FOREWORD
The risk of fratricide has always been a consequence of war. Recent combat operations and trends at the Combat Training Centers (CTCs) indicate that friendly fire casualties are an increasing peril of modern warfare.
This newsletter reviews the most significant trends in ground-to-ground and air-to-ground fratricide and proposes practical remedies. It provides useful Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP) as training tools for maneuver leaders at all levels. Our CTCs show consistently that failures during planning, preparation and rehearsal are predictive of failure in execution. This is particularly true of fratricidal exchanges--our most tragic failures in execution.
To synchronize the group effort, leaders must step back and review the sequence and relative importance of events. When our careful assessment of mission, enemy, terrain, troops and time available (METT-T) implies elevated levels of operational risk (to include potential fratricide), we as leaders must incorporate risk reduction measures in planning. As an example, if synchronization and mission success, with minimum casualties, depend heavily upon accurate and efficient navigation, then navigation is a high risk area. In this a case a commander cannot delegate navigation to one or two key players. Despite known ability, any individual might fail. The commander must employ precise, redundant, and reliable measures and rehearsals to assure effective navigation. The same principle applies to effective direct fire planning and control. The key to solving fratricide problems is detailed planning and rehearsals to minimize predictable risks.
I encourage leaders to adapt these or similar tools to your platoon and company troop- leading steps and to the battalion and brigade orders drill. Address fratricide as one important dimension of the operational risk assessment that accompanies every undertaking. Consider self-inflicted losses in training just as intolerable as those in combat.
TRAIN
TO FIGHT!
MICHAEL
S. DAVISON, JR.
Brigadier
General, USA
Deputy
Commanding General for Training
Table
of Contents
Cover Page
Vignette:
Operation DESERT STORM: Actions on Day G+3
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