Random Thoughts on Military Mobility in the Fourth Generation

First, what is mobility and why is it an important pillar for a Ranger to understand? Mobility in military terms refers to the ability of a weapon system, combat unit or armed force to move toward a military objective.

“As intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities are rapidly developing, mobility becomes even more important. In 2016, Chief of Staff of the United States Army Gen. Mark A. Milley stated that "On the future battlefield, if you stay in one place longer than two or three hours, you will be dead... With enemy drones and sensors constantly on the hunt for targets, there won't even be time for four hours' unbroken sleep"

Mobility has also been defined in terms of three generally recognized levels of warfare: tactical, operational, and strategic. Tactical mobility is the ability to move under fire. Operational mobility is the ability to move men and materiel within the area of operations to the decisive point of battle. Strategic mobility is the ability to move an army to the area of operations.”

Gen. Mark Milley is right, especially with the invention of IED drones. You want to talk about fucking nightmares? Airborne IEDs? Fuck that!

 So, now that we know how the US military defines mobility in the 2^nd Generation of warfare, let us look at how mobility affects a soldier in the 4^th generation. In 4GW there is no state with their never-ending supply lines to support their fight. It is up to the individual soldier to either supply himself or talk someone into investing in him and his cause. Those are your choices.

Always consider how the 4GW team mobilizes and operates. Keep it simple; communicate, assemble, attack and scalp, disperse, disappear, don’t say nothing. All in half the time it takes for enemy support forces to arrive. Use the CARVER matrix to figure out if targets are worth going operational for. In 2006 in Iraq, insurgents used wave attacks with similar principles to overrun not one, but two Marine Sniper teams. The Marine teams used bad tactics (staying in one spot for too long or using the same FFP (Final firing position) too many times. I was an Army Sniper. It pains me to say that Marines have a better pipeline to becoming a sniper. I have the utmost respect for them and have worked with them for many years of my career. The insurgents not only made off with some of the best sniper gear and weapons, but they made off with a Marine sniper too. He was recovered, dead of course. Don’t be that guy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/world/middleeast/6-marine-snipers-are-slain-in-ambush-in-western-iraq.html

   For the individual soldier, this means you must consider the following key points:

        The gear you carry. For the 4GW fighter, this means streamlined for efficiency and concealability, yet with enough firepower to sustain you in a fight long enough to assemble and attack, then disperse under contact. Be ready to fight in a minute if a target of opportunity pops up, but always be ready to disappear. You must become the sea of people the moment enemy troops show up. Consider where you want your extra mags and pistol. This could be a professional battle belt (I love, High Threat Concealment) (Update: HTC is out of business. Try Warrior Poet Society.). It most likely won’t be a tactical plate carrier. Too obvious, though in the end METT-TC will dictate what equipment you should use. Be the Gray man.  Fighting is ugly. Quit trying to be the tacticool operator.

       Knowledge of your AO. Intelligence. Local, local, local!! Get off the internet and go have a beer with your neighbors. Find out who they are, what they do, who they voted for, etc. Probe with innocuous questions. Walk your area learn the terrain for rally points, both micro and macro. I will have a post on the ten terrain features you should learn very soon. Five major, (Hill, valley, saddle, ridge, depression) three minor, (cliff, draw, spur) and two supplementary (cut and fill). I do forget how raw many of the readers are. The 1911 Boy Scout manual states:

 

To obtain a merit badge for Pathfinding a scout must

1. Know every lane, by-path, and short cut for a distance of at least two miles in every direction around the local scouts' headquarters in the country.

2. Have a general knowledge of the district within a five-mile radius of his local headquarters, so as to be able to guide people at any time, by day or night.

3. Know the general direction and population of the five principal neighboring towns and be able to give strangers correct directions how to reach them.

4. Know in the country in the two mile radius, approximately, the number of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs owned on the five neighboring farms: or in a town must know in a half-mile radius what livery stables, garages and blacksmiths there are.

            5. Know the location of the nearest meat markets, bakeries, groceries, and drug stores.

            6. Know where the nearest police station, hospital, doctor, fire alarm, fire hydrant,                                    telegraph and telephone offices, and railroad stations are.

7. Know something of the history of the place, its principal public buildings, such as town or city hall, post-office, schools, and churches.

