Raven Report: JULY 23
Warrior Scholars Outthink, Outfight, and Outmaneuver
Warrior Scholars Outthink, Outfight, and Outmaneuver
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt” – Sun Tzu.
China is our national pacing challenge – China has been studying us, and we need to return the favor. 3-161 IN, the Dark Rifles, takes this requirement very seriously. We recently hosted a 2-day Leadership Professional Development (LPD) session on Chinese tactics with the U.S. Army’s author of ATP 7-100.3, Chinese Tactics. This 2-day course provided detailed unclassified information on the equipment, capabilities, and offensive and defensive tactics of the People’s Liberation Army- Army (PLAA), with a custom practical exercise of two tactical decision exercises (TDE). After months of working with the author and building excellent rapport, he designed the TDEs to neatly fit into our follow-on CPX (command post exercise), which served as the culminating event for the Dark Rifle Staff’s AT. This world-class learning opportunity with the Army’s subject matter expert rapidly trained our Staff from zero to moderate, and all happened because we wanted it and asked for it.
In the fall of 2022, the Dark Rifles switched to studying and planning against China as a pacing challenge. The rising specter of the PLAA and the recent change of Stryker Brigades being the rotational force to Korea drove this decision. As a part of this progression, we reached out to various resources within the Army, ultimately finding Mr. Brad Marvel at TRADOC G2. Mr. Marvel is the author of ATP 7-100.3 and conducted our first LPD in September. We were hooked and arranged a follow-up on LPD for our June AT.
The Dark Rifle LPD
We could not have asked for a better PE. Our S2 section took the lead in arranging the event (the result of the hard work performed by CPT Hyun Chang and 1LT Bryce Davies), with the TDE practical exercise (PE) as the centerpiece. We used the existing Decisive Action Training Environment – Pacific as the setting for our PE. The fictional nation of Olvana, which uses tactics based on the PLAA, was chosen as the adversary. The TDE was set in Korea (where SBCTs currently rotate to), and asked us to use the PLAA offensive and defensive tactics we were introduced to create a course of action statement and sketch for the Olvanan adversary.
The PE had two scenarios – offense and defense- in the same dense urban terrain. Making this even better was that we used the same terrain and general scenario for days two and three of our CPX. We ended up with three groups that presented our COAs to Mr. Marvel. Developing those COAs and getting Mr. Marvel’s feedback was the intellectual highlight. We had to challenge ourselves to think using a methodology we were still novices at. Fortunately, Mr. Marvel was not grading or interrogating us – he taught us things as we presented and was exceptionally curious about why we made our choices. He often alluded to our thought processes and choices in the PE being future discussion points within TRADOC.
Learn To Be Uncomfortable
The only disappointment of the event was the guest participants who left when we transitioned from receiving mode (during the lecture) to doing mode (when the PE started). We had numerous guests (both virtual and in-person) representing units from across the WA ARNG, and we invited them all to participate in the PE. But all either left before we could finish saying, “We invite you to…” or declined, citing another commitment. It’s possible that some had pressing other commitments, but I doubt that’s accurate for the majority. The TDE was not blatantly easy; we used what we were just taught and arrayed Olvanan forces for either an offensive or defensive mission (depending on the group). We then created a course of action (COA) statement and sketch, which forced us to do hard thinking and also made us realize that we are far from experts.
At times, we were uncomfortable as we formed groups that mixed warfighting functions, made mistakes in front of each other, and had to admit that we didn’t know things. But that challenge brought incredible learning. If the Dark Rifles had skipped the TDEs, we would have wasted the best learning opportunity and the central piece of the LPD. I was very disappointed that our guests weren’t willing to challenge themselves, expose weaknesses, and actually learn. And again, for anyone that really had pressing obligations that they could honestly not get out of, you need not feel bad. But let this be a lesson – learning can be uncomfortable, and leaders must know when to make people do things they wouldn’t otherwise.
Wrapping It Up
This LPD was an AT highlight for the Dark Rifle Staff. It set us up for our 3rd and 4th rounds of MDMP in the FY, 3 rounds of RDSP, and underpinned our 3-day CPX against a free-thinking OPFOR (also battalion size, like us) that was empowered to win. Mr. Marvel lauded our decision to switch and pointed out that we are one of the first units to make the switch and are pursuing it with uncommon vigor. This is an enduring shift for the Dark Rifles, and we enthusiastically volunteered to continue working with Mr. Marvel since it works great for both entities. If you have the chance to join us for future opportunities, make yourself available for the PEs. Make your subordinates step out of their comfort zone – you don’t realize how much you don’t know until you try.
HUNT. RACE. KILL.
Book of the Week
MG JFC Fuller is best known for Foundations of the Science of War. However, he wrote a much smaller, simpler, and more personal reflection about his observations of leaders in the military titled “Generalship: Its Diseases and Their Cure”
A Summary:
This short study, long out of print, presents Fuller's devastating criticism of British general officers based on his WWI and post-war experience as a general and long-time general staff officer. It came out in 1932, and he was put on the retired list a year later. Per the subtitle, the key to his analysis is the lack of a personal element in the modern general's command style. The telephone-mad "Blimps" in their Gilbert & Sullivan chateaux have been replaced by commanders micromanaging from wars from offices a world away. Fuller is as relevant as ever.
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