Candidate Branom Case Analysis

Candidate Jordan delivered an in depth five paragraph order. SNC posted security ensuring that the safety of the fire team was not put at risk. SNC had a good initial plan and proceeded to move the fire team towards the objective. SNC moved the fire team through the woods with minimal opposition; SNC maintained communication and good dispersion. Upon receiving enemy fire SNC suppressed the enemy by assaulting the enemy. SNC pushed through the objective to ensure that all enemy were killed. However, SNC forgot about the weapons cache and commenced to conduct a hasty 180, followed by a consolidated 360, and then an ACE report. SNC, in his haste to complete the problem, completely forgot that the mission was not only to subdue the enemy

Candidate Perras delivered the five paragraph order in the correct order and covered all details; however, he did tend to take long pauses that did not allow for the order to flow. During the execution phase, SNC lost sight of the tactical mindset by allowing a member to pass off his weapon. Even though the fire team remained focused on accomplishing the mission, at times they seemed lathargic. SNC maintained solid communication with the security. Upon realizing that his initial plan of attack was not going to work, he quickly devised a new plan without hesitation. He was able to use all of the fire team members effectively and they followed his lead without hesitation or conflict. SNC remained calm and confident and there was no question

Candidate Allwood was able to provide all of the information required for the operation order brief. SNC included most of the information he was given; however, SNC briefed that the ammo needed to be delivered to the bridge and not to the designated LZ. SNC was able to control the movement of his squad as they began the execution; however, SNC lead his squad through dense brush causing the forward movement to be slow. SNC was able to make the required adjustments to put his squad back on track as they retrieved the ammunition. SNC made the decision to cross the bridge with the first fire team, putting him in the best position to control his squad. During the engagement, SNC was only able to provide minimal information for an ADDRAC. SNC

SNC delivered a confident and complete order successfully addressing all paragraphs of the five paragraph order. SNC assigned primary and secondary tasks to subordinates and reiterated the Enemy Situation. SNC properly controlled the fire team’s formation utilizing proper dispersion and smoothly transitioned from column to wedge. Upon enemy contact SNC relayed a clear and effective ADDRAC and directed SNC’s fire team to provide suppressive fire. SNC maintained mission focus when SNC’s fire team took a casualty. SNC directed his fire team in a tactically appropriate manner as they evacuated the casualty. Upon return to MA-2A SNC submitted the map to higher without being prompted by the evaluator. SNC displayed suburb leadership potential

Overall, Candidate Friederick's lack of confidence hindered both her operations order and her execution of her assigned mission. Her delivery lacked enthusiasm and interest. While her lack of confidence indicated unfamiliarity with the five paragraph order, SNC did brief a detailed mission statement with a task and purpose. SNC also briefed some details of her scheme of maneuver and some tasks to her subordinates, but the lack of detail and her confidence ultimately failed to inspire the other candidates in her fire team. As her fire team moved from order to execution, SNC appeared lethargic with little to no awareness of her surroundings as the team approached the objective. SNC both heard and saw the enemy combatant and demonstrated

Candidate Dowd began his evolution with a disjointed order. Though SNC briefed the Orientation and Situation paragraphs well, he bounced around the remainder of the order throughout the rest of his brief in the order of Mission paragraph, Coordinating Instructions, Command and Signal, Administration and Logistics, billet assignments, and Scheme of Maneuver. During the billet assignments, Candidate Dowd could not decide which fire team member would have which billet, changing his mind several times during assignments. SNC also said "uh" and other filler words during his brief, which did not instill confidence in his team. SNC did not brief succession of command, but he did brief a running password. During execution, Candidate Dowd maintained

Candidate Fowler successfully calculated the azimuth, however failed to calculate the distance and plot the location of the objective. SNC’s five paragraph order was delivered confidently, however lacking information. SNC failed to properly brief the enemy situation, regarding the location of the enemy. SNC stated that the enemy was seen in the area, however he failed to mention they were seen west of the area which is in the vicinity of the objective. SNC was provided with the accurate information regarding azimuth and distance; however when briefing his squad he still provided an inaccurate distance. Upon enemy engagement SNC properly assessed threat by engaging with buddy rushes. SNC did not ensure area was clear before bringing the casualties

