Quote Originally Posted by reed11b View Post
My gripe is that OPFOR tends to have almost no C&C aspect, making our training focused on "killing" all the bad guys or at best, securing the most tactical position in the limited training range.
but those weren't the issues in my day. The issues then were that training was too brief (i.e. unrealistic in that it typically lasted only three days or so), there wasn't enough of it and we didn't have even the realisim that MILES and other simulations and enhancements now offer. We DID train people on what to do and we did test them and fire the incompetents; something that I think is not really done today
We do not train to fight against how the enemy plans or adjust to a thinking enemy.
If that's true -- and in my day it did happen occasionally -- then it is not a training problem, it's a leadership problem that is reflected in poor training. Not trying to pass the buck -- I'm trying to place the responsibility where it belongs.[quote]The exception is in the national training centers...[quote]Having observed though not participated and having listened to a number who have participated, I'll grant those centers some plaudits -- but they also teach some bad habits and the OpFor there has a stacked deck. They also seem to offer the only testing today that can result in a really poor commander getting relieved but they do not really test and affect the lower echelons as you point out. That's a major shortfall. [quote]...but tactical planning is not just a brigade or even battalion level skill.[quote]I agree and can't speak for today but used to be that it got as much emphasis in training as it needed. If that's changed, it needs to be fixed.
Our small unit tactics reflect this focus on killing the bad guy and helps to perpetuate the focus on technology.
I'm not sure I see the connection between killing the enemy and perpetuating a focus on technology.
I believe this was also Fuch's point.
He makes a valid point as he usually does; I'm just not that sure that what he says in this case is universally applicable. Units vary, commanders vary, training varies -- and that's okay because combat varies. That's because people vary. A great deal. Since people are involved, there is never going to be a perfect solution, never going to be perfect training -- and there are never going to be any ironclad rules...