Military Review English Edition January-February 2015 | Page 50

PowerPoint was used. A typical scene might involve
Third, the unstructured teams normally briefed
the entire team gathered around a large map and
10 or fewer slides, and their briefings typically lasted
a soldier saying, “If we’re thinking transition from
less than an hour. Their IPB conclusions were usuday one, then it is going to be important to quickally different than what their higher headquarters’
ly get an idea of what the locals in this area value
order asserted, their war-game foils were normally
and why the guerrillas we are going to be with are
associated with non-enemy entities, and their own
fighting—and compare
COAs were normalboth of those to what
ly built around their
our higher is wanting
infiltration plan. Teams
and the U.S. overall
typically assumed that
wants.” The planning
the local populace and
week was spent mainguerillas in their sector
ly on rehearsals and
would have divergent
conversations such as
interests from each other,
the one above. Very deas well as from the United
tailed and MDMP-like
States.
planning and rehearsals
Fourth, for the most
were conducted for the
part, the unstructured
infiltration and initial
teams had the least trouble
priorities, but all other
of all teams in adapting to
preparation was unique
the reality on the ground.
to the team and conThey anticipated many of
ducted more conceptualthe problems they would
ly. The officers and NCOs
face, and when other probconsistently questioned
lems cropped up, they were
the higher headquarters’
more prepared for them.
order and its implicit
Perhaps most impressive
assertions, especially with
for these teams was their
respect to their sector and
ability, on average, to get
how their sector most
to more complex training
likely differed from their
objectives quicker than the
higher headquarter’s more
other groups. Because of
general characterizations.
their focus on rehearsing
(Photo bt Cpt David Chace, USAJFKSWCS PAO)
Second, their briefings
in detail for their infiltraA special operations medical sergeant student (right) treats a role player
during the Robin Sage exercise 2 September 2007 in North Carolina.
consisted of conversations
tion, the first twenty-four
Robin Sage is the culmination exercise for all Special Forces Qualification
with their higher comhours in the guerrilla base,
Course students.
manders on the best use of
and their initial assessment
the team’s sector in the overall campaign and how they
constructs, these teams typically skipped some of the
would go about adjusting that