            8. As much as possible of the above information should be entered on a map.

 Yes, that says five-mile radius. Do a fucking recon of your AO.  PT, PT, PT. Don’t be weak sauce.

           Your communications network: How do you communicate with like-minded individuals with common goals in your AO? How quickly can you assemble to defend the neighborhood?

        Physical training or your ability to get to a decisive point in a timely manner. Overweight people who drive Volvos do not become urban guerillas. You cannot E&E if you cannot move 20 meters without sucking wind. Get in shape. If you have a medical condition, get into better shape than you are currently in. You know you can.

That is it for today. Work on those ideas to become a more mobile combat force. If you have any questions ask in the comments and I will answer them. Stay hard.

A War Hero's Message: CSM (Ret.) Don Purdy

 

CSM Purdy was a Ranger who served for twenty-seven years in the US Army. He was a legend in the infantry community; his sixty-eight rules to live by became an excellent guide for all NCO’s to follow when leading/training soldiers. War has evolved, but make no mistake, some pillars of warfare will never change. He was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2001. CSM Purdy’s Ranger Hall of Fame write up is as follows:

Command Sergeant Major Donald Eldon Purdy is inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame for his extraordinary service to the Ranger community. He established a record of profound service as a Ranger in the Ranger companies of the Vietnam War, in the activation of the First Ranger Battalion, and in Operation Desert One. Command Sergeant Major Purdy also served as the interim Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and in his final Ranger assignment, the Command Sergeant Major of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion. He distinguished himself in numerous engagements during the Vietnam War. As a part of a 13-man patrol assigned to destroy an enemy communication site, CSM Purdy's team engaged a Viet Cong Regiment. Ranger Purdy's weapon was destroyed on initial contact but he continued to fight the enemy with grenades while giving ammunition to other Rangers. For his actions above and beyond the call of duty, CSM Purdy was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" Device. During another battle his team of Company F Rangers stopped a battalion of NVA from crossing the Vam Co Don River on the Cambodian border. Command Sergeant Major Purdy's element killed 55 NVA while sustaining only three Rangers wounded. He also served with distinction in reconnaissance and hunter killer operations in the Boi Loi Woods, and prisoner of war recovery actions. Company F's gallantry in these actions resulted in the award of the Presidential Unit Citation. From Vietnam through Desert One, CSM Donald E. Purdy served his country as a soldier and a Ranger.

CSM Purdy’s message to warriors/leaders:

TO: Whom it May Concern
FROM: CSM Don Purdy, Retired, USA
SUBJECT: WARRIORS

I would like to give an (Army) NCO perspective on this issue. I am a retired CSM with 27 years of service. Most of it in Ranger companies, and the Ranger Regiment. I am a Vietnam Veteran, and a veteran of special operations. I retired in 1995 but have done mostly contract work out of Fort Benning involving experimentation on MOUT Operations. I got to work around a lot of soldiers, and had to keep up with current trends and tactics. I am currently working in Saudi Arabia training Saudi paratroopers and Rangers.

1. Some senior NCOs are nothing more than boot lickers who sing the Army of One song to their superior officers every day. Commanders need to hear the good, bad and the ugly, and then be given good solid recommendations. They need their senior NCOs to be TRAINERS. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. DO as the troops do. LEAD FROM THE FRONT. GET IN THE DIRT.

This bullshit of "I have done that" is garbage. What you are doing now is what counts. Quit worrying about your next assignment. Focus on your mission now. Your mission is to train soldiers for war, and it's damned hard work. If you do it right, you will leave the Army in worse shape physically than when you came in. BE HARD BUT BE FAIR. You must have MORAL COURAGE.

2. Training is a word they can't spell. Chief trainer means chief boot licker. TICKET PUNCHERS.

3. "Moral courage" means telling your commander what he wants to hear these days. I was condemned by my peers and superiors for speaking up and telling it like it was. I was called a relic from the past that should be put in a glass case. I was focused on training for war, not peace. Discipline was my watchword, and the soldiers did not decide what punishment was right or wrong where I served as CSM. I was the Chief Trainer. The buck stopped with me. I participated in all training and lead by example. I was told by a Division CSM that I would never serve above BN level because I was too intrusive. That means I scared commanders with the truth. The next thing he asked was why do you train with your soldiers? The question was shocking, but the answer was simple. When I speak everyone listens. That went over his head like a tent. I carried a rifle, not a pistol, and I damned well knew how to use that weapon and my soldiers knew how to use their weapons as well.

