Lieutenant Colonel Moore led his unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th U.S. Cavalry to South Vietnam, and led them in the famous Battle of Ia Drang. Surrounded by enemy soldiers, and with no clear landing zone that would allow them to leave, Moore managed to persevere against the overwhelming odds and complete his objective. Moore's dictum that "there is always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success" and the courage of his entire command are given credit with the outstanding outcome (Galloway). Despite the fact that Moore's outstanding leadership and tactical prowess led to more than a 4-to-1 ratio between North Vietnamese casualties and U.S. casualties in their first major engagement of the war. Many consider this early battle a small preview of the U.S. tactics later in the Vietnam Conflict. In late October of 1965, troops of the 1st Brigade were sent into the battle. After the enemy was repulsed, the 3rd Brigade replaced the 1st Brigade in early November (X-Ray). After three days of patrolling without any contact, Hal Moore's 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry was ordered to air assault into the Ia Drang Valley on Nov 14. Moore's plan was to move Bravo and Alpha northwest past the creek bed, and Charlie south toward the mountain. Delta Company, which comprised special weapons forces including mortar, recon, and machine gun units, was to be used as the battlefield reserve. In the center of the LZ was a large termite hill that which was to become Moore's command post. Moore was the first man out of the lead chopper to hit the landing zone, firing his M16 rifle. Little did Moore and his men suspect that fate had sent them into the first major battle of the Vietnam War between the American Army and the People's Army of Vi... ... middle of paper ... ...y strikes. The battle was over. The NVA forces had suffered hundreds of casualties and were no longer capable of a fight. U.S. forces had suffered 79 killed and 121 injured and had been reinforced that would guarantee their safety the safety of all the companies as they medivacd all the wounded and dead, and resupplied. The actions taken by Moore and his command group from Company Commanders to NCO’s, saved the lives of numerous American soldiers. This battle shows the leadership and unit discipline were needed to survive and be combat effective in adverse situations. Throughout the battle you see numerous Army Values and Warrior Ethos being used. “I will never leave a fallen comrade”, was the etho used the most, to reach the separated platoon. The battle also shows that not all tactical orders are effective, but as leader you must never second guess yourself.
...ch Battalion. COL Freeman dedicated the reserves to regain the position lost by George Company. Rangers and the reserves regained the position. CCF endured their first tactical loss, while Eighth Army would not be defeated again. 23rd RCT were relieved by Task Force Crombez of 1st Cavalry Division.
The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
It was mid-afternoon on October 3, 1993. There were approximately 160 men eagerly awaiting the signal to proceed. Matt Eversmann sat waiting in Super Six Seven, a Black Hawk helicopter. He noticed that things were being done differently from the other setups, which had been false. This time they were packing more ammo and the commander had come out to see them off.
Three units were American (the 1/506th, 2/501st, and 3/187th Infantry) and two came from the 1st Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Division (the 2/1st and 4/1st ARVN). Colonel Joseph Conmy, Commander of the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne, controlled and led the main effort of the attack. His plan called for each of the five battalions to "air assault" into the valley by helicopter on 10 May 1969 and to search its assigned sector for enemy troops and supplies.... ... middle of paper ... ... Only Honeycutt's drive and fortitude kept his battalion fighting despite heavy losses, sagging morale, bad press, and deafening pressure from his chain of command.
These men of this division showed just how powerful they were just after their first appearance in war. Then this division was asked to be a part of one of the most famous missions in the United States Army’s history, D-Day. This division then took on this challenge of D-Day and were very successful in their mission. If the 82nd had not gone into Normandy the night before D-Day then the whole outcome of D-day would, with any doubt, have a different outcome for both sides. The task that this division took was pure bravery and courage.
(Kangas) Other notable successes came from elements like 5-62 ADA. They were the first air defense units to move into Iraq attached to Airborne unit troops and equipment. Their mission was to assist ground forces with the Stinger and Vulcan weapon systems under the protection of Patriot Batteries from the 11th BDE. (Kangas) In return for the protection, 5-62 ADA Stinger units would offer critical air coverage to Patriot due to its weakness and vulnerability to low flying aircraft.
This event took place in Vietnam about1972, around the time Americans were withdrawing from the country due to the public demands. A Captain John W. Ripley who has been assigned to overlook and advise South Vietnamese troops did not foresee himself doing such a heroic act to stop further advancement from the North. Captain Riley before being an officer was an enlisted personnel, he went through various amount of rigorous training, furthermore he did cross training with the British Royal Marines, and did a year long tour in Vietnam with the Marines. [Captain Riley’s dedication of duty could not be put in words. His self-sacrifice and steadfast performance to stop the North Vietnamese Army were even greater at this time at Dong Ha. He received information about an advance movement from the NVA into southern parts of Vietnam. A key element of this strategic move was the bridge of Dong Ha.
