Winter 2025 Issue
Commandant's Note
Brig. Gen. Phillip J. Kiniery
As 2025 draws to a close, we continue to reflect on our proud heritage as we press forward in transforming into a more lethal, agile, and capable fighting force. The Infantry’s story is one of constant adaptation — a legacy of grit, sacrifice, and innovation that spans from the trenches of past wars to the evolving multidomain battlefield of today. This year reminded us that transformation is not merely about modernization of equipment or technology, but about the continuous sharpening of the Soldier’s mind, body, and spirit to meet the demands of future conflict. .... read more
Professional Forum
Close Fighting Fundamentals: Tactical-Level Training Considerations to Prepare for Uncertain Future Battlefields
Lt. Gen. Gregory K. Anderson
The XVIII Airborne Corps will be called to fight, with little advance warning, to a conflict and an enemy for which we do not yet know. Presently, we do not have the clarity, precision, or detail in war plans and contingency plans to know specifically what tasks to train for or what conditions to train against....read more
Ivy Raider “Moneyball for Gunnery” Part 2: The Science of Crew Lethality
Lt. Col. Jon Bate, Capt. Mitch Brown, 1st Lt. Ben Lopez, and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lammert
The project leveraged data analytics to generate insights to identify "undervalued players" that can increase crew lethality while conserving time and resources. In this iteration, we analyzed data from the Ivy Raider Brigade’s February 2025 Stryker mounted machine gunnery (MMG) to identify factors that were tied to first-time Table VI qualification (Q1) and improved Table VI scores.....read more
Building a Lethal Stryker Infantry Battalion in Korea
Lt. Col. Brandon Wohlschlegel
It has been almost 75 years since the first North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel, beginning a war that still has not formally ended. U.S. forces still remain on the Korean Peninsula today to deter against future North Korea aggression, develop interoperability with the Republic of Korea Army (ROK-A), and foster shared understanding with our ally. The U.S. Army has permanent stationed units throughout the Korean Peninsula; however, it also hosts units conducting nine-month rotations to increase combat power in the Korean theater of operations (KTO). ...read more
Infantry Doctrine Proposal: UAS Sections that Mirror Mortar Sections
Capt. Timothy J Naudet, Maj. Ian Baird, Capt. Nathan Rosenberger, Capt. Thomas Canchola, and Capt. Avery Austin
In his 2006 book, Passion of Command: The Moral Imperative for Leadership, U.S. Marine Corps Col B.P. McCoy states that “to take and conquer land, you must give brave men rifles and hand grenades.”(1) Although many modern technological advancements induced significant change in both the military and civilian landscapes since the writing of his book, the requirement of the Infantry to close with and destroy the enemy in close combat remains a universal constant of ground combat. With the current proliferation of low-cost and highly lethal unmanned aerial systems (UAS), we believe that these machines are positioned to provide a significant increase of infantry company lethality when used to support the company’s essential role of closing with the enemy. read more
Light Infantry Infiltration Operations
Lt. Col. Ian Pitkin
How do we best prepare light infantry forces for employment in large-scale combat? By organizing, equipping, and training our light units to conduct successful infiltration operations. These forces must be capable of maneuvering behind enemy forces and conducting decentralized operations by gaining and maintaining contact, providing accurate and responsive fires, sustaining forces behind enemy lines, and providing uninterrupted command and control. read more
Divisions in the Dirt or Divisions in Concrete? It’s Time to Scale Up Collective Training for the MDO Erar
Maj. Elliot L. Corey
The time is 0200. Over the next 18 hours, a joint task force (JTF) led by the 82nd Airborne Division will open a convergence window for a joint forcible entry (JFE). A Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) will conduct an amphibious assault to establish a beachhead. Inland, an airborne infantry battalion and a Ranger battalion will seize an airfield. After establishing both lodgments, the JTF must establish a ground line of communication (GLOC) between the beach and the airfield by fighting its way through dense urban terrain (DUT). read more
Balancing Integration and Synchronization in Planning: Insights from Warfighter 25-01
Maj. Audley Campbell and Maj. Samuel W. Fujinaka
During Warfighter Exercise (WfX) 25-01, the phrase “set conditions” was frequently used to describe prerequisites for initiating an action or transitioning between phases of the operation. While the importance of setting conditions was evident, there was often a divergent understanding of what specific conditions needed to be met and how to organize the planning cell’s efforts to enable them. Understanding which conditions should be time based and what actions should be driven by conditions is crucial to planning and executing large-scale combat operations (LSCO). This article explores how planning cells can organize efforts to anticipate requirements, preserve options, and exploit opportunities. A shared understanding of the specific conditions to support the commander’s intent for operations allows the planning cells to prioritize, coordinate, and adjust based on changes in a dynamic operational environment. Decisive military operations depend on fully informed staff integration and synchronization. read more
Outthinking Adversaries: The Future of Warfare in a Multi-Domain World
Capt. Bol Jock
Military historians, professionals, and strategists attributed U.S. military victories in World Wars I and II to two basic points: 1) The U.S. possessed deeper industrial capacity to support the war, and 2) As a result of American cultural norms and values, U.S. Soldiers were better prepared to outthink their adversaries. (1) While these variables’ impact on American success in the World Wars is debatable, the discussion frames a larger, crucial question for the U.S. Army: What should the Army focus on to remain the dominant land force in future wars? read more