4. Combatives are important. Boxing, wrestling and bayonet fighting are not antiquated. CQB is just what that means. Close Quarters Battle. MOUT, trench systems and bunkers must be cleared, and you had better be aggressive and prepared to do bayonet or hand to hand fighting. When others were laughing at my unit for doing this, my soldiers were prepared and understood what fix bayonets meant. They were aggressive and well disciplined. Sub standard performers were put out immediately. My First Sergeants were not mail men or chow deliverers, they were the Chief Trainers of their companies.

5. We trained for war, not peace. Live fires were a priority, and were not canned. Leaders, and soldiers had to react. Maneuver elements maneuvered, and had to rely on the SBF not to shoot them but only the enemy. Bayonets were fixed and there were dummy targets for the soldiers to engage with those bayonets. Resupply mission were planned and executed. The battlefield had to be policed of casualties, and equipment by any means available, even if it meant driving vehicle cross country or physically carrying the wounded. Reload drills, dead gunner drills, and crew drills were executed over and over and over again. These were executed night and day. NODS went on your face when the sun went down. They weren't hanging around your neck. We executed live fires at night with NODS in the woods, and the live fires were not canned. Raids, ambushes, search and attack were all executed at night up to company size. This took us over one year to get to that level. Mortars could hit their targets. Units could move silently day or night and didn't get lost. We did not rely on GPS. WE USED MAP AND COMPASSES. We lived out of our rucksacks, slept on the ground in all types of weather from the BN CDR on down. We did not look like bums. We shaved everyday, wore our equipment properly, camouflaged our face, and hands when necessary, soldiers knew how to maintain themselves and their equipment in the field and uniformity was important. Soldiers knew what a cat hole was, and that trash was carried in the rucks not thrown on the ground or buried for the hogs to dig up. Uniforms were worn properly. The companies received one hot meal a day and understood how to conduct tactical feeding. Our cooks knew how to function in the environment. The combat trains did not live in tents. Their perimeter was secure, weapons were clean, and noise and light discipline was maintained. Cooks, clerks and all other support personnel knew how to use their weapons and were trained in the basic infantry skills. Misfires were damned well rare, and punishment was swift when it did happen. We suffered no live fire deaths because we trained properly, and used good old-fashioned common sense. We never had the soldiers execute missions they were not properly trained for. The NCOs trained the soldiers, the officers commanded. Our motto was what ever you do, do it right. Rate of sick call in the field was almost zero. Moral was high because of good hard leadership from the front, and realistic tough training. We even executed a day of live fire training during support cycles. You need a strong CSM who understands discipline and training. He can talk it and walk it.

6. There is no such thing as a good field soldier. You are either a soldier or not a soldier. Everything from appearance to police call is important. This bull shit about my space and my rights is just that BULL SHIT. Barracks are not his or her home it's a place for them to live. For saying this I was told I had a mess kit mentality. This individuality BS of "I need my own room" is garbage. We waste more money building these condos so soldiers can feel good, and not be part of a team is sickening. They should live in fire team bays. It builds cohesion. Key control alone is a nightmare. Of course don't bother the poor soldier just let him live like a pig, and when he gets sick or you find out he or she is a drug dealer then blame it on the NCO Corps even though you the illustrious BN CDR, BDE CDR said leave the soldiers alone in their precious rooms. Soldiers are owed a place to sleep, their pay and the best leadership and training that can be provided.

7. DISCIPLINE is the key. DRILL AND CEREMONY is the foundation of discipline. When I say fall in I want to hear your heels coming together. When I speak you jump. All ceremonies should be executed with weapons so each unit can execute the 15-count manual of arms. Carrying a card around in your pocket does not develop good morals. Morals are developed through solid leadership not gimmicks and headgear.

