Principles for the small unit leader.(TRAINING NOTES)(versatility, aggressiveness and safety)

Recently, a former company commander of mine, who is now a tactical officer at the United States Military Academy, asked me what I would share with cadets who were soon to be commissioned. I reflected back to my time spent as a platoon leader in Fallujah, Iraq, and Gardez, Afghanistan. The two deployments were on opposing ends of the spectrum of Army operations. Countless combat operations, typically cordon and searches targeting both Saddam loyalists and insurgents, characterized our time in Iraq. As a battalion, we were in contact daily. Our mission in Afghanistan was to facilitate the country's first ever national elections. It was, arguably, a stability and support operation. While the battalion was in contact on more than one occasion, operations there were nowhere near as intense as those in Iraq. Despite the differences in the two deployments, I have identified some common principles that when applied at the small unit level, led to mission success. These principles are versatility, aggressiveness, and safety.

Army doctrine is full of concepts, definitions, and terms. As a cadet at the United States Military Academy, as a second lieutenant at the Infantry Officers Basic Course (IOBC), and again as a captain at the Infantry Captains Career Course, I've studied and used mnemonics to memorize and learn concepts such as the Principles of War, the Tenets of Army Operations, and the Elements of Combat Power. That being said, what I do not intend to do is undermine doctrine or force junior leaders to remember three more "principles." I would like to illustrate, based on experience, why these principles are important and how they can contribute to mission accomplishment.

Versatility

FM …