William S. Lind :collection (merged thread)

[Polarbear1605]

'Two decision cycles' is just too simplistic, isn't it? You don't fight an enemy commander in an isolated duel ala a chessboard - as a battalion commander you might be attacking an enemy company position, say. That enemy company commander is part of a Bn, who in turn is part of a Bde, etc etc. Each commander has his own reserve our counter-atk reserve, not to mention the neighboring companies to the one your trying to defeat.
So against whom do you 'generate confusion and disorder' by 'cutting inside your opponents decision cycle'? The enemy, as in the FF, will have dozens of different decision cycles whirling around and interacting simultaneously if we use the Boyd analogy. Saying that we are fighting any one of these - or even saying that we are fighting them all simultaneously - is more or less a meaningless pursuit... no?

Absolutely, and now you’re cutting to the real issue. (At this point I want to yell “TADA!”) How do you apply an OODA Loop develop from air combat studies (one-on-one dog fights) to modern combat…or, as I said before, how do you control all those damn “arrows” in the Boyd brief? That issue and problem is what send Boyd into “Patterns”, Strategy ? vs ?, and all the rest, etc. Now we closed our own loop; that issue is what sent the Marine Corps into discussions, debates, nashing of teeth, whining, etc. on topics like “commanders intent”, mission orders” , “surfaces and gaps”, and all the rest. Based on this thread… my sinister and deviate mind and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Maneuver Warfare and the joys self-flagellation…

If it was race, your first action is to trip the other guy.

Yes…but remember it is both…tripping the racer is an example of MW…but even better is that you should also run like your butt is on fire…if you don’t, the tripee is going to get up and start running…with an adrenalin rush advantage from being so damn mad at you.

It's a bit more complex. Speed/quickness/rapidity has effects on many levels. A small advantage may have great effect on the ability of the enemy to shoot back (the famous first shot kill of MBT combat), while the same small advantage would be useless on another level (few seconds are meaningless in brigade staffs).
Overall, I'd say that the speed difference counts, and it has diminishing returns (adding xy speed advantage provides a lesser benefit than the previous xy speed advantage).

Hear, Hear. You said it brother!