Category Archives: Warfighting

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Tactical Decision Games (TDGs)

An Introduction

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The worst time to prepare for war is when you find yourself in the middle of one. Tactical Decision Games (TDGs) – also called Tactical Decision Exercises (TDEs) – are, simply, situational narratives of a tactical scenario that provide leaders the opportunity to develop a plan based on abbreviated information and in a time-constrained environment. They are tactical/situational puzzles. They require little in resources and provide huge returns for decision-making and critical-thinking. TDGs are, in my opinion, an underused tool in the institutional, organizational, and self-development domains. Let’s fix that.

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A Few Moments After

The Nightingale Series

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When I joined the 101st as a replacement Captain, I was sent to the Screaming Eagle Replacement Training Center (SERTS) for a programmed week of prep before being assigned to a specific unit.  On the first day, the Brigade S1 raced up in a Jeep and told me to load my duffle bag and get in the truck.  I was replacing part of a company command group that had been killed on the edge of the A Shau. Training was over.

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Talk About Fighting

A Company Grade Letter to New Field Grades

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The Field Grade Leader recently ran a series of articles to Field Grade Leaders just graduating CGSC/ILE. The entire series is great, and I highly recommend you check it out. But, I took specific notice of a post written by Lt. Col. Teddy Kleisner. It is titled “Middle Management in the Trenches” and it is spot on. It is gritty, it is honest, and it is specific. As I am in the transition from Company Grade to Field Grade, this article inspired me to write a letter to my future self – the Field Grade version of me. This is in no way all inclusive or comprehensive as I have pages upon pages of notes from green notebook pages to Evernotes. But, it focuses on Lt. Col. Kleisner’s message specifically.

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CSM Don Purdy’s Rules to Live By

Repost from Open Source

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A few weeks back, a mentor of mine shared a post from Colonel (Retired) Keith Nightingale. The post was titled “Don Purdy’s Rules to Live By (Don’t Forget Nuthin’)”. Col. Nightingale served with CSM Purdy in the original 1st Ranger Battalion (now 1/75th RGR). I asked Col. Nightingale for permission to repost and he shared that it is open source and has been posted multiple places before. This advice should be reposted as many times as possible and read by every warfighter.

CSM Don Purdy served in Ranger Companies in Vietnam and in the first activated Ranger Battalion, 1/75 RGR. He also served in the 101st ABN DIV (AASLT), 4th RTB, and other units.
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Live the Fundamentals

A Brigade Commander’s Reflections on Company Command 15 Years Later

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As a Brigade Commander, I shared a document with my crop of company commanders here in the Ghost Brigade (1-2 SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). I discovered the old document, while searching for lessons learned from a previous CTC rotation, and thought it was worth sharing. The document contained my continuity notes for the next company commander of the “Deathmasters”, B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (SBCT) at JBLM from late 2002 and early 2003. The notes are included in the post below (with a few edits for language; I was less mature in the way I wrote).

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