Candidate Long’s performance was extremely impressive. He started his problem by conducting a detailed leader’s reconnaissance and developing a practical solution to the problem. SNC briefed his peers with confidence and clarity. His order was only missing the “when” part of the mission statement. He was one of the few who physically set in his security and established fields of fire. He lead by example by being the first candidate on the platform and used critical thinking to develop his plan by examining the weights of each member of his fire team. He acted with a sense of urgency but remained calm and collective. Once he established the bridge to complete the problem, he quickly realized he needed the ammo can and sent a candidate

Candidate Lewton presented his brief confidently and with command presence. He showed a good understanding of the order and conveyed that in his brief hitting all the key points of the five-paragraph order. SNC failed to post security upon execution of the mission and did not realize this mistake. SNC’s initial plan was successful in getting one team member onto the wall with the first attempt. SNC was calm, confident and fully engaged throughout the mission. They were able to make it onto the second wall on their first attempt as well. Candidate Lewton used his subordinates giving orders from the rear and using his team as his eyes to survey the area for him. SNC’s fire team was able to make it to the ammo can but due to the time expiring,

Candidate Ozuna was very confident and briefed the five paragraph order clearly and thoroughly. SNC ensure his fire team had a clear understanding of the mission by repeating it and asking if there were any questions regarding the mission. He gave specific orders of where each fire team member was to place themselves in the formation as well as what the succession of command would be if he were to become a casualty. During the patrol, SNC ensured proper dispersion of the fire team as they patrolled. He was constantly keeping eye contact with his fire team members and utilized hand and arm signals well. SNC was able to make quick and sound decisions at the point of friction. He ensured the buddy rushes were done in a manner that was able

Candidate Hosburgh’s brief delivery was at a normal tone and calm demeanor. His Orientation paragraph incorporated additional details from guidance he had received prior to SULE II. His scheme of maneuver provided a rough idea for what how he wanted to accomplish the mission, but did not go into enough detail, and after the brief his team leaders requested clarification on the initial plan. Following his brief, he got his teams moving and maintained this sense of urgency throughout execution. During execution, he periodically maintained track of the navigation and pace count. He positioned himself close to his team leaders and was able to control his unit through effective use of hand and arm signals. Upon contact, SNC provided a loud,

Candidate Pacheco’s brief was delivered confidently, with a slight exception during the Situation paragraph. During this paragraph, SNC took long pauses, and stumbled over his thoughts on the enemy situation. However, upon completion of the situation, he regained composure and bearing and completed the follow on paragraphs well providing elements necessary to execute the operation. As they stepped off on the operation, his speed was consistent with the situation and his non-verbal communication methods kept the team moving forward. Half way to the objective SNC’s control over the team was lost as the terrain began to dictate their movements. Once SNC realized this, he issued follow on signals to push out but immediately took contact. The

SNC did not initially ensure 360 degree security at the assembly area. SNC’s enemy situation lacked significant details. SNC’s friendly situation was not briefed in the proper format. SNC’s scheme of maneuver was not complete enough to be executed and his tasking statements did not have an associated purpose. At the beginning of execution SNC attempted to give a command to his fire team leaders to get ready to begin their movement; when nobody in his squad responded he announced that fire team leaders had 30 seconds to get ready to move. SNC was an ineffective communicator; he attempted hand and arm signals after receiving indirect fire and would give vague tasks to unspecified individuals instead of his fire team leaders. Upon enemy contact

This enabled him to get an accurate, unfiltered assessment of the current state of the organization. LTG Ridgway used the meetings with subordinate commanders to issue a set of verbal mission orders in accordance with his offensively oriented vision. By demonstrating disciplined initiative and a degree of risk taking, LTG Ridgway was able to infuse the organization with new energy and a new attitude. This contributed to a sense of trust and provided the glue to mold together a team that shared his vision and could successfully execute his plans. LTG Ridgway’s example is a model for anyone making the transition to command.

Strengths: Brannigan Foods’ Soup Division has the largest soup market share in the United States at 39.8%. They are willing to change and have the capital to do so.