SECTION
IV
LEADERSHIP IN COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS 1
The process of developing soldiers into cold weather fighters requires positive leadership. Leaders must understand the environmental threat and include plans for countering this threat in their operational plans or tactical standing operating procedures. Initially, the cold environment may be alarming, even frightening, to soldiers unaccustomed to operating in wintry conditions, especially when deployed to unfamiliar, remote areas. Some soldiers will find themselves confronted with challenges they have not encountered before. The cold becomes a constant reminder to the soldier of his vulnerability in the extreme environment and the likelihood of him becoming a casualty should he make a mistake. As soldiers gain experience, they develop confidence in themselves, their clothing, and their equipment, and learn they can fight and win in the winter, defeating both the cold and the enemy before them.
Aggressive, cheerful leadership is essential in helping soldiers overcome the challenges of the cold environment. To defeat the enemy, soldiers must first overcome the cold by learning how to live and survive the elements so they can focus on the enemy. Leaders must maintain a positive attitude toward the mission, their soldiers, and the equipment they have to carry out the tasks at hand.
Intense cold affects the mind as well as the body. Essential tasks take longer to perform and require more effort than in temperate climates. This should be considered when planning operations and giving orders -- even for such routine tasks as vehicle maintenance and making or striking camp. There is no simple formula for the extra time required to accomplish tasks; it varies with differing conditions, state of training, and degree of acclimatization of the troops. It should not, however, be used as an excuse for overinsurance; troops readied unnecessarily early or left standing in the open after striking camp will suffer physically. Their morale will ebb -- possibly at times when it should be at a high pitch.
Tips for Leaders 2
Leaders need to be aware of the symptoms that characterize a unit that is having difficulty coping with the cold environment. The following tips will help combat the effects of the cold when it begins to prey on the minds of soldiers.
- If soldiers find it hard to remember things they have been taught, show patience; review orders and drills. Get them to think through the challenges of the environment and the mission; encourage them to ask questions. Keep their minds busy.
- Be alert for soldiers who tend to withdraw from the group's focus; keep them involved. Soldiers who withdraw into themselves should be paired, in a buddy system, with soldiers who are well acclimatized to the cold environment. Remind them that everyone is in the same situation, including the enemy.
- If soldiers get depressed, moody, or blue, and do not want to talk, encourage them to chat with each other. Circulate among the troops in their duty areas. Keep them talking and interacting.
- If soldiers become irritable and get on each other's nerves, keep in mind that this is likely to happen. Maintain your sense of humor and show patience. Vary their duties.
- Be aware that soldiers may tend to shirk from some tasks to keep themselves warm. Remind them that their job is to fight -- that weapons and equipment must be kept in fighting order. During winter training, don't let the training become a camping trip; this is a common trap.
- Don't accept the cold as an excuse for not carrying out orders or routine tasks. It may be the reason for taking longer, but it is not a reason for letting things slide. Remember that, although the cold may make tasks more difficult to accomplish, it does not make them impossible. With knowledge, equipment, and proper training, leaders and soldiers can defeat the cold and be successful in combat.
- Plan frequent rotation of soldiers into warming tents/areas to provide relief from the cold.
- Provide warm liquids (noncaffeine) at frequent intervals, especially when rotating soldiers into warming tents/areas.
- Plan and provide extra insulating material for individuals, when available.
______________
1Winter
Operations Manual
(1
Oct 89), published by the U.S. Army Northern Warfare Training Center, Fort
Greely, AK,
pp.
3-4 to 3-5.
2Ibid., p. 3-5.
Section
III: Cold Weather Injuries
Section
V: Individual Clothing and Equipment
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