The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the twenty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Brigade Commander for 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne, COL Richard “Ricky” Taylor.

The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment has the honor of being one of the oldest airborne units in the U.S. military as they were activated in June 1942 during World War II and earned four of its five combat jumps during the fierce fighting of WWII. (The fifth being earned during Operation Urgent Fury to restore a free government to Grenada in October 1983.) After the Vietnam War, the 505th PIR participated in various military operations. Among them were Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation Inherent Resolve. They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Panther” and the motto of “H-Minus.”

In this episode, we discuss some of the lessons learned for brigade and battalion leaders during large-scale combat operations. COL Taylor summarized it as:

Being humble and being coachable
Importance of synchronization of fire and maneuver
Battlefield Circulation of Key Leaders
Commander’s Role in the Planning Process
Defining risk vs. opportunity & communicating that with DIV HQ

A reoccurring theme on the podcast, is the acknowledgement that those that learn fastest on the battlefield are almost always the ones whom succeed on the battlefield. Senior leaders within the brigade mentor junior leaders with special emphasis on company commanders and captains across the staff on both the art and science of conducting combined arms maneuver in LSCO. Specifically, leaders should come prepared to discuss the following 8 questions at every planning session:

What’s your combat-power and your projected slant for the next 24hrs?
What do you know about the enemy?
What’s your composition / disposition?
What’s the enemy’s composition / disposition?
What are your concerns & risks at your echelon?
Do you have any recommendations?
What are your logistics / sustainment concerns?
What are your planning horizons?

Part of S02 “If I Would Have Only Known” series.

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Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.

“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

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