8. You want to be politically correct stay on the block. You want to be different or an individual looking to be a victim stay on the block. If you're a pervert and proud of it stay on the block. You want to be a soldier then become part of a disciplined team. This is not a job it's a profession. You're here to fight our countries war not be a gut eating self-serving individual. Senior officers and NCOs I am telling you right now if things don't change you will have the blood of your soldiers on your hands. There is an enemy out there who is determined, and he is not concerned about individual feelings, or time out. If you don't train them hard now, and demand from them now what in the hell do you think the enemy is going to do to them. If they can't take the heat in training how are they going to take it on the battlefield? Technology my ass, soldiers win wars. Be hard on them now or watch them die, or worse break and run. BE HARD BUT BE FAIR! Being fair does not mean they dictate punishment or babying them. A Russian General said "Hard on the training field, easy on the battlefield." General Patton said "Leading from the rear is like trying to push spaghetti uphill." You want you soldiers to respect you not love you. When they look at you they should see a competent leader.

The best compliment I ever received was from a soldier who was PCSing. I was a PLT Sergeant in the First Ranger BN. He said "Sergeant Purdy I hated to hear you come in, in the morning, and sometimes I just hated you, but I would follow you to hell with gasoline drawers on."

Signed,

CSM Don Purdy, Retired, USA

Take from it what you need. Discard the rest. Quit being weak. Man the fuck up. Ranger the fuck up. Create something local that has American heritage which other men/young men will love and want to emulate.

What We Lost

Read, print, give it to your children and do the badge requirements with them. You’ll learn a lot too. This should be the Ranger Hanbook for kids:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29558/29558-h/29558-h.htm

We all bitch about the takeover of our country, but what are we doing about it? There are things you can do at the local level. Maybe we can take this old Boy Scouts manual and start a new Boy Scouts. One that follows the rules from the intent of the mission. Let us call them Junior Rangers, if you will, or Alamo Scouts. This manual at times reads like the Ranger Handbook. Seriously, read some of the badges and the requirements needed to earn them. We were so independent and we lost it all. The point is that it does not matter what their name is. Quit focusing on the national and focus on the local. Our children are the most important asset we have. Let us have them, first, so get off birth control. And then let us protect them, build them, and make them understand God, family, and community. Quit spending your money supporting nationwide causes and spend it on your local neighbor, fighting for the American way of life. Looking at you Boomers, you are the only ones with money these days to support an endeavor like that.

Consider this passage from the 1911 Scout book:

“The army scout was the soldier who was chosen out of all the army to go out on the skirmish line.

The pioneer, who was out on the edge of the wilderness, {4} guarding the men, women, and children in the stockade, was also a scout. Should he fall asleep, or lose control of his faculties, or fail on his watch, then the lives of the men, women, and children paid the forfeit, and the scout lost his honor.

But there have been other kinds of scouts besides war scouts and frontier scouts. They have been the men of all ages, who have gone out on new and strange adventures, and through their work have benefited the people of the earth. Thus, Columbus discovered America, the Pilgrim Fathers founded New England, the early English settlers colonized Jamestown, and the Dutch built up New York. In the same way the hardy Scotch-Irish pushed west and made a new home for the American people beyond the Alleghanies and the Rockies.

These peace scouts had to be as well prepared as any war scouts. They had to know scoutcraft. They had to know how to live in the woods, and be able to find their way anywhere, without other chart or compass than the sun and stars, besides being able to interpret the meaning of the slightest signs of the forest and the foot tracks of animals and men.

They had to know how to live so as to keep healthy and strong, to face any danger that came their way, and to help one another. These scouts of old were accustomed to take chances with death and they did not hesitate to give up their lives in helping their comrades or country. In fact, they left everything behind them, comfort and peace, in order to push forward into the wilderness beyond. And much of this they did because they felt it to be their duty.

These little-known scouts could be multiplied indefinitely by going back into the past ages and reading the histories and stories of the knights of King Arthur, of the Crusaders, and of the great explorers and navigators of the world.

Wherever there have been heroes, there have been scouts, and to be a scout means to be prepared to do the right thing at the right moment, no matter what the consequences may be.

The way for achievement in big things is the preparing of one's self for doing the big things--by going into training and doing the little things well. It was this characteristic of Livingstone, the great explorer, that made him what he was, and that has marked the career of all good scouts.

To be a good scout one should know something about the woods and the animals that inhabit them, and how to care for one's self when camping.”

