Creating a Supercharged Battalion
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Coglianese believes this article still has some utility for SWJ readership. We agree and appreciate him sending it along.
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….
“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.