Battlefield decisions of a battalion commander

FA Journal, July-August, 2004 by Billy F. Sprayberry

Where do the battlefield and the decisions you, as the battalion commander, start and end? How many decisions do you make on a battlefield? What are those decisions?

During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), between 20 March 2003 (the start of the ground war) and 1 May 2003 (the day President George W. Bush declared major combat over), as the commander of 2d Battalion, 4th Field Artillery (Multiple-Launch Rocket System--2-4 FA (MLRS)--I made only four real decisions.

As a battalion commander, if you start early, you'll make few decisions on the battlefield--your battalion will make them without hesitation and in the flow of military operations. Several factors contributed to that (see the figure).

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We all have seen the war movies where the military leaders make decisions and give orders throughout the movies. The classic movie Patton comes to mind.

But, truly, how many command decisions did General George S. Patton, Jr., really make in that movie? Not many. Mostly he conveyed his presence, personality and passion to speak to his subordinates and allowed them to make decisions.

During a 1942 interview, General Patton said, "My theory is that a commander does what is necessary to accomplish his mission and that nearly 80 percent of his mission is to arouse morale in his men." (1) These words indicate General Patton believed he could influence the battlefield without making decisions on the battlefield itself.

We are not "General Pattons." But some of you will command a battalion in a fight or conflict. And many others will be the command sergeant majors, executive officers, S3s and battery/company commanders or first sergeants of battalions in conflict.

So, where and when do the "battlefield" and the decisions start? Experience tells me that the battlefield starts before one ever assumes command. This is reiterated by the classic speech George C. Scott forcefully delivered as General Patton in the beginning of the movie. (2) Consequently, the decisions also start before command.

What decision affecting a future battlefield can you possibly make before assuming command? The decision of what kind of a commander to be.

Colonel Charles R. De Witt (now retired) once talked to me about the tendency to have two kinds of military leaders: the ones who look down and into the units they command and the others who look up and out of the units. The focus of the down-and-in commander is strictly on the unit with no concern for what is going on around him. The danger is in not seeing the big picture and not understanding where the battalion fits into that picture.

The up-and-out commander's focus is on the big picture and where the unit fits. The danger is in risking not understanding the personality and capabilities of his unit.

However, a third type of commander focuses down-and-in, and, every so often, peeks up to see what else is going on. How often the commander looks up depends on the situation. For example, once rumors of deployment surface, his peekup times come more often.

This third commander has the advantage of understanding his unit and its capabilities yet still seeing the big picture. He can count on his experience and military education gained over many years to assess the situation and know where his unit fits.

Needless to say, senior commanders also will provide information about where the unit fits in, in the form of mission and intent, task organization and organization for combat. The situation, itself, will dictate where the unit fits: peacekeeping, peace enforcement or major combat operations.

But you can decide before the big day what kind of commander you want to be.

While in the PreCommand Course, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, many Army senior leaders will visit you. Each will talk about his individual style and (or) philosophy of leadership. Several members of my PreCommand Course believe former Chief of Staff of the Army General Eric K. Shinseki provided some of the best advice: "Continue to be who you are--that's what got you here."

This is another decision you make ahead that will set the stage for every decision you make during your command.

As a battalion commander, you are a leader. Former Chief of Staff of the Army General J. Lawton Collins said, "Leadership combines the necessary qualities of character, integrity and a willingness to work, which leads to a knowledge of their profession." (3) Sun Tsu says, "Leadership is a matter of knowledge, trustworthiness, humaneness, valor and strictness." (4)

These definitions and many more describe leadership without considering what action it generates. Consequently, I offer this definition as a basis for what follows: "Military leadership is the ability to motivate Soldiers and units to achieve beyond their own perceived capabilities." Inherent in this definition are not only the characteristics we all believe make a good leader, but also the need to create an action with an end result--leaders are people of action.

Will the commander make other decisions having an impact on the battlefield before reaching the actual battlefield? Indeed. The biggest of those is believed to be the tone of the command. Will you exude "Warrior Ethos" and encourage your unit to do the same? There are an unbelievable number of opportunities to inculcate Warrior Ethos in your battalion: talking to Soldiers at the command maintenance formation; walking through the battalion area and speaking with one or two Soldiers at a time in the motor pool and supply rooms; making remarks at events like promotions, reenlistments, hails and farewells, and NCO induction ceremonies; ensuring the unit conducts tough, realistic and meaningful training; looking for the training value inherent in routine taskings and capitalizing on them; volunteering for taskings with the greatest training value, such as live-fire demonstrations; ensuring Soldiers are fit and disciplined and more.