Fundamentals of the Battle Captain

[Norfolk]

And here I thought the role of the Battle Captain was just to keep Battalion off of the Company Commander's back in battle, silly me...

jcustis, i'm not quite clear on just how the USMC LAR Bns uses its Battle Captains; is there one in each coy (that's what we have in each LAV/Stryker rifle coy in the RCR, now) and this is what appears to me what you're describing, or are the Battle Captains actually part of the Battalion Staff and are attached out to companies? In Canadian Army, both the mechanized rifle company and the tank squadron, the OC is on the coy/sqn/combat team net and monitors the bn/reg net, the 2 i/c takes care of the A1 echelon, and the Battle Captain is nearby the OC and is on the bn/reg net while monitoring the coy/squ/combat team net. Is this the same as USMC (LAR Bn)?

[Cavguy]

The battle captain in the US Army is the "Watch Officer" in USMC speak. He is the "floor manager" in the battalion Headquarters/TOC/CoC, charged with monitoring all current operations, syncronizing assets, and notifying the chain of command of all developments.

Although normally called "battle captain", I have seen senior NCO's, warrants, lieutenants, and captains fill the role at BN level, and at BDE it is almost always a CPT or a Major. The marines use a Major or a senior warrant as the "Senior Watch Officer" (SWO) from my experience, and the Army is moving that way given all the assets managed by a BCT in OIF. Hence many BDE CDR's (such as mine) are placing post-command commanders in the role instead of the normal junior captains.

[Ken White]

Forty years ago in many Bns / Sqns, that was the job of the OpSgt during the day and the Asst Op Sgt at night. Surprisingly, with an at least similar or possibly even higher combat optempo, with less technology and a radio handset at both ears while another net blared over the speaker on the remote, most did it pretty well...

Those were also the days of an Officer shortage and a 3-shop with three Officers, four NCOs (the senior a MSG) and three Specialists -- the 2 had one Officer, two NCOs and one specialist.

In those days, at Bde, the job in my observation was done usually by two LTs or CPTs in rotation and with the two NCOs as back up. The Bde 2 and 3 shops were only slightly larger (S3 5/4/5 and S2 2/3/3) than the Bn crews.

I understand the staff sections have grown a bit...

Some commanders were reluctant to give NCOs that much responsibility, some had weak NCOs and thus those tended to use Officers but I think those were the exception rather than the rule.

IIRC, the Armor guys adapted the Battle Captain idea from the Bundeswehr. In it's formative days in the early '50s, they had a Hauptmann Tk Co Cdr -- and an OberFeldWebel, old experienced WW II vet at the time, who actually fought the company from a Hotchkiss PC just back of the contact line while the Hauptmann led the Panzers...

The Army has also done away with the Ops and Intel NCO MOSs in the combat arms -- not a smart move IMO. Some guys make great ops NCOs, more make great First Sergeants; a few can do both well but most cannot. Some can't do either well and should be relived for cause before they hang around long enough to get promoted...

What worked then could work now but times change and I have little doubt things are better today; I mention all the above only so some will realize that talent and not rank can be used as a criteria for most things -- particularly in event of personnel shortages and even more particularly in combat. Especially in combat...

Long as it works...

[Norfolk]

I see, so the Battle Captain in the US Army is whoever is the Duty Officer at the time in the Bn TOC (or BGD HQ for that matter), and apparently the USMC Watch Officer (how very naval) is basically the same.

Evidently the Battle Captain in a Commonwealth Tank Squadron (Company) or Mechanized Infantry Company is not the same thing as the US Army Battle Captain or the USMC Watch Officer (both battalion or brigade level Duty Officer). The Battle Captain is somewhat more like, but not identical too, the Senior NCO in the German Tank Company that Ken describes. In short, a Commonwealth Battle Captain acts as a sort of filter between the Company/Squadron OC who is fighting his command and Battalion/Regimental HQ, while the Company/Squadron 2i/c is with the Coy/Sqn HQ.

Just goes to show that the same term can have very different meanings in the same langauge. As Churchill said, Britain and America are two people divided by a commmon language.

Thanks for the info, gentlemen. It cleared up quite the confusion on my end.

[Cavguy]

In short, a Commonwealth Battle Captain acts as a sort of filter between the Company/Squadron OC who is fighting his command and Battalion/Regimental HQ, while the Company/Squadron 2i/c is with the A1 Echelon.