That is deep and heavy for a book meant for children. But, they knew back then that evil was always ready to take advantage of the weak. Muslims know.

In Baghdad and Kabul, it was Mosques that supported the insurgency. This led to the families and communities resisting the empire. They stored weapons in them, met in them for planning, and sometimes fought out of them. I am not advocating for any of that right now. But I am advocating for real Christians to come forward. Create the organizations we used to cherish, like the real Boy Scouts. Trust in God. Let us start new churches and rid ourselves of the weak, non-Christian nonsense which we find in little cities across America. These days you will find a woman pastor and a gay flag in most. These are not Christian. It has been conquered by Satanism because they are concepts which go against the Old and New Testament. It is too easy to build new houses of worship. If you build it, they will come. Americans are hurting bad. They need direction. Point to God and the Bible. I leave you with the words of Paul, a man who killed Christians and was saved by Jesus:

  The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Remember the most repressed part of society is what they fear most. You cannot even say the name, Jesus without people visibly wincing. You cannot be white, you cannot be straight, and you can’t be a man. You certainly cannot be Christian. Be proud of who you are. Be proud of where you came from. Start at the local level. Think about it. Raptor two, out. 

 

Priorities of Work

Think about it with your house where it says CP

Patrol Base. That is getting down to the purpose of this blog, huh? What is a patrol base? What is a purpose of a patrol base? The Ranger Handbook defines a Patrol Base as “a position set up when a squad or platoon conducting a patrol halts for an extended period. The patrol base should be occupied no longer than 24 hours except in an emergency. The patrol never uses the same patrol base twice. The patrol leader must ensure that subordinate leaders establish a priority of work to accomplish patrol base activities. That is where we are at. Your home, or wherever you lay your head, is your Patrol Base right now. Treat it accordingly. War is evolving so evolve with it.

So, what are these priorities of work? Read below and consider your own home:

Priorities of work (platoon and squad). Once the PL is briefed by the R&S (Recon and Surveillance) teams and determines the area is suitable for a PB (patrol Base), the leader establishes or modifies defensive work priorities in order to establish the defense of the PB. Priorities of work are not a laundry list of tasks to be completed; to be effective, priorities of work consist of a task, a given time, and a measurable performance standard. For each priority of work, a clear standard is issued to guide the element in the successful accomplishment of each task. It is also designated whether the work is controlled in a centralized or decentralized manner.

Priorities of work are determined according to METT-TC and may include, but are not limited to the following tasks:

(1) Security (continuous):

·         Prepare to use all passive and active measures to always cover the entire perimeter, regardless of the percentage of weapons used to cover all of the terrain. (This Means use the weapons you have.

(If you only have AR’s, then that is what you use. If you only have pistols, well, get better weapons. If you have mortars, artillery, machine guns and AT-4’s, well, METT-TC.)

·         Readjust after R&S teams return or readjust based on current priority of work (such as weapons maintenance).

(Highest casualty producing weapons are cleaned first with all other weapons on the perimeter. If you are at your house this might mean that the pistols are cleaned while the rifles are ready to go. Use your brain. If you do not fear an enemy attack, then go to bed.)

·         Employ all elements, weapons, and personnel to meet conditions of the terrain, enemy, or situation.

·         Assign sectors of fire to all personnel and weapons. Develop squad sector sketches and platoon fire plan.

(This means anyone in the house, children too.)

·         Confirm location of fighting positions for cover, concealment and observation, and fields of fire. SLs (Squad leaders) supervise placement of aiming stakes and Claymore mines.

·         Only use one point of entry and exit, and count personnel in and out. Everyone is challenged, according to the unit SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

·         Hasty fighting positions are prepared at least inches deep (at the front) and sloping gently from front to rear, with a grenade sump, if possible.

(2) Withdrawal plan. The PL (Platoon Leader) designates the signal for withdrawal, order of withdrawal, and the platoon rendezvous point or alternate PB.

