Personal Narrative: Battle Space Owner

In 2012, General Dempsey states “Mission Command is fundamentally a learned behavior to be imprinted into the DNA of a profession of arms.” The way Mission Command has evolved through the past years is indicative to the US Military adjusting to a new threat. The concept of Mission Command is not new, what is important is how General Dempsey states “Education in the fundamental principles of mission command must begin at the start of service and be progressively more challenging..” The General emphasizes the need for education at the start of the individual’s service. Additionally, this highlights the United States Army’s doctrinal adjustment to the new threat. During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US faced an enemy whose creativity and adaptability are two of its greatest assets. The fast-paced situation changes in both of those AOs required tactical level leadership maintain the autonomy to “exercise disciplined initiative.” This type of initiative historically leads to mission success, specifically in fast-paced situations where a key to success is forcing the enemy to react.

As stewards of our profession, commanders ensure that military expertise continues to develop and be passed on to aspiring professionals through operational development. It is during this developmental phase that Professional Soldiers put their knowledge and skills to the test. Operational Army units certify and recertify their Professional Soldiers through repetitive and realistic training events including the Combat Life Saver Course, platoon live fires, and exercises at the National Training Center. In the course of these challenging and realistic experiences, the Army’s operational units develop Soldiers and leaders prepared to maintain high standards, discipline, and operational readiness. Operational development and adaptability will continue to drive changes in Army doctrine, organization, leadership, and education as we enter the post-war era. Without this kind of development, the Army could not maintain a well-disciplined professional fighting force.

Cornered, Terrified, and feeling the despair of the situation creeping in, I was numb. Staring at Drew and trying to grasp the situation, a flash of rage overpowers my anguish as I suddenly have a flashback of Drew welcoming me into the squad with open arms. The warmth of that time would be heaven compared to this agonizing heat and sand blasting into my face. Now though, here he is in my arms, with his pulse slowly fading. I get snapped out of it by gunshots followed by hoarse screams. We were being subdued, I had to think fast. My heart was racing out of my chest, wanting to escape this hell but my eyes scanned the situation. For a split second, everything seemed to be in slow motion and I sensed danger and instinctively ducked. Something grazed my hair, I look up to see a bullet zoom on by. With nowhere to run and location found out, I had to plant my feet and fight.

The mission command of the Battalion Headquarters, company, and the platoon is to provide the most realistic training. Thus, improving the training performance across the Combat Brigades Units. Moreover, this practical training builds on positive reinforcement of training objectives, identifies the errors on the training battlefield, subsequently enhancing the survival rate on the actual battlefield (Operation Group, 2017).

I set the example in all aspects of my duties, managed multiple leadership positions above my pay grade to standard. Conducted varies field training exercises under stressful conditions including operating out of tents in the Alaskan below freezing temperatures. Also navigating harsh terrain mounted and on foot with map, compass, and other GPS devices while maneuvering with an infantry platoon.

This concise paper addresses a lifetime of learning on part of the author and the gracious graduated squadron commander interviewee who leant his time and wisdom. In the next few paragraphs the three key elements that will be addressed include: the author’s leadership philosophy, elicited in the hot seat from the Group Commander, a summary of the author’s commander interview, and an analysis of the interview through the lens of the author’s own philosophy.

The war grounds are so treacherous, dead bodies are everywhere. We are still one of the three Central Powers. We’ve shot down many trade ships and submarines. Our new technology is very innovative. The poison gas is great but backfires when there are winds bringing back the gases to our trenches. These are extremely deadly and kills almost anyone instantaneously. It burns the respiratory systems of soldiers that don’t wear gas masks, which is a very common circumstance.

Information: Information addresses the ability to influence groups or populations through direct or indirect action.Infrastructure: The infrastructure system is more than just a collection of physical assets.Physical Environment: JP 3-0 defines the physical environment by the dimensions of land, sea, air and space. Humans live, breathe, and walk in the physical environment, and they see, hear, and touch objects that are real.Time: Time is a significant consideration in military operations. The analysis of time is an operational variable focuses on the benefits and liabilities of duration of operations to each side.NOTE: As applicable, instructors: 1. Reinforce some or all elements of the Detect, Identify, Decide, Engage, and Assess (DIDEA) Combat Identification process.2. Emphasize the importance of maintaining situational awareness. Accurate target identification and maintaining situational awareness result in increased combat effectiveness. Improper target identification and a lack of situational awareness are the main causes of fratricide. 3. As appropriate, instructors will incorporate one or more situations into the (FTX / STX / PE) which include friendly or neutral elements that require the Soldier to make a "shoot /

Combative positions are the most elite MOS’s that the United States armed forces has to offer. They require an immense amount of knowledge, training, and physical ability, making them the hardest to enlist in. Such high standards and requirements ensure that those filling such positions are equipped in every way possible to successfully complete each mission that they are placed in with as few casualties as physically possible. Combative positions carry a much

In May of 2005 I embarked on my first deployment with 2nd Ranger Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment to Bagram Airfield (BAF), Afghanistan. I was assigned to Charlie Company 1st Platoon Weapons Squad as an anti-tank gunner (M3 Carl Gustav) with secondary duties as an ammo bearer for the M240B machine gun if the mission called for it. Little did I know that my time in Afghanistan would forever change my life and the RANGER Creed stanza “Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent and then some” would be etched in the forefront of my mind.

The beginning of the fight was messy, we had some trouble locating weapons to hold our front door. On the other hand they couldn't keep the pressure on to waste our ammo so we regained our footing. After several repeated tries they

In my first junior leadership role, I am tasked to lead a team of young Paratrooper on door to door search and rescue missions. Sadly, most of the homes and facilities did not have survivors. Months after returning to Fort Bragg from Hurricane Katrina, I am back on a plane now heading to war. I lead eight Soldiers in Iraq threw 15 months of nightmarish war. My Platoon Leader, Lieutenant John Johnson, records in my performance evaluation “outstanding mental and physical conditioning enabled him to lead from the front during 15 months of continuous combat operations… Unquestionably top 2% of NCO’s [Non-Commissioned Officer] I have worked with in 7 years”. With the conclusion of my tour with the 82nd Airborne Division, I am now enlightened of the devastating destructive power of nature and a witness the evils of what war really is. I am now determined more than ever to live my life to the fullest potential and to give 100% at all I do.

James R. McDonough sets a spectacular example of what it is to be a second lieutenant in the United States Army and what it is truly like to lead a group of enlisted soldiers for the first time. Lieutenant McDonough, a graduate of West Point, was deployed as a platoon leader in a small fort with the mission of holding a Vietnamese village out of the hands of the Viet Cong. When he arrived, Lieutenant McDonough discovered that the former Lieutenant and platoon leader of the 2d Platoon, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry (Airborne) hardly ever left his

During these tours, I demonstrated the ability to solve complex Joint and Service challenges and while in combat, navigate complex leadership challenges to include overcoming the impacts of two “killed in action” deaths. Although I have established a modicum level of relevance within my service and across the Joint community up to this point of my career, I recognize the mistakes that I made along the way, were in large part, because of my weaknesses and underdeveloped skill sets.

I don’t even remember driving home that night, it was that kind of high. Not the good kind of high where you are happy and bubbly because life is great, but the one parents warn you about never doing. I’ll admit it. Yes, I smoked pot. It was not one of my smartest decisions at that point in my life, but it has made me who I am today. At the beginning of the day, I definitely did not know that a couple hits like that would leave me completely “wrecked” by the end of the night. I remember sitting in the Hy-Vee