Of history, warfare, leadership, and alcohol
While attending a Working Group during my deployment to Romania, my fellow Field Grade Officers and I were discussing the Initial Operating Capabilities (IOC) and Full Operating Capabilities (FOC) for our Tactical Command Posts (TAC) within the context of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). As we discussed these capabilities, we briefly touched on the criteria to begin breaking down our TAC …
Enemy forces in depth. Mass over maneuver. As an engineer officer, I care passionately about just a few things: castles, engineer buttons, and combined arms breaching. And while there were no engineer buttons at Helm's Deep - a simple oversight, I'm sure - that engagement encompasses a wide swathe of engineer lessons learned. Yes, this …
Continue reading "Warfighter: Helm’s Deep"
Strap yourselves in, folks, it's time to ruin yet another timely classic by giving it the old "analyze it to death" treatment. And this time, we're going back a ways. A long time ago, to be exact, in a galaxy far, far away. More precisely, we're going to the ice planet of Hoth. If you've …
Continue reading "Warfighter: Hoth"
“I approve of all methods of attacking provided they are directed at the point where the enemy’s army is weakest and where the terrain favors them the least.” - Frederick the Great The Battle for Mosul is now just about one month old, as Iraqi Security Forces - bolstered by Coalition air and artillery support …
Continue reading "Combined Arms Breaching: From Helm’s Deep to Mosul"
When I think of the six warfighting functions I always think of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. What, you don't? Let’s be honest, one does not immediately think of fantasy or science fiction when conversations turn to Army doctrine. Most vignettes that are used to make the subject understandable to the lowly minds of …
Continue reading "Warfighter: Middle Earth"
One Friday night, dark and dreary, At my desk I slumped, weak and weary. A late-night tasker, come my way, Too “urgent” to wait just one more day. “See here, LT,” the S-3 had said, “This suspense can’t wait, don’t mark as read, “Write WARNO, write FRAGO, pen the order, And ensure your slides have …
Continue reading "Ballad of a Young Staff Officer"
I know you all are like me; you get excited when new doctrine gets released. Giddy, even. So I know that when the Army released Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 1-02 Terms and Military Symbols you immediately downloaded the whole thing and had a good read. Or not. One thing always strikes me when going through this …
Continue reading "Military Graphics: What they SHOULD Mean"
In the timeless children's classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the character of the professor is attempting to explain how there can be parallel universes to the children, but is encountering disbelief. "Bless me," he says, "It's all in Plato. What DO they teach them in these schools?" Similarly, one could tell …
Continue reading "Tilting at Windmills: Army Officer Education versus Training"
The Angry Staff Officer 
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