                *Something we used to do is have a black and gold plan. If the PB was attacked and on the verge of being overrun then leadership would yell, “Black, or gold” and everyone would echo it down to the last soldier. Basically, it was a code word where we could disperse in every direction and know where to consolidate. Robert Rogers actually did this during one of the Battle on Snowshoes and he barely avoided capture. Black would be one side of the perimeter and gold would be the other so it could shift depending upon where the attack came from. The places chosen would be 500 meters to a klick away at a known point or a major terrain feature. There we could assemble back up to break contact or counterattack. Highly recommended in these days of unscheduled raids on veterans homes.

(3) Communication (continuous). Communications are maintained with higher HQ, OPs, and within the unit. This may be rotated between the patrol’s RTOs to allow accomplishment of continuous radio monitoring, radio maintenance, act as runners for the PL, or conduct other priorities of work.

(4) Mission preparation and planning. The PL uses the PB to plan, issue orders, rehearse, inspect, and prepare for future missions.

(5) Weapons and equipment maintenance. The PL ensures that machine guns, weapon systems, communications equipment, and night vision devices (as well as other equipment) are maintained. These items are not disassembled at the same time for maintenance (no more than 33 percent at a time), and weapons are not disassembled at night. If one machine gun is down, then security for all remaining systems is raised.

(6) Water resupply. The PSG (Platoon Sergeant) organizes watering parties, as necessary. The watering party carries canteens in an empty rucksack or duffel bag and has communications and a contingency plan prior to departure.

(7) Mess plan. At a minimum, security and weapons maintenance are performed prior to mess. Normally, no more than half the platoon eats at one time. Rangers typically eat one-to-three meters behind their fighting positions.

·         Rest and sleep plan management. The patrol conducts rest as necessary, to prepare for future operations.

·         Alert plan and stand to. The PL states the alert posture and the stand to time. The plan ensures all positions are checked periodically, Ops (Observation Posts) are relieved periodically, and at least one leader is always alert. The patrol typically conducts stand to at a time specified by the unit SOP, such as 30 minutes before and after begin evening nautical twilight (BMNT) or ending evening nautical twilight (EENT).

·         Resupply. Distribute or cross-load ammunition, meals, equipment, and other items.

·         Sanitation and personal hygiene. The PSG and medic ensure a slit trench is prepared and marked. All Rangers brush their teeth; wash faces; shave; and wash hands, armpits, groin, and feet. The patrol does not leave trash behind.

         Raptor 2, out.

Beans and Bullets

 

This is going to be a quick post. Hopefully, I do not ramble. It is hard to organize my thoughts lately. But we must. It is ok to be angry, but we must not let it control us. Discipline is very important for effective organization and response. There is no organization right now on this side of the divide. This is normal as there is a lot of chaos, confusion, and distrust in this country. We are in the infancy of a great awakening and find ourselves toward the end of a great invasion and occupation. One which happened under our very noses. There are many enemies converging at once to destroy this once great nation. The people of this nation are panicked and flailing about like an amateur boxer who got punched in the face for the first time. Now is not the time to flail wildly about. Now, is the time to go to your corner, catch your breath and take the standing eight count. When you come back out, be more disciplined; that means organize yourself now. Consolidate, inventory, resupply, and fortify what supplies you have in your current position. Right now, is the time to keep your wits about you and practice something we used to call tactical patience.

Tactical patience is the practice of letting the situation develop on the battlefield so we can recognize what the enemy is doing. Once we make an educated observation, only then can we decide and act in our favor. It is Boyd’s old OODA loop, or observe, orient, decide, and act. This is what we need to practice right now as we wait for the situation to develop. Things are unclear. You do not want to run into a baited ambush. Look at those who stormed the Capitol. They had no plan and a tactical victory turned into a strategic loss. Like I said the other day, those people caught on camera were all arrested and will face the max punishments, guaranteed. There will be no mercy for you. Piss poor planning, as we used to say. So, let us control what we can control right now which is ourselves, our families, and our supplies. Consolidate, inventory, resupply, and fortify.  

A light infantry platoon has roughly thirty members to split up tasks in order to accomplish their missions and sustain itself. Additionally, I think there are seventeen support soldiers for every one infantry soldier to operate in the field. You do not have that. You will have to start this adventure as the Platoon leader, Platoon Sergeant, Squad leader, Team Leader, Rifleman, Medic, and Radio Operator while in the field. (See Duties and Responsibilities in the Ranger Handbook, Page 1-2.) You will also have to be all their support systems to include armorer, cook, mechanic, etc.… Like I said, this is only because we are in the beginning stage of whatever is going on in the country. Think of it this way, we invaded Iraq in March of 2003. We won the ground war and disbanded their Army and hunted any remnants of the Baath Party the following few months. Their state dissolved and there was a summer of chaos and lawlessness. The Iraqis did not know what to do next.

