Expeditionary Warfare School

In this report I will be going over the importance of training and education within the military, and how they both play very important roles to not only leaders, but the service members within our ranks. The military is constantly training and, we train as we fight. However, before soldiers train, they must be well educated in all areas in which they will be training. Proper education is the key to proper training. I will also discuss the importance of becoming better educated while serving in the military, as it will make transitioning back into the

As the Army transitions from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the organization is well served to take a long look in the mirror. After ten plus years of deployments, our combat tested warriors are sure to possess more than enough valuable knowledge to reinforce and improve upon our status as a profession. A TRADOC published paper explains “to be a professional is to understand, embrace, and competently practice the expertise of the profession.” I believe the profession of arms exists and there are many components that reinforce this argument. Among these components, initial entry training and institutional learning, shared values, and a monopoly on our mission are three of the most important tenants. All Soldiers must graduate

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.

You can see that throughout this assignment I have identified a number of deferent principles, teaching and learning styles. How these can and often are incorporated into the delivery of lessons in a military environment. We have also

To answer this gap, the Office of Special Warfare (OSW) was developed to be the focal point for USASOC’s UW capability. With this change, each 4th Battalion across the regiment was redesigned to build a build a full spectrum UW capability in support of the Theatre Special Operations Command (TSOC) and Joint Force Commanders. It was during this re-design that the modern Jedburgh was re-born. Much like the World War II era Jedburghs, many skilled operators across the regiment jumped at the opportunity to enter a new phase of conflict and increase their skills in the application of unconventional warfare. With this personal commitment came the understanding that time would be allotted to build a small cohesive team with training and education needed to succeed in complex environment. This theory would soon be diminished because many of the newly selected Jedburghs, riding on the success of Jedburghs some seventy-two years ago, would be thrown straight into complex environment without the needed education and training. Premature operationalization of the Jedburghs has effected training, education, and organizational design needed to build a long lasting unconventional warfare

In 1878 after the publication of his book the Armies of Asia and Europe, Upton would turn his attention to the completion of reforming the American military policy. Upton’s publication explained his view of the history of the American military the shortcomings and failures that endangered the nation. The reform Upton proposed for expanding the Army organization, was an effort to apply the lessons learned from previous American conflicts as well as his observations from other nation’s armies during his career. Lessons learned is a term we frequently use in today’s military. We conduct After Action Reviews for every event, task, mission, and operation conducted. The point is to learn from

SFC (Ret.) Mark C. Daw is the subject of this Leader’s Legacy paper. SFC Daw served for over twenty years in the United States Army Signal Corps. SFC Daw served during the Cold War in the Berlin Brigade, in Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia during Implementation Force (I-FOR), and in Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06. A career paratrooper, SFC Daw’s leadership style involved leading from the front at all times, superior tactical and technical proficiency, a hand of discipline tempered by wisdom, and developing his Soldiers professionally and personally. SFC Daw’s example serves as one worthy of emulation by all Soldiers, regardless of expertise or field. I am the Soldier I am today because of SFC Daw.

The United States Navy’s Bomb Squad (NEOD) is a remarkably small organization that works in small teams to accomplish worldly tasks. These obstacles range from IED to chemical and biological weapon disarmament. The Bomb Squad is responsible for operations in war zones, as well as on the home-front. With intentions of generating a more informed populous at the United States Naval Academy, a U.S. Navy Bomb Squad liaison along with numerous personnel, facilitated an 18 hour “screener” for interested personnel possibly accessing into the organization. I was fortunate enough to observe the entire innovative learning intervention and in this paper I will give a brief background, nature of the learning activity, intended

I am reminded of Carol Cohn’s work, Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals. Cohn describes the use of technistrategic discourse. The type of discourse, described in Cohn’s work, which served to desensitize, and take the human factor out of otherwise painful discussions, were tools utilized in Marine Corps. Boot camp furthermore, as I absorbed this new discourse I too began not just to speak in it but to think in it. I left Boot Camp with a new way of thinking about the world

Walking into the door of room E204, I attempted to mature myself by five years as I entered my first AP class, AP World History. With what felt like the posture of an erudite scholar and resembled a child with an intense sunburn, I sat down at a desk and retrieved a pen and a folder of paper from my backpack as I continued my façade of experience. This is a college-level course, came the whisper from some part of my 14-year-old brain, and I almost broke character, overcome with wonder at the presence of academia. This sense of awe, however, quickly disappeared with every passing September day, abandoning me in the presence of W.T. Woodson’s resident tyrant: Rebecca Watt.

While serving as an instructor for the Husky and Buffalo Doctrine and Tactics Training (DTT), SSG Ross oversaw the training of over 15 Active Duty BEB’s and 10 Reserve Component Combat Engineer Clearance Companies, also helped redesign the training by using his combat experience to create a more realistic training environment. SSG Ross’s impact on route clearance training impacted the entire force’s ability to detect and clear explosive hazards, resulting in countless coalition and civilian lives saved.

During his career with the U.S. Army, FAM Howard gained significant experience in managing and providing training instruction. FAM Howard trained more than 400 students, which included lower enlisted through senior NCOs and officers in various training classes. As a combat engineer instructor, interior electrician instructor and plumber pipefitter instructor, FAM Howard attained a 100% graduation rate from all of his classes. During FAM Howard’s assignment as a combat engineer instructor he conducted or assisted in conducting 10 live demolition/explosive and breaching ranges, which successfully trained over 300 students with zero injuries or incidents. FAM Howard developed situational training lanes for combat engineers based on current army doctrine and the most up to date intelligence. This included reacting to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), suicide bombers, vehicle borne IEDs and military operations on urban terrain (MOUT). FAM Howard was assigned as a range safety officer (RSO) on seven M16 qualification ranges and his attention to detail resulted in no significant incidents. He also assisted in instructing the battalion level basic rifle marksmanship qualification and his efforts resulted in a 100% qualification

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.

The Army is a profession because it requires a collaboration of highly training Soldiers who possess specialized skills that combine to operate in complex situations in more complex environments. General Martin Dempsey stated that “The Profession of Arms requires expert knowledge, and that expertise is manifested as unique skills in the individual professional and by Army units.” For the purpose of this paper the operational definition of the term profession is: a type of job that requires special education training, or skill. In order to meet and maintain the demands of this definition, The Army has established the Army Development Model which consists of institutions, operational training, and self-development to create highly skilled service members.

Rarely are we able to have face to face contact with great leaders let alone have enough time to hear their stories on the battlefield and what secrets lead them to success. A young future military officer may not have the opportunity to meet such great leaders or have the time to interview them but what they do have is time to read. Pete Blaber’s “The Mission, The Men, and Me” exposes his on the ground account of the operations he has commanded and further explains the many guiding principles that lead him to much success in all his endeavors, personal and military. Future officers