On the heels of a very successful #AUSADigital2019 event, I have been reflecting on the ways we as a #MilTwitter community can be better. Occupying that mental space, and enjoying a cup of coffee, I read a recent blog post from a close family-friend (@awktravels). She nailed it! Reading her thoughts on diversifying media, got me thinking about our own accountability, candor, and “outrage.”
With the introduction of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), tracking the performance of our soldiers has become even more important in tailoring our unit physical training plans. With proper analysis we will be able to identify weak spots in our PT plans and strengthen them. Although this was possible with the APFT, with only three events, it was harder to identify trends.
No rest for the wicked…nor for the recon squadron. After a 24-hour fight for Ujen and Razish, the infantry squadrons are consolidating and reorganizing. They are establishing defensive positions and preparing for the 111th BTG’s integrated attack. The regimental staff is conducting MDMP and developing their operations order. Regiment published WARNORD 1 last night. As the sun rises over the central corridor of Donovian occupied Atropia, the Brigade Headquarters is preparing to publish WARNORD 2 – plenty of time for the infantry squadrons before their BPT defend mission. But, to the recon squadron WARNORD 2 means it is time to cross LD.
I was a few weeks away from conducting my PCS move out of IBOLC when the 2-11 IN team notified us about the opportunity to serve as One-Station Unit Training (OSUT) Platoon Leaders. My initial reactions were the same as everyone else’s: negative. I came across an Army Times article articulating the reasoning behind integrating Platoon Leaders into OSUT. While my opinion of this assignment was not dramatically changed, the article did pique my interest and curiosity about the role of a Platoon Leader in the OSUT environment. After some consideration, I decided I couldn’t pass up this unique opportunity to shape a new duty position in the Army.
Soon the Army’s cavalry scouts will be called upon to execute reconnaissance on the multi-domain battlefield (MDB). We will face enemy forces who possess peer-level capabilities across most, if not all, warfighting functions. Now, more than ever, the ability to execute mission command and disciplined initiative is critical to successful execution of combat operations. For the scout, this requires reliable operational graphics and a well-crafted commander’s reconnaissance guidance. The scenario below is a hypothetical portrayal of cavalry scouts operating in a near future combat environment with clear guidance and graphics.
I vividly recall walking into my Squadron Commander’s office shortly after I took command of my first Troop. He asked me how things were going. I replied, “Sir, I feel like I’m treading water with a 20-pound brick right now. As a platoon leader and assistant operations officer, if something was wrong, I could always take things into my own hands and fix it myself. Now, it is impossible for me to fix everything myself. I have to get my headquarters section or PLs to fix everything for me.” He replied, “Welcome to command. It’s great, isn’t it!”
In the post-World War II era, the United States has enjoyed a near faultless tactical dominance and overmatch against its enemies. And yet, in that time we have, at perhaps equal rate, failed to “win the peace” in the post-war/kinetic environment. In the Post 9/11 era this has become status quo, a constant in U.S. combat operations. The shift from Afghanistan in 2003, “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq, and a whole host of other U.S. incursions overseas have left many scratching their heads. How can a global superpower win so spectacularly at the tactical-level and yet come-up short so often in the strategic ends? That is exactly what Lt. Col. Brendan Gallagher set out to discover in his recent book, The Day After: Why America Wins the War but Loses the Peace.
The eyes of a soldier have a different caste than others. They penetrate where others can’t see. They hold images we all wish were not there. The eyes of a soldier communicate much to the viewer. They are attuned to a primordial focus and see with great clarity what others cannot perceive. Windows to the soul, they can be wretched, determined, hoping, wishing, fierce, soft or totally blank. They are the ignition mechanism for the body and its continuous operation. This is the face of the experience of war. Once acquired, it never goes away. It may soften, but it doesn’t disappear. It will be recast at a passing sound, sight, or reflection. The images of moments past well-up from deep within and cast a clear countenance. It’s a look that only some can reflect–those that have been there and done that.
The radio squawks in your combat trains command post (CTCP) as you listen in on the battalion net. “DREADNAUGHT 6 this is ORPHANS 6, we low on fuel.” One by one, the company commanders report in that they are low on Class III. Your battalion, 2-34 Armor, 1st ABCT, 1st ID, has been engaged in a continuous decisive action fight for the previous 72 hours. There have been lulls, but the last 24 hours just outside of Razish along the central corridor wasn’t one of them. As the battalion commander says “Break, Break, Break,” over the radio, you know what is going to come next. Logistics are taking center-stage and operations can’t continue without more fuel–you reach for the radio as your mind starts turning over for a plan.
Our AARs largely focus how internal systems and processes respond to the challenges of planning and operating at distance, on difficult terrain, in constrained timelines. This was consistent throughout the nearly 120 after action reviews (AARs) I facilitated at the National Training Center (NTC). Most friction is inflicted by units upon themselves or by the overwhelming size and difficulty of the environment. We mitigate self-induced friction by building cohesive teams, establishing common processes and procedures, and refining them through practice (see Parts I,II, and III). We can mitigate the friction imposed by the environment by replicating those factors during home station training events. This final installment of Training Your Battle Staff in Garrison focuses on a few simple ways to replicate the challenges of the Decisive Action environment in existing home station training events.
