Small Wars Journal

IBOLC: Platoon Leader Decision Making

Thu, 01/15/2009 - 12:49am
IBOLC: Platoon Leader Decision Making for the 21st Century

by Major Michael Fortenberry, Small Wars Journal

IBOLC: Platoon Leader Decision Making for the 21st Century (Full PDF article)

In the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBOLC), lieutenants train to lead infantry platoons in modern warfare. While much time is spent teaching the students to embrace the Warrior ethos, infantry culture and small unit tactics, critical thinking and decision making skills are the most important leader trait developed during the course. Students are trained and assessed in three critical areas: Intelligence, Character and Tactical Skills and Competencies Development. These individual and leader tasks and skills are essential in leading Soldiers on today's battlefields.

The typical methods of teaching Infantry leadership do not permit lieutenants to fully recognize the intricacies of modern warfare. Thus, IBOLC is an outcomes-based leader development program designed to build the foundation of infantry leadership and prepare lieutenants for the complexities of the operational environment. Using its' long-established framework of embedding the basics of Infantry tactics and doctrine, the curriculum has become more relevant with emphasis on teaching lieutenants how to think.

IBOLC: Platoon Leader Decision Making for the 21st Century (Full PDF article)

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Comments

Hammer999

Sat, 10/27/2012 - 8:55pm

Not a bad article. IOBC needed the overhaul and got one, though I disagree with some of the "outcomes" that the new LT is supposidly bring to his unit. A new platoon leader has got his hands full, learning in job. And while he has training, he should not really be training or evaluating anybody. The new LT needs to learn how to evaluate, and how to train... So for about the first year he needs to listen to the CO, the XO, the 1SG and his PSG. This is not meant to say that he is a bad guy... He just lacks the experiance to make a good evaluator and planner of training. Instead he should be listening to and getting guidance from, those with the experiance on what to look for, look at, whats important and whats not.

He is going to get his respect due starting day one. But jumping in telling experianced guys fresh from a combat zone, how to do something, they have done hundreds of times isn't going to win him any awards... Let him keep his mouth shut, listen and ask questions that first year. He will become a more respected and better leader for doing so. I know, I know the BN CDR is supposidly responsible for training LTs, but it is the CO and the PSG who ultimaly do it... We don't just turn lose fresh privates and neither should we do this to fresh LT's. I would have to say the most critical guy in the loop as a trainer, is the PSG, because he is always right there. The best company commanders I had, pulled the PSGs and together, they developed the LTs. We want to set up this guy for success, because in a few short years, he is going to be that company commander and we want to have done right by him. Because we have all had ones that were not taken care of, didn't learn etc.