Creating a Supercharged Battalion
By Lieutenant Colonel William David
Creating a Supercharged Battalion (Full PDF Article)
From the Preface:
In late July 1993, the 2nd Battalion 14th Infantry Task Force, 10th Mountain Division, departed Fort Drum for Mogadishu. They were to become the ground element of the 10th Mountain Division Brigade serving as the Quick Reaction Force for the United Nations command in Somalia.
They were the only U.S. maneuver element in country. Over a seventeen hour period on 3 and 4 October, TF 2-14 Infantry--fighting its way from the Mogadishu airfield to downtown--extracted ground elements of Task Force Ranger following the downing of two Task Force Ranger helicopters during an operation that had begun midday on Sunday the 3rd. This battle was marked by fierce fighting.
The 2-14 Infantry accomplished their challenging and dangerous mission. I am one of those who believe that only a really extraordinary infantry battalion could have gotten the Rangers out that night. TF 2-14 Infantry was clearly outstanding. Several of us, therefore, encouraged LTC Bill David to write this story.
Bill's story is simple and complex at the same time. The insights and lessons are, for the most part, timeless and broadly applicable. Bill presents a clear picture of what is required to make an outfit truly first rate.
This is the story of a battalion commander leading his soldiers in combat. LTC David describes how he built on the basic Army training and doctrine formula and added particular emphasis in core areas to develop a winning team.
This is a personal account. It is not history.
Luck was not a factor in 2-14's success. As will become apparent, 2-14's performance was the result of mission/combat-focused training, careful planning, aggressive execution, and an unwavering commitment to the welfare of soldiers....
Comments
I remember as clear as day, having to write a one page paper for my BDE CDR in 1999. It was part of the BDE OPD writing program, and the paper was on the book "Blackhawk Down". Of course the paper was mainly lessons learned from many mistakes that TF Ranger had made.
However, I had no idea that "Developing a Supercharged Battalion" had existed. Thanks for resurrecting the paper, which has timeless principles and great ideas. Excellent read.
What stands out to me, after having read both, are the certain ironies. It is very rare in combat/war to have a GPF, so to speak, save an elite force, SOF. Typically, the elites are the ones going in to save others in a tight situation. Additionally, it appears, that the classic "time and chance" scenario befell all in Mogadishu. No one knows when their number will be called. The reality is you must always be prepared for the worst. Because TF 2-14 was, as it seems, more prepared, many lives were saved. It probably could have been much worse if they had not done all of the hard, disciplined training leading up to their deployment, and during. I'm sure TF Ranger have said the same. LTC David seemed like an incredible BN CDR.
First of all, I served in the 2-14 under LTC David. This guy was loved by the men he commanded and we would have followed him to the gates of hell itself (speaking figuratively). Few military leaders have enjoyed the level of loyalty he obtained with those under his command.
Secondly, the premise of the article is to offer a road map to aspiring commanders to follow to take an average/good unit of soldiers - great soldiers. The principles can be applied to team in business and sports as well. The line you're focusing on is not the crux of the article. He is correct though, many find religion when bullets, mortars, and RPGs start flying around.
Finally, at no time serving in the battalion was religion forced upon us by him or any other commander in the unit. I distinctly remember an occasional "help 'em Lord" or "jump 'em Jesus" from the chaplain during rousing speeches made by LTC David. LTC David's 2-14 infantry battalion was successful in three battles with the Somalis (while being outnumbered). His men gave outstanding performances in the JRTC and OPFOR deployments before going to Somalia.
If you get your commission and become half the man he was, then you will be a decent leader. I know this is a late post, but I just recently came across this article.
"9. Pray regularly and get to know your God. Encourage your subordinates
to do the same. There are no atheists in foxholes."
Seriously, WTF? Do I even need to address this point? To believe in a monotheistic deity is a prerequisite for combat? Since when? And when did spouting a platitude become an appropriate substitute for logic? Guess what, Im an atheist, and Im looking to gain a commission (Army or Marines) in a combat arms branch. This type of thinking disgusts me to my very core. I can understand the benefits of religion to a man engaged in combat. There are tangible benefits related to the psyche. But to encourage my subordinates to believe in a certain religion is reprehensible. I cannot fathom how it would be appropriate for any officer to "encourage" (read: proselytize) a religion in a platoon, company, whatever, when the military is made up of an eclectic mix of Hindus, Jews, Christians, agnostics, atheists, and Buddhists. I would have no problem leading prayer (of course I will keep my being an atheist hidden), or discussing in an objective way faith, but I will never favor or press upon anyone a certain religion. Its like an officer overtly flaunting his political views. He simply should not do it. This type of backwards thinking regarding religion will only hurt the military in the long run, and 100 years from now, people will look back upon the times when atheists were vilified with shame and scorn.
Aside from this revolting line, I enjoyed the article. I wish it could have been more descriptive, but it was still quite good.