Why La Fiere is Important

In rare moments in history, a piece of ground assumes a value in the mind of anyone speaking or seeing the name-Gettysburg, Waterloo, The Alamo, Verdun, Tarawa, Omaha Beach, Pearl Harbor, Pt Du Hoc-invoke a lasting memory of special people in a special moment. Regardless of place or distance, a mention of the name invokes an image in all. Such is La Fiere.

PS Magazine Weekly Roll-up

22-26 November 2021

Here are the articles that appeared on the PS Magazine website over the past week (22-26 November 2021):

A coalition member waits to board a Blackhawk helicopter before a mission to target known terrorist threats in Northern Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom (Photo by Seaman Zachary Hernandez)

PS Magazine Weekly Roll-up

15-19 November 2021

Here are the  articles that appeared on the PS Magazine website over the past week (15-19 November 2021):

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers, 102nd Cavalry Regiment, call in radio support during CASEVAC training on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Schwenk)

Battalion sUAS Platoon

Building capability through restructuring the sUAS program at the battalion level

The modern-day maneuver company commander juggles many priorities in the execution of their duties.  Among these is the management of their small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) program. This includes both the standard Raven or even the bigger, fancier Puma.  But these assets are often squandered at the company level.  The need to train a proficient crew, employ the system and deconflict air space is too much for company commanders to manage.  The management of this program should be at the battalion level.  This results in a better managed, utilized and integrated sUAS program, while allowing maneuver company commanders to focus on what is actually important: the fight.

The Army could see new rucksack-portable drones in the force in short order, according to the Army’s program executive officer for aviation. (Capt. Justin Wright/U.S. Army)

Relationship Building

Training at Echelon as a BCT MICO Commander

The most important relationship in the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Intelligence War-fighting Function (IWfF) is between the BCT S2 Officer in Charge (OIC) and the Military Intelligence Company Commander (MICO CDR). These two have to own the problems and solve them. They accomplish this through a holistic intelligence enterprise, rather than divided as MICO problems or S2 problems. That mindset discourages collaboration. At times, it is an insurmountable obstacle. But it requires motivated, talented leaders engaged at every echelon from the MICO teams, BN/BCT S2 sections, and BN/BCT CDRs.

Every mission in the Army is essential and every MOS enables victory – deploy, fight, win, and bring our Soldiers home. (U.S. Army Photo submitted by the Author)

PS Magazine

Readiness is Our Mission

Leaders at all levels, from privates to generals, are ultimately responsible for success or failure on the battlefield. A huge part of preparing for combat is making sure the myriad of equipment, vehicles and weapons used by soldiers can perform when needed. That also extends to supply and logistics functions, the lifeblood of all combat operations.

From an Army Information Digest article, April 1964

Missing the Forest for the Trees

Professional journals, news articles and opinion blogs are rife with both praise and criticism for the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT).  While supporters laud the ACFT for its comprehensive assessment of multiple fitness domains and its foundation in the physical demands of combat, critics decry logistical and equipment challenges, controversial scoring standards, and the potential for increased injury rates.  Broad consensus regarding the ACFT’s efficacy is further complicated by the congressional halt of full-scale implementation as the test undergoes a third-party review.  Regardless of the merits and drawbacks of the ACFT, it is but a single piece in a much larger investment in how we understand, assess, and improve the health and fitness of the force. Specifically, this broader and more fundamental policy shift is the implementation of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system.

Army Spc. Kiana Malbas participates in an Army Combat Fitness Test at the University of California, Los Angeles, July 17, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Oposnow)