Posted on Apr 24, 2019
Most Army Squads Falling Short on Infantry Skills, Reports Find
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 18
Thank you, my friend LTC Greg Henning for posting the assessment based on analysis of the Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group, known as the AWG on combat BCTs.
As an infantryman I am a little surprised and concerned at the findings. I am not surprised that junior NCOs are not proficient in navigating by tactical maps and lensatic compass since their has been a reliance on GPS for far too long IMHO.
I expect that over the next year and 1/2 the soldiers of Combat Arms BCTs will become more proficient in the majority of teh tasks and that NCOs will become more proficient in land navigation above and below ground.
1. "Since March 2018, the AWG -- a special, operational advisory unit involved in training brigade combat teams in subterranean (Sub-T) warfare operations -- has submitted reports to Army leaders on several occasions identifying trends that show small-unit leaders lack proficiency in key skills required for any type of combat..."
2. I am not at all surprised that "the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Academy is seeing sergeants routinely show up for courses unable to pass a basic land navigation course using a map and compass."
3. It is interesting that "sergeants in the majority of the Army's active brigade combat teams (BCTs) don't know the importance of gaining a foothold when leading squads on room-clearing operations." That is surprising to me in above ground operations since building and room clearing and been associated with conventional force operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. MSG Andrew White SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SGT (Join to see) SGT Philip Roncari Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. CPT Jack Durish SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SSG Jeffrey Leake Sgt (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover SGT Rick Colburn
As an infantryman I am a little surprised and concerned at the findings. I am not surprised that junior NCOs are not proficient in navigating by tactical maps and lensatic compass since their has been a reliance on GPS for far too long IMHO.
I expect that over the next year and 1/2 the soldiers of Combat Arms BCTs will become more proficient in the majority of teh tasks and that NCOs will become more proficient in land navigation above and below ground.
1. "Since March 2018, the AWG -- a special, operational advisory unit involved in training brigade combat teams in subterranean (Sub-T) warfare operations -- has submitted reports to Army leaders on several occasions identifying trends that show small-unit leaders lack proficiency in key skills required for any type of combat..."
2. I am not at all surprised that "the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Academy is seeing sergeants routinely show up for courses unable to pass a basic land navigation course using a map and compass."
3. It is interesting that "sergeants in the majority of the Army's active brigade combat teams (BCTs) don't know the importance of gaining a foothold when leading squads on room-clearing operations." That is surprising to me in above ground operations since building and room clearing and been associated with conventional force operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. MSG Andrew White SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SGT (Join to see) SGT Philip Roncari Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. CPT Jack Durish SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SSG Jeffrey Leake Sgt (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover SGT Rick Colburn
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MAJ Ken Landgren
It must be total suckage to be the staff officers who have to visualize the tactics and doctrine on PP.
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CPT Ray Gilmore
MAJ Ken Landgren I recently came across a journal entry from 2006, while I was an assistant S3....
Wow, I was not happy with my position in life as a staff officer....
How did we ever win WWII without power point!?!?!
Meanwhile the HHC had less than 50% qualified on their primary weapons, because we were training on building web pages and digital products......
Tactics and Doctrine would have been a God send.
Wow, I was not happy with my position in life as a staff officer....
How did we ever win WWII without power point!?!?!
Meanwhile the HHC had less than 50% qualified on their primary weapons, because we were training on building web pages and digital products......
Tactics and Doctrine would have been a God send.
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I always found this part of basic soldiering. Your a soldier first, then your MOS. LTC Greg Henning
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CPL Dave Hoover
LTC Greg Henning I think they should add 2 to 4 weeks to Basic Training that is 11B aimed. Heard they were thinking about it. It's a necessity.
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