“Arracourt was the greatest tank battle of the war on the Allied Front.” This is how US Major General John S. Wood described the Battle of Arracourt, which took place in the last weeks of September 1944 in Northern France. The Allied Forces had landed in Normandy in June 1944, and by the summer had broken out of their beachhead. This started the great pursuit of the German forces across northern France towards the German border. By early fall of 1944, General George S. Patton’s Third Army had raced across France faster than anyone had envisioned and was in place to cross the Moselle River in the Lorraine area. Here his forces would face supply issues due to their speed of advance, increasing resistance from prepared German forces, and increasingly difficult weather. Patton’s first obstacle was the Moselle River and the fortress city of Metz. After crossing the Moselle with most of the Third Army by mid September, the US Third Army’s armored units were engaged in the largest tank battles of the Western Front at Arracourt. The next phase of the campaign was to reorganize and train. In early November, the Third Army attacked again and was able to capture Metz by late November, and reached the Sarre River and the West Wall. During the long Lorraine Campaign in late 1944, the US Third Army armored units were able to overcome stiff enemy resistance, superior quality vehicles, hard terrain, and difficult weather with the use of superior tactics, doctrine and leadership.
The Battle of 73 Eastings refers to a modern day tank on tank battle in the finals hours of 2nd ACR’s covering force operation. 2nd ACR’s main mission during Operation Desert Sabre was to cross the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border and advance east as a forward scouting element, defeating enemy units within its capability (Gulf War 20th: The Battle of 73 Easting and the Road to the Synthetic Battlefield, 2011). The Battle of 73 Eastings took place on 26 February 1991 in a featureless desert in Southern Iraq, near the Kuwaiti border. The battle began when elements of 2nd ACR encountered Iraqi forces made up of Tawakalna's 18th Mechanized Brigade and the 12th Armored Division's 9th Armored
The final plan for the operation called for a main drive against the Southern face of the salient, a second drive from the west and then holding attacks and raids at the tip. The I and IV Corps were going to be the main attack forces. I Corps, commanded by Major-General H. Liggett, included the 82nd, 90th, 5th and 2nd Divisions was set up on the Southern side of the salient, with the 78th, 18th and 33rd Division in reserve (see Map 2). The IV Corps, lead by Major-General Dickman was set up right along side and to the West of I Corps and contained the 89th, 42nd and 1st Divisions with the 3rd Division in reserve (see Map2).
Just two months before the tide-turning 1863 Battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War, the southern Confederacy was riding high. After a string of previous victories, including the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had decisively beaten the Union Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville. The Northern forces, therefore, needed some assessment and introspection to turn the tide in their favor. Almost immediately, the demoralized army turned its introspection toward its leader, Major General Joseph Hooker and his command during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Accordingly, this paper intends to demonstrate that the mission command carried out by MG Hooker failed in several respects, including his assessment of the situation during the battle, direction of his forces, and his visualization of his area of operations.
Lieutenant General James Conway, Commander of the First Expeditionary Force (MEF), was ordered to withdrawal his Marines from Fallujah and leave the city to the insurgents1. Throughout Iraq and the Muslim world, this was perceived as a major victory for the insurgents. This victory inspired other Muslims to join the cause, and they soon flocked to Fallujah increasing their presence in the city. In the months following April 2004, leading up to Battle of Fallujah 2, otherwise known as Operation Phantom Fury/ Al Fajr (New Dawn), the insurgent numbers were increasing by the hundreds. This battle is one for the history books, it is said to be one of the bloodiest and most talked about in OIF. At the end of the campaign, 51 service were members killed, 425 wounded, 1200 insurgents killed, and 1000 prisoners captured2. This battle set the stage on how the Unite States Military conducts future Joint Operations throughout the rest of OIF.
...he AEF was organized. He led the first true combined force into battle. Because of him, we had a tank force that was integrated with infantry maneuvers to create a full spectrum force, a force that today, they call modular forces, then were flexible forces. Military strategy has not changed as much as many think over the years. Smart men have tweaked some ideas but the base idea is concrete. Our tactics and leader responsibilities have not changed. With my research, I did not find what I was looking for, but what I found was profound. I found a man that inspires me to be a better leader, tactician and student of my profession. I will close with my favorite quote from the late General of the Armies John “Black Jack” Pershing. “A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops.”
The American Revolution was a struggle for the American military from the beginning. The British Army was a better trained and equipped force. The Battles of Lexington and Concord following the battle of Bunker Hill were significant to the victory of the American forces over the British. The Battle of Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula north of Boston on June 17th 1775 was arguably one of the key events that set in motion American victory. The battle was a loss for America, but the audacity and strength the American militiamen showed in the face of adversity inspired later actions by other forces in America to fight against a far superior enemy. This paper will analyze the tenets of mission command as exercised by Colonel William Prescott, to include: understanding the battlefield, visualizing weaknesses, and directing reinforcements throughout his leading and assessment processes. COL Prescott also used his presence on the hill to motivate his men to hold their positions in the face of overwhelming odds.
The book, We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, begins at a pivotal point in American history. The year was 1965; the year America began to directly interfere with the Vietnam affairs and send our young men to defend the notion of "freedom." During this year, Vietnam interested and concerned only a few Americans. In fact, the controversy of American involvement in Vietnam had hardly begun. But this all changed in November 1965 at the Ia Drang Valley in distant Vietnam. The Battle at LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany was the first major battle of the Vietnam conflict; a conflict that lasted decade and caused American turmoil for many more years.