Tag Archives: Lessons Learned

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The Brigade Battle Captain

An Informal Guide to an Informal Role

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Few officers arrive prepared to be a  battle captain and the Army doesn’t provide formal training for the position.  Although the role is typically an additional duty, the performance and experience of this single officer can have outsized impacts on unit effectiveness. A unit that invests even a little time in the selection and preparation of their battle captains will experience asymmetric returns. They will gain benefits in the immediate, upcoming operations as well as in the development of a future organizational leader. A well-trained and well-informed battle captain provides organizational flexibility, enables greater coordination among subordinate units, and empowers leaders to make better decisions.  

1-12 IN conducts Squad Situational Training Exercises (STX). U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Chelsea Hall.
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Think, Ask, and Observe

Preparing for Command, Part I

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Company command is the pinnacle experience for a junior army officer. It gives officers the first true opportunity to take charge and implement a vision. There is a lot that goes into a successful command, but it starts with the right preparation. The best prepared commanders use the pre-command transition to think, ask questions, and observe. These short weeks make the difference between a running start and feeling lost three months into command.

A paratrooper from the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, performs the action of present arms on Fort Bragg, N.C., May 19, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dustin D. Biven)
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Things I Learned in Combat

Part II: Planning

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The hard-fought lessons we learn in combat can’t die with us. They need to be passed on to help others succeed. Those lessons aren’t just in fighting. One of the most sacred responsibilities of a leader is to create more leaders. In Part I of this series we reviewed lessons in fighting. You can find those lessons HERE. In Part II, we will discuss the fight before the fight: planning.

An interpreter with the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade translate information from a Afghanistan National Army member to a 2nd SFAB advisor during engagement training at the Joint Readiness Training Center. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Sustaining Aviation Combat Power

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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The Aviation Task Force (AVTF) provides a lethal mixture of firepower and maneuverability. Depending on task force configuration, the AVTF consists of a varying quantity of AH-64, CH-47, UH-60, RQ-7B’s and MQ-1C. They all enable the ground force commander to find, fix, and destroy the enemy though fires and maneuver. However, this also presents the AVTF Commander with many unique maintenance challenges not typically found in any other unit. Here are some best practices to help with sustaining aviation combat power in the decisive action environment.

A prolonged exposure shows streaks of light from the headlamps of a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crew while performing a preflight inspection on an aircraft prior to launching on a personnel movement mission Dec. 8, at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Peter Smedberg/Released)
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Brigade Maintenance at Pace

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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The brigade maintenance program at home station sets the climate for maintenance management during the fast-paced decisive action fight. Brigade Combat Team can overcome the challenges they will face at the National Training Center by implementing best maintenance practices. The maintenance system will never be effective or efficient in a tactical scenario if it is not practiced at home station.

Soldiers with the 32nd Composite Truck Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, and the Army Reserve’s 257th Transportation Company standby for communications checks prior to a recovery mission in support of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 31, 2016. (Photo by 1st Lt. Trevor Kinkade).
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Things I Learned in Combat

Part I: Fighting

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The most important thing any Army Leader will ever do is lead their soldiers into war.  It is the ultimate reason we exist. It can also be one of the most costly things one can do as a human being. Preparation is vital and lessons should be learned and shared widely. This is part one in a series of posts covering the hard lessons I’ve learned in combat.

A Texas Army National Guard paratrooper assigned to the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade prepares for a static-line jump on a Hawaii Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III, June 14, 2019, over Boboc Drop Zone, Romania. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier)
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The Science of Control

Synchronizing Current Operations

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The current operations (CUOPS) cell is essential to translating plans to orders and eventually the execution of combat operations. The CUOPS integrating cell “is the focal point for controlling the execution of operations. It “involves assessing the current situation while regulating forces and warfighting functions in accordance with the mission, commanders intent, and operations.” (ATP 6-0.5) CUOPS synchronizes operations, sustains the common operational picture (COP) and mitigates risk to the mission. In the operations process, the CUOPS cell is the commander’s most prominent tool to understand, describe, visualize, and direct operations. Because of the cell’s importance, the CUOPS teams must organize and train personnel, information systems, and processes to enable the commander to make a decision base on understanding rather than data points.

Currently, main command posts, commonly known as TOCs, still must be housed in tents until the U.S. Army can make the mission command systems smaller and mobile. Photographer SGM Thomas Murphy
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National Training Center Update (NOV 2019)

CO & PLT Observations & Best Practices

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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.

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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Armor Company/Team Observations & Best Practices

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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)
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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Mechanized Infantry CO/TM Observations & Best Practices

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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.