116th Cavalry Regiment conduct tank crew gunnery, Nov. 11, 2019, at the Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Mason Cutrer)
Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Mechanized Infantry CO/TM Observations & Best Practices

by

At the National Training Center, mechanized infantry formations represent some of the hardest working Soldiers on the battlefield. Capable of clearing restricted terrain ahead of mounted armor formations, seizing and controlling urban areas, and providing support to enable myriad other operations, the four mechanized infantry companies in an Armor BCT often find themselves struggling to keep up with the demands for their formations’ capabilities. For Stryker BCTs, the speed of the Stryker platform combined with the power of anti-tank equipped dismounted formations poses a unique challenge to the enemy. Yet, often, because they overlook some very fundamental tasks, units fail to realize the true power of these formations. 

Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Field Artillery Battery Observations & Best Practices

by

Field Artillery units constitute the single most powerful combat multiplier on the battlefield under the direct control of the BCT Commander. By adeptly utilizing artillery fires, Commanders can effectively shape the deep fight prior to enemy forces making contact with the lead units of the BCT. They can also provide additional firepower to disrupt, neutralize, or even destroy enemy elements in the close fight. The decision to employ artillery and the decision to transition the weight of your artillery fires from one task to another cannot be haphazardly controlled. The deliberate execution of a scheme of fires, conducted in concern with the movement of direct fire ground forces onto enemy positions (the very definition of maneuver) constitutes one of the single most important tasks a Commander must perform to be successful in a decisive action training environment against a near peer threat. 

A 101st Airborne Division Soldier pulls the lanyard on an M777A2 howitzer during a fire mission in Southwest Asia, Jan. 26, 2019. The 101st Airborne Division deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, working by, with and through the ISF and Coalition partners to defeat ISIS in areas of Iraq and Syria. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Gyasi Thomasson)
Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Attack Helicopter Company Observations & Best Practices

by

When managed correctly, Army Attack Aviation represents the most flexible and powerful combat multiplier a Division Commander can direct to any area of operations. Unlike a counterinsurgency fight, attack aviation in a decisive action training environment must be conserved to affect the fight in accordance with the friendly scheme of maneuver in a synchronized manner. Most often, this implies employing attack aviation, en masse, as a maneuver element to destroy significant enemy capabilities. Whether committed to weight the main effort, employed as a separate maneuver formation as an economy of force or in the deep area, Commanders must specifically focus how attack aviation elements are employed. Today, our attack aviation companies can provide additional capabilities, unheard of during the counterinsurgency days of the early 2000’s. Yet, our ability to employ those capabilities is dependent upon a unit’s ability to train them effectively at home station. 

U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew-chief scans the horizon during a 20 multi-ship air assault to the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Island of Hawaii, Nov. 11, 2019. During the fire support coordination exercise at PTA, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade is tasked with providing troop-lift, air-assault, and close air support.
Posted on

NTC Update (NOV 19)

Military Intelligence Company Observations & Best Practices

by

The BCT’s military intelligence company provides a diverse set of capabilities to a Brigade Combat Team. Whether facilitating the execution of HUMINT operations in a local urban area, SIGINT operations by attaching small teams forward with reconnaissance elements, or information collection activities with UAV assets, every MICO should allow the Commander to better understand the tactical situation. Yet, to employ this formation effectively, it should be intimately comfortable operating in small teams, dispersed throughout the organization, trained to provide capability when and where it is needed to facilitate intelligence operations. Too often, Commanders relegate the training of these small teams to a series of command post exercises without critically thinking through how to best employ these crucial Soldiers on a modern battlefield. 

A U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, throws a small unmanned aircraft system Raven into flight prior to expected enemy contact in Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, during Saber Junction 19, Sept. 22, 2019. Forward observers who double as unmanned aircraft system operators can utilize equipment like the Raven to observe enemy targets from a safer distance and different perspective. S (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Lucas)