Category Archives: Warfighting

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Comms Down (IBCT PLT Attack)

The Company Leader TDG 19-08

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It’s dark and humid; sweat drips down your face as you collect your thoughts and reach for your RTO. Your platoon landed at the proper DZ; your squad leaders and platoon sergeant are establishing security. But for the last 15 minutes you haven’t been able to reach anyone on the radio. Comms are down. You and your platoon are behind enemy lines with just the equipment you jumped-in. “Sir, 100% accountability confirmed and security is set. We have to start moving; what’s the call?”

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U.S. Army soldiers prepare to jump from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during a forcible entry exercise over Fort Bragg, N.C., April 29, 2010. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson.
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The Command Sergeant’s Major Role in Fires and Maneuver

(Originally Published in December 2017 edition of the NCO Journal)

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Army doctrine is many things, but “it is not dogma to be applied blindly. It is adjusted to the circumstances of the operational environment.”1 Doctrine describes the role of a command sergeant major and tasks them to affect numerous areas of friction.

Command Sgt. Maj. Brian M. Dettle assumes responsibility as the senior enlisted advisor of the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade-Theater during a change of responsibility ceremony at the historic Palm Circle on Fort Shafter, Hawaii, Feb.1, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shameeka R. Stanley)
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Sustaining Multi-Domain Operations

The Logistical Challenges of Future War

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The Army can’t guarantee overmatch in future war – a luxury we have had since the end of the Cold War. Our senior leaders are acknowledging it. This is a sobering thought, especially for sustaining the force. As part of the so called “tail,” this changes how we support the future fight. We have spent our entire military careers operating in theaters where our forces have superiority across all domains. Our forces executed resupply operations from the division rear area in relative security. We were able to appropriately prepare to provide logistics across the line of departure, but no longer.

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Understanding the Tempo of Reconnaissance

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Tempo is the rate of speed and rhythm of military operations over time with respect to the enemy (ADP 3-90). It is related to the capabilities and supporting efforts within an organization. This definition is different than reconnaissance tempo, but equally important to military operations. Tempo controls or alters the rate of the operation to maintain the initiative for offensive operations. Visualization is key to understanding tempo. FM 3-98 illustrates an “X” chart with two sets of tempo: rapid and forceful & stealthy and deliberate. But, there are more tempos available to reconnaissance commanders. Proper understanding and application of tempo are means to mitigate risk and accomplish the reconnaissance objective.

Army National Guard Infantrymen from the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team seize a town from the enemy, June 7, 2019, at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. Seizing the key terrain enabled the 116th CBCT to maneuver pass the previously contested area. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Mason Cutrer)
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Defend the Pass (SBCT BN Defense)

The Company Leader TDG 19-07

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You are the Battalion AS-3 (Assistant Operations Officer) in 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment (SBCT). Your battalion recently seized Ujen and established security in the city. But before you can transition authority to the Atropian Government, your Brigade S2 reports enemy massing north of Granite Pass. The 111th BTG is amassing forces and preparing for a counter-attack after your brigade’s successful operations in the central corridor. Your battalion commander and S3 return from the Brigade OPORD Brief having conducted a reconnaissance of the objective and with the mission: defend. They are ready to give you your planning guidance. Prepare to copy.

Soldiers from 111th Infantry, 56th SBCT, conduct a night live-fire during Exercise Decisive Strike 2019 at the Training Support Centre, Krivolak, North Macedonia, June 11, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Frances Ariele Tejada)
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Operationalizing the Battle Staff in Garrison

Part III: Get Your Planning Reps, by the Desert Tortoise

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The Military Decision Making Process: four words that send shivers up your shell. But MDMP is simply a methodology to understand and solve tactical problems collaboratively. An underlying theme of Part I and Part II of this series is enabling and enforcing collaboration to achieve shared situational understanding. This piece focuses on leveraging shared understanding to solve home station problem sets with the same methodology you will use in combat. MDMP is hard because we rarely use it to frame and solve dilemmas at home station. The friction and fog of war will challenge your ability to execute MDMP. We can make it easier by training ourselves and our teams to solve home station problems collaboratively via this tried and true process. In this article, we will explore three common opportunities to get your battle staff good reps at planning: annual/semi-annual training guidance, collective training events, and the weekly FRAGORD.

M1 Abrams Tank overlooks the city of Razish while the crew undoubtedly hears the voice of Sir Alec Guinness saying “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
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Tactical Exercises from Across the Pond

A Repository of Australian TDEs from The Junior Tactician

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One of the coolest aspects of engaging in the online professional development space is learning from fellow practitioners I would not otherwise have met. Among these are leaders from our outstanding allies on the other side of the globe. There are too many leaders and forums to mention, but here are a few: Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan, Mick Cook, Tom McDermott, the UK’s Army Leader, and–most recently–the Junior Tactician. Our mutual dedication to the profession of arms unites us—as does our love of a good tactical decision game.

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Not Just for Nerds

Real-Time Military Strategy Games as TDEs

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Real-time strategy computer games are an underused tool for teaching tactics and strategy. Hold your skepticism and hard eye-roll for just a moment. I’m not talking about first person shooters where you look through the eyes of a soldier (although some of these games might have a place when it comes to tactical teamwork and on the spot decision-making). I am referring to tactical strategy games where the gamer control various units against another thinking, human being. They are simulations and they are not perfect, but I believe if you can teach a tactical leader the controls of some of these games you can hit home the complexity of tactical combat.

Wargame, and other such real-time strategy video games, offer another tool to add to our TDG kit. We push LVC-G options at the unit level, why not look to open source, market solutions as well. Image retrieved from YouTube still photo.

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Fight for Information (ABCT PLT Recon)

The Company Leader TDG 19-06

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You are a scout (recon) platoon leader in Apache Troop, 5-7 CAV, 1st ABCT, 3rd ID. You and your troop are conducting a zone reconnaissance in Donovian occupied territory of Atropia, from PL MIAMI (Whale Gap) north to PL BOSTON (the northern wall). Over the previous two weeks, your brigade has traded blows with elements of the 111th Brigade Tactical Group (BTG) in your fight to liberate Atropia. Your squadron has been critical in answering Brigade PIRs and informing the Brigade Commander’s decisions. But now isn’t the time to hit the breaks. As your infantry battalions shift their movement northward, it’s again time for you to cross LD in advance to provide space in time and fight for information.

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Operationalizing the Battle Staff in Garrison

Part II: Processes and Procedures

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Now that you replicated your tactical command post in your unit headquarters (Read Part I HERE), you need to put it to use. If the Command Post exists to enable Commander decision-making and to synchronize and support the efforts of subordinates, then we must implement the processes and procedures necessary to facilitate those efforts. Establish a battle rhythm focused on Commander touchpoints, build the running estimates that efficiently inform his or her decisions, and enforce tactical reporting as the mechanism to update those running estimates.

Engineer Advisors from A Co, 5th BN, 1st SFAB work with FORSCOM units to enable their advisory missions in the Indo-Pacific region. Photo Retrieved from Facebook.