Patience
Let the situation develop
Last week I said I would expand on the Monty Hall Problem. Unfortunately, I am still writing that newsletter and will come out in a few weeks. For this week, I jotted down some quick thoughts about tactical patience. Next week will be a longer piece on the idea of standardization and Standard Operating Procedures that is shaping up to be something quite good.
I couldn’t believe what I saw when I entered the Company Tactical Operations Center (TOC). I was the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Platoon Leader of a rifle platoon on a small Combat Outpost (COP) in Southern Afghanistan. Another platoon was in contact with insurgent forces about five kilometers from the COP, and my platoon was ready to assist them at a moment’s notice. When I entered the TOC, I saw my Company Commander shouting into two different phones, staring at a map on a computer screen, and yelling at the radio operator. Everyone in the TOC was desperately trying to keep up with him as he frantically shouted instructions. It was chaos in the TOC.
Ironically, the place with the least chaos was with the platoon that was currently being engaged. I watched the video feed of the situation which came from cameras attached to an observation balloon that floated high above the COP, and listened to the incoming radio traffic from the Platoon Leader. The PL was calmly calling up reports to the TOC as his platoon returned accurate and effective fire on the insurgents. Within a minute of observing the situation, it was clear that the platoon on the ground had the situation completely under control and was quickly gaining the upper hand. This was lost on the Company Commander who was completely wrapped up in trying to get attack helicopters on station.
The Commander shouted at me to come over to him. I walked over and he began trying to explain the situation to me, while at the same time talking on the phone and still yelling at the radio operator. After listening to the Commander try to explain what was going on, it was clear that he was completely lost. He didn’t know where the platoon in contact was or how many insurgents were engaging them. He was so wrapped up in trying to do ten things at once that he was completely unable to communicate with his subordinates or provide clear guidance; he was unable to be a Commander. He wasn’t finishing sentences or completing his thoughts.
I finally said, “Sir, I was briefed on that platoon’s mission last night, I know exactly where they are and where the fire is coming from, and my Platoon is ready to go whenever you give the word.” He couldn’t even process that information and he kept yelling into his phones. I stepped back and allowed him to finish what he was doing. After a few minutes, the situation on the ground had ended. The insurgents had fled and the platoon in contact had reported no casualties. The Commander, for some reason, was furious as if the situation had been poorly handled by everyone in the TOC.
During that fight, the TOC was a chaotic place to be, not because the Soldiers in the TOC didn’t know what to do (they actually knew exactly what to do), but because the Commander had thrown everyone into a tizzy. Unfortunately, this trend did not improve during the deployment and that Commander was eventually replaced.
His replacement could not have been more different. A few weeks after that incident in the TOC, the exact same thing happened - a platoon was out on patrol and my platoon was assigned as QRF for the day. The platoon got into contact, and I rushed to the TOC to gain some situational awareness. When I ran in I saw the new commander leaning back against the desk playing with his butterfly knife. The TOC was calm. The radio operator took reports from the platoon leader and the company Fire Support Officer was on the phone with the battalion headquarters. Every now and then the commander would look up at the video feed or peek over the shoulder of the FSO who was plotting graphics on the digital map. He looked at me and said, “I think they’ve got it, head back out to your platoon and let them know what’s going on. If you need to launch I’ll let you know.”
I chuckled to myself as I walked back to my platoon. It’s good to have a commander who instills calmness and confidence.
I learned a lot during that deployment, but perhaps the most important thing was that tactical patience is crucial to mission success. When things happen in combat, a leader must evaluate the situation, develop a course of action, and communicate clearly. Being patient and allowing a situation to develop allows the Leader to make sound decisions. When a Leader is frantic, his subordinates are frantic. When a Leader is calm, patient, and composed his subordinates are able to do their jobs effectively and accomplish the mission.