Data Overload in an Age of Transformation: Mastering the Basics
1st Lt. William D. Pawlak
As one of the battle captains assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), I was first struck by the amount of chat rooms, message boxes, spreadsheets, and email functions I had to manage. It was strange that with the technology available to battle staff, we found ourselves locked onto headsets and laptops, as if we were no better than pro-gamers trying to coordinate the actions of an entire division. As the Army’s premier light infantry unit specializing in long-range air assault missions, the 101st will continue to master the fundamentals of air assault planning and execution as it approaches its new 2030 framework, which will include deep alterations to its existing brigade combat team structure, like many other units throughout the Army. With the division now as the primary unit of action in a large-scale combat operations (LSCO) environment, it is crucial that staff sections at the division headquarters make commensurate changes to their standard operating procedures and force structure as well. One of these changes must be the way division staff sections manage data overload on the current operations and integration cell (COIC) floor. read more
Delegating to Discomfort: Where Training Meets Development
Capt. Melissa Vargas, CPT Brian Hester, and Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Riccio
While "staffing your company" is imperative and often emphasized, many commanders centralize critical information, leading to cognitive overload. Without learning how or where to start, “staff your company” becomes another set of buzzwords. Without a functioning command post (CP) to enable shared understanding, companies collapse when commanders have to disconnect from it. To meet modern operational demands, command teams must delegate to discomfort, empower junior leaders, and institutionalize CP functions that mirror higher headquarters with an approach akin to apprenticeship, where every individual constantly prepares to replace wounded leaders.(1) It sounds dark, but large-scale combat operations (LSCO) demand that we prepare our subordinates to replace us. read more
So, You're an Executive Officer – Now What?
Maj. Jonathan Buckland and 1st Lt. Ryley Bendewald
So, you’re an executive officer (XO) — now what? Several key responsibilities fall within your scope, whether at the company/troop/battery or battalion/squadron level. This article draws on the invaluable lessons learned from experienced leaders who have served as a troop XO, squadron maintenance officer, and squadron XO in an armored brigade combat team (ABCT). While the article is scaled in dealing with maintenance operations and doesn’t cover the entire scope of an XO’s responsibilities, we hope these insights can serve as a guiding light, helping you to navigate the complexities of your new role. You can directly impact your organization by understanding the processes, your team, and the support you can seek from higher headquarters. read more
The History and Future of Military Stoicism
Franklin C. Annis and Andrew D. Baker
In 2009, struggling with the significant behavioral health injuries of Soldiers and families as a result of the “Long War,” the Army integrated research from the University of Pennsylvania to develop the U.S. Army Master Resilience Course. While this program may have served as an immediate stopgap to reduce suicide and improve the general mental health within the force, it may be time to reconsider the Army’s approach to resiliency. Adapting a method that provides explicit instruction on Stoic philosophy, which serves as the foundation to a number of effective psychological methods such as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, could not only address the resiliency needs of the Army but do so in a fashion that could strengthen the overall understanding of the Profession of Arms. With the updated Army Regulation 350-1, Army Training and Leader Development, removing the resiliency program as an annual training requirement and placing a greater burden on commanders to assess and provide tailored instruction in resiliency as needed to their units, now may be an optimal time to integrate Stoic philosophy to shape the holistic culture of the Army instead of continuing to treat resiliency as addendum training. read more
Producing Warriors: The Modern Army Combatives Program
Capt. D. Rex Winslow and Sgt. 1st Class (Retired) Dirk D. McComas
It is time for Infantry leaders and Soldiers to fully embrace the Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP). Few programs, if any, offer low-risk, high-reward training that cross several functions as effectively as MACP. The Infantry closes with and destroys the enemy; provided that remains the Infantry’s primary function, the need for close quarter training is vital. Infantry One Unit Station Training (OSUT) and the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC) both do an excellent job of teaching our Soldiers tactics at range — from kilometers away to the 15-meter hand grenade range. However, MACP teaches fighting at the “zero-meter range,” as stated on the entrance sign to their building. read more
Bonus Article
11th Airborne Military Mountaineers Climb Denali
Capt.Edward M. Kwait, Capt. Roy J. Schindler, and Master Sgt. Corey Donnelly
Enduring hardship is intrinsic to life for the few who serve in the Infantry. Tackling demanding challenges and persevering through discomfort initiate a distinct sense of accomplishment. Motivated by this mindset, we set out to climb Mount Denali, continuing the U.S. Army’s legacy on North America’s tallest peak. The relationship was first forged in the 1940s while testing equipment under extreme conditions, enlisting experienced climbers such as Bradford Washburn to contribute their expertise.... read more