I am not going to argue whether the war was justified or not, the facts are that it happened. The Iraqi government, infrastructure, and economy was destroyed by a coalition of Western Armies who had no clue what to do after the quick victory. It was not until October that they were able to start putting together an effective response to the devastation which had happened to their country. In October, the IED, mostly indirect rounds (at that time, it would evolve) daisy chained to detonate in a staggered column to create a kill zone, made its first appearance in my AO. The IED, combined with a far ambush from former Fedayeen (Iraqi Special Forces for the Baath Party), was truly devastating and simple. In November of 2003, coalition forces suffered their highest casualties since the invasion. It would only get worse. But it took months for them to create the networks to push the proper response. Tactical patience as well as trial and error on their part.    

So, these things take time. In the meantime, beans and bullets. Medical supplies and tools. Repair items for gear which wears quickly. You are the Platoon Sergeant, medic, and supply sergeant here. Inventory, Inventory, Inventory, right now! Find weak points in your supplies and fix. Write it all down. For instance, consider ammo. Create a matrix with type of rounds and round count for each caliber and type. You should know exactly how many and what kind of rounds you have. Same with magazines. Do the same with food…etc. Update as you fill the gaps. Here is an outline of Paragraph Four of the Operations Order. It can be found in your Ranger Handbook on page 2-16. It is called the Sustainment Paragraph now instead of Service and Support for those who have not been active in some time. I guess some officer needed a bullet point for his OER so he made a nonsense change. Anyway, use this as a guide for what you need to top off. Read it all, but the most important item in this is your class items under supply. They are mostly self-explanatory, but if you do not understand then do some research. We need to have more initiative so we can control our own destinies. We need to be more resilient, adaptive, and smarter in the future, like our founders. Quit depending on everyone else.

SUSTAINMENT. Describe the concept of sustainment to include logistics, personnel, and medical.

a. Logistics. Include the following information:

·         Sustainment overlay: include current and proposed company trains locations, CCPs (include marking method), equipment collection points, helicopter landing zones (HLZs), ambulance exchange points (AXPs), and any friendly sustainment locations such as forward operating bases (FOBs) common operational pictures (COPs), or other methods.

·         Maintenance: include weapons and equipment, DX time, and location.

·         Transportation: state method and mode of transportation for insertion and extraction, load plan, number of lifts and serials, bump plan, recovery assets, and recovery plan.

·         Supply:

a.       Class I—food, rations, and water.

b.      Class III—petroleum, oils, and lubricants.

c.       Class V—ammunition.

d.      Class VII—major end items.

e.       Class VIII—medical supplies, minimal amounts.

f.        Class IX—repair parts.

·         Distribution methods.

·         Field services: include any services provided or required.

b. Personnel services support: include the method of marking and handling EPWs.

c. Army Health System support: include the following information:

·         Medical mission command: include location of medics. Identify medical leadership, personnel controlling medics, and method of marking patients.

·         Medical treatment: state how wounded or injured Soldiers will be treated (self-aid, buddy-aid, CLS bag (first aid kit), emergency medical technician [EMT], or other methods).

·         Medical evacuation: describe how dead or wounded, friendly and enemy personnel will be evacuated. Identify aid and litter teams. Include special equipment needed for evacuation.

·         Preventive medicine: identify any preventive medicine Soldiers may need for the mission (sun block, lip balm, insect repellant, in-country specific medicine, or other items).

There you go, get to work. Time is limited. Remember tactical patience in this time of chaos. Discipline is very important right now. Do not be a target. Operate out of the shadows. As the situation develops, I will expand on this with my own experiences in the field. Things like how to make a speedball, or what the rest of the sustainment paragraph means. Ill draw up a diagram on how to make a box for your supplies you can move with you on a minutes notice. For now, find a place to store this stuff without ruining it. Until next time, don’t forget nothing. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minutes warning. Raptor 2, out.