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Chief of Armor’s Hatch
by Brig. Gen. Chad C. Chalfont

At its best, our doctrine gives us ways to think about and explain how we fight. For sure, our doctrine is just a starting point: our manuals are never intended to limit the initiative, flexibility, and adaptation that is required to fight and win on the battlefield. Still, it’s important from time to time to remind ourselves of the importance of reading, understanding, and talking with our teammates about doctrine......read more

The Gunner’s Seat
by Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan W. Roush

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with young NCOs across our armored force. A common theme in those conversations is young NCOs seeking to understand and shape their career path. These young leaders are trying to take charge and own their careers; however, many do not fully understand what tools are available, where to find those tools, or how to interpret them.......read more

From the Boresight Line: Engagements in Undulating Terrain
By 1st Sgt. Michael D. Stephens

Currently, the U.S. Army focuses training for armor vehicle crews on operations in open terrain. However, given the diverse nature of potential battlefields, it is crucial to adapt these training and operational paradigms to address challenges posed by undulating terrain effectively. Crews must exercise adaptability, conduct terrain analysis, conduct training and preparation, and be experts when using their equipment and technology. Effective coordination among vehicle crews involves clear communication, understanding of roles and responsibilities, and constant vigilance..... read more

From the Combat Training Centers: Ask Outlaw
By Col. Ian Lauer

Every commander understands the gravity of a rotation to the National Training Center (NTC). It is a defining experience for both the unit and its commanders. NTC rotations reveal character and impose generational lessons in an often-unforgiving way. As a commander, you often bounce between excitement for the opportunity to employ your unit in a purely tactical capacity and the apprehension associated with external assessments....read more

Features

Forging the Thunderbolt’s Foundation: Doctrinal Updates to Tank and Scout Platoon Manuals
By Lt. Col. Mitchell Payne

The Armor Branch exists to close with and destroy enemy forces using fire, maneuver, and shock effect, or to repel an assault by fire and counterattack. The Armor Branch is the combat arm of decision, because no other organization in the U.S. Army has the lethal combination of firepower, mobility, survivability, and situational awareness.....read more

MDMP and Risk
By Maj. Brett Barton

Sir, this is our problem statement. Please let me know when you’re done reading it so I can click next slide,” our battalion executive officer said in a bored voice. Then, we watched his face go pale and his eyes widen. What followed was a blistering attack on our professionalism by the commander.....read more

Armor in a Space Contested Environment: Reclaiming the Maneuver Advantage
By Maj. Heidi Beemer

Imagine a battlefield shrouded not in smoke and fog but in silence. A silence not of peace but of disruption. No satellite communication connecting commanders to their troops. No early warning systems detecting incoming threats. No Global Positioning System (GPS) guiding logistics, maneuver, or precision munitions. This scenario is not science fiction - it is a real possibility in future large-scale combat operations (LSCO).....read more

Fighting Autonomy with Autonomy
By Maj. James T. Casey

SGT Cunningham climbed to the top of vehicle Bravo 1-2 to relieve the Tank Commander (TC), SSG Rodriguez, from his position pulling security. The crew had just finished their morning preventative maintenance checks and services (PMCS). “I’ll be back in around an hour. We’re going to run a company rehearsal,” SSG Rodriguez said. SGT Cunningham settled into the TC’s hatch and checked the M2 .50, the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) system and the Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) auto scan settings.....read more

Training Battalions to Fight and Win in LSCO: The importance of Battle Drills, Playbooks, and Home-Station Training
By Maj. Chris Garlick and Lt. Col. Dave Devine

The method used by American football teams to call offensive plays changed drastically in the early 2000s. Deemphasizing the huddle, numerous teams experimented with calling plays from the line of scrimmage. This technique, perhaps best exemplified by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, allowed the quarterback to deliberately survey the defense and exploit weaknesses by getting the team in the optimal play.....read more

Mission Command Under Fire: Tank Leadership and Character in Sadr City’s Irregular War
By Sgt. Maj. Steve Gonzalez

Tanks rumbled through Sadr City’s narrow alleys like unleashed lions in a crowded arena, each turret ready to strike at hidden enemies. Urban warfare, a common form of irregular warfare (IW), drags heavy forces like tanks into dense neighborhoods where insurgents and civilians are often mixed.1 In these high-risk areas, commanders face threats that change quickly and unpredictably. This article focuses on three key challenges leaders must understand when fighting in IW. First, it explains why mission command principles, specifically mission orders and the commander’s intent, are critical for success in IW.....read more

Security Cooperation at the Tactical Level: Combat Training Center Interoperability with the Brazilian Army
By Maj. Miguel Moeyno and Master Sgt. Jaime Cantu

Since 2021, the U.S. Army and the Brazilian Army have conducted combined military exercises as part of Exercise Southern Vanguard (SV), known in Brazil as the Combined Operations and Rotational Exercise (CORE). According to the U.S. Army Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL), the “U.S. Army South’s Southern Vanguard (SV) series of exercises are built to enhance relationships, promote mutual military readiness, improve interoperability, and establish the foundation for lasting integrated deterrence with select partner nations (PNs) in the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AoR)."1 ....read more

Support Operations in an ABCT: Maintenance and Mobility with the Hercules and LET
By Maj. John Paulson

Armored brigade combat teams require constant heavy lift support for sustainment and recovery operations. The division sustainment brigade’s heavy and medium truck companies are designed to support the movement of 96 tracked vehicles in one series for onward movement in or out of theater. The Support Operations Office must prioritize the truck companies’ support for two to three brigades, their deployments, and maintenance requirements.....read more

Historic Armor Loses: Shifting Tactics and Strategic Paralysis
By Bryan Powers

For almost three years the Ukraine War has raged across the eastern and southern oblasts of the country as the Russian Federation continues its invasion. The invasion by Russian Federations Armed Forces (RFAF) began by assaulting Ukraine along five major axes with strikes at major city centers, including the capital in Kyiv.1 However, when the invasion stalled by the end of Spring 2022, RFAF had to transition from large-scale combat operations (LSCO) involving divisions and brigades to company and below assault forces predominantly in eastern and southern Ukraine, fully withdrawing from its northern axis along the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy oblasts.....read more

M242 Bushmaster Gun Theory
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Price

Since the introduction of the M242, 25-mm automatic cannon in 1980, detailed training materials on its principles of operation, cycle of function, and gear flow are not readily available to noncommissioned officers (NCOs) in the force. Army Training Manual (TM) 9-1005-200-23&P/Marine Corps TM 08672A-23&P is meant to be used as a technical manual for unit and direct support maintenance for the M242, containing detailed information about the various components and functions of the M242....read more