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Army decision making and problem solving
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It is necessary for military professionals to take the time to study military history, for it aids in not only their personal success but also in the success of the mission at hand. When one understands past failures and the causes, they are able to better wage what necessary actions must be taken to achieve success. Also knowledge is power. The more information a NCO has, the greater ability he has to make decisions which will allow him and his team to operate in a more safe and effective manner. By combining past success and failures with personal experiences, a NCO is better equipped for quick and effective decision making.
When one studies a past battle which has similar characteristics to the mission at hand, it enables them to decipher what caused the success or failure of that battle, thus enabling them to apply the knowledge to the current mission. In studying the Seminole Indian Wars in comparison to the Indian Wars, a NCO can clearly see how past failures gave working knowledge as to what to change to be successful in the newer Indian Wars.
Through the war with the Seminole Indians, it was clear that the failure of many of the battles was due to a lack of preparedness. Means of transportation for troops was poor, and did not allow for a quick response time to battles. Also while there was plenty of stock of supplies for troops, they were unable to obtain said supplies due to the transportation issues. “Logistical failure was a failure in transportation, not in supply. The depots had been adequately stocked; but wagons, roads and Army maps were lacking.” (Stewart, 2005 (1)) Through this lack of preparedness troops were set up for failure. Without necessary supplies, the Army could only last so long among the Seminole ...
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...g this history the NCO must keep in mind that while information from the past will aid in their success, it is a tool. It is important to remember that every situation differs from the last, one way or another. Not all circumstances will be the same, thus they must rely on personal experience as well as information to make rational decisions that will keep their units safe while completing the mission.
Works Cited
Stewart, R.W. (2005(1)). American Military History Volume 1 The United States Army and the Forging of a Nation, 1175-1917. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History United States Army
Stewart, R.W. (2005(2)). American Military History Volume II The United States Army in a Global Era, 1917-2003. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History United States Army.
Dougherty, E. (2005, November). Warriors for Good. The Atlantic Online, p. 3.
Dr. Andrew Wiest graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Illinois, Chicago. He is currently a Professor of History at The University of Southern Mississippi. He is a founding director of the Center for the Study of War and Society, and has served as a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Warfighting Strategy in the United States Air Force Air War College. He is a widely published award winning author. In addition, he appears in and consults on historical documentaries for several publishers. He began with a desire to help students understand Vietnam better. He met a Vietnam veteran, John Young, and discovered that the story of Charlie Company was a tale that needed to be told. He researched using personal papers, collections of letters, newspaper...
The men of the 714th Tank Battalion served their country in its greatest time of need. A key element of the 12th Armored Division, the 714th fought in harsh conditions against a desperate German enemy for five consecutive months, driving the Nazi Armies from France and back into the German heartland.
...am War is not just history but the fundamental part of our history. Therefore, it needs to be taken seriously. Only if we take it seriously, can we prevent ourselves from doing the same mistakes again. It also teaches how the war policies and authorities can blind us from the real reason behind the war. It is important to also know the enemy and plan accordingly. One can clearly see that higher technologies can go wrong when accompanied with failed strategies. Most important of the all it makes the readers reconsider their definition of just-war. Most important of all, “Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam” by Christian G. Appy teaches us how education and economic advantages can help us from facing the worst.
MacWhite arrived in Sarkhan well versed on the customs, language, and threats faced by the country; this aided him in everything that followed through his tour. Understanding the operational environment is critical in the proper application of all other Special Operations Imperatives. Failure to understand the environment may increase the possibility of applying other imperatives erroneously. By understanding the latter, MacWhite was able to face successfully the challenges through his time as Ambassador to Sarkhan.
Brigade General Scales, Robert H. JR. Certain Victory. The U.S. Army in the Gulf War.
Brown, Jerold E. Historical Dictionary Of The U.S. Army. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
BACM Research. (2009). Vietnam war: After actions reports lessons learned documents battle assessments. In Beverly Hills, CA: doi: Paperlessarchives.com
The Army’s history includes many unique global events such as World War I and II, the Vietnam War, the Korean conflict and most recently operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. An in depth study of these historical events is beyond the scope of this paper however, the origin of the Army is relevant in discussing the Army’s overall culture.
Naden, Corinne J., and Rose Blue. "United Nations." Americans at War. Ed. John P. Resch. Vol. 3: 1901-1945. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 187-188. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Custer’s failure to exercise the operations process had strategic consequences. His initial understanding was incomplete and precipitated the chain of decisions that led to his defeat. He did not visualize a realistic approach, and failed to thoroughly describe his plan of attack to his subordinates. Finally, he was unable to effectively direct his forces during the battle due to poor communication and a complicated chain of command. Had he taken the time to develop a full understanding of the situation, Custer would have lost the opportunity for a decisive engagement but may have survived to fight in more favorable conditions. Instead of accepting prudent risk, he gambled his entire force and lost.
“Twentieth Century: Military The First World War 1914-18.” Dartford Town Archive. 13 April 2003 <http://www.dartfordarchive.org.uk/20th_century/military_ww1.shtml>.
The first chapter of his book titled “Old, Unhappy, Far-off Things” gives Keegan’s recognition to the fact that historians do not focus enough on actual soldiers. To explain this further, what Keegan is saying is that a historian puts things in a pack of sequential dates and times; but to the soldier, these things happen very rapidly and many times without planning. Keegan continues on to make note that when a historian puts together the pain-staking task of compilation of facts, the information is put down on paper as the writer’s view of how the facts unfolded and not from the soldier’s perspective.
In order to debate this thesis statement, this essay will describe the relationship between situational understanding and visualization before presenting the challenges facing commanders to draw the desired end state.
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed writing by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend a NCO’s school. For most of us this is what our creed has become because we learn to narrate or recite. The military from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard has an overabundance of NCOs who fall under their pay grade of E-5, E-6 and etc. Yet somehow there still not enough leaders. I believe that the largest problem afflicting the military today is our lack of competent leaders, ineffective leader development, and how we influence our subordinates under us who are becoming leaders.
- - -, ed. "The Anti-War Movement in the United States." English.Illnois.edu. Ed. Oxford Companion to American Military History. 1st ed. Vers. 1. Rev. 1. Oxford Companion to American Military History, 1999. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. .