FYI, the role you describe is usually handled by the Company XO (2IC) in most units. The CO "commands" the company, and talks to the BN CO when necessary regarding major issues, but focuses on fighting his company. The unit XO usually keeps BN informed with routine reports and traffic.

[Norfolk]

FYI, the role you describe is usually handled by the Company XO (2IC) in most units. The CO "commands" the company, and talks to the Bn CO when necessary regarding major issues, but focuses on fighting his company. The unit XO usually keeps BN informed with routine reports and traffic.

Yes, and I was confused when I first encountered jcustis' posts on the Battle Captain - I was unaware the US had them in the Commonwealth sense, and I wondered if things had recently changed as a result of battle experience in Iraq and A-Stan. I now see that the US Army Battle Captain or USMC Watch Officer is the same as the Watch/Duty Officer at Bn/Rgt/Bge HQ in Commonwealth Armies.

I had known of, as you point out, the roles of both the Company CO and XO in the US system, and I was quite lost when I saw this thread about the "Battle Captain", and I assumed that some new innovation had been made in the USMC somewhat along Commonwealth lines, presumably as a result of recent battle experience. I had no idea that the US Army had "Battle Captains" (but I now know what the usage of that term in the US Army is).

In the Commonwealth system, there are 3 officers at Company/Squadron level:

The OC (Officer Commanding - 1i/c if you will - a Major) commands the infantry company or tank squadron in battle ("F" Echelon) and listens in, but only responds when very necessary to, the Bn/Reg radio net, while actively using the Coy/Sqn radio net himself to control the fight.

The 2i/c (a Captain, but sometimes a Major himself as well) takes care of the Coy/Sqn HQ and Admin (Coy/Sqn Logistics in general: the Company/Squadron Sergeant Major commands "A1" Echelon, not the 2i/c - my error - front-line resupply, casevac, and HQ defence, while Company/Squadron Quarter-Master Sergeant commands "B" Echelon - CQ/SQ - stores, etc.). I think the 2i/c listens in to both the Coy/Sqn radio net and the Bn/Rgt net. The 2i/c (or CSM/SSM) may lead an armed resupply body to, and casevac back from, the front line ("F" Echelon).

The Battle Captain (3i/c, if you will - an experienced Captain) accompanies the OC to the front line ("F" Echelon) and joins him in the battle. Think of the Battle Captain as a sort of Company S-3, maybe that's the easiest, but not the exact, way to describe his function. The Battle Captain is on the horn to both Battalion/Regiment HQ (sitreps) and decides which messages are for the OC's ear, and to Coy/Sqn HQ and sends orders for ammo/fuel resupply and casevac to the 2i/c. The Battle Captain deals with the Bn/Rgt S-3 and other requests for info, leaving the OC to concentrate on the fight. If the OC is killed, the Battle Captain assumes command of the Coy/Sqn until the 2i/c arrives from Coy/Sqn HQ. The Company/Squadron Sergeant-Major CSM/SSM takes command of Coy/Sqn HQ in that event.

[Cavguy]

The 2i/c (a Captain, but sometimes a Major himself as well) takes care of the Coy/Sqn HQ and Admin (Coy/Sqn Logistics in general: the Company/Squadron Sergeant Major commands "A1" Echelon, not the 2i/c - my error - front-line resupply, casevac, and HQ defence, while Company/Squadron Quarter-Master Sergeant commands "B" Echelon - CQ/SQ - stores, etc.). I think the 2i/c listens in to both the Coy/Sqn radio net and the Bn/Rgt net. The 2i/c (or CSM/SSM) may lead an armed resupply body to, and casevac back from, the front line ("F" Echelon).

Very interesting. The role by the 2i/c above is performed by the company First Sergeant in Combat, and a combination of the XO and 1SG in garrison. I know certain light infantry units reverse that, with the XO running logistics and the 1SG up front. The XO in Tank/Cav/Mech units has a fighting vehicle, wheras the 1SG gets a HMMWV and an APC, and hangs with the supply sergeant.

I knew many foreign armies used Majors as company commanders. (the Iraqis do) I didn't know that they had two assistants in addition to the platoon leaders, I guess it makes sense.