Spring 2025 Issue
Commandant's Note
Commandant’s Note Spring 2025
Text Version
Brig. Gen. Phillip J. Kiniery
Professional Forum
14 June 1775 — 250th Anniversary of the Infantry and the U.S. Army
Dr. David S. Stieghan
This year, the U.S. Army Infantry Branch celebrates 250 years since its creation by the 2nd Continental Congress. Several events commemorating the anniversary are planned throughout the year at Fort Benning, GA, and around the world by infantry units...read more
Move Further, Mask Emissions, Make Explosions
Lt. Col. D. Max Ferguson
The essential experience of a rifleman is largely the same from 1775 to today. For 250 years, American Infantry Soldiers have fought to protect and defend the American people. For two and a half centuries, American Infantrymen have marched to battle in leather boots with rifles pressed against their shoulders. Every Infantry Soldier from 1775 to 2025 has shaken their canteen at the end of a long march, hoping there’s an extra swig of water left. In all these years, they’ve all slept in mud, waded through swamps, shivered, and bled in the pursuit of our enemies.....read more
Reconnaissance in the Light Brigade Combat Team
Capt. Sean Parrott
The Army’s Transformation in Contact (TiC) initiative leverages emerging technology and future-forward force design to transition existing brigade combat teams (BCTs) into agile, hyper-enabled fighting formations. As the character of war has shifted, the Army has begun to adapt its BCT structure to better suit a division-centric fight. In 2024, the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team transitioned from an infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) to a light brigade combat team (LBCT-prototype). This experimentation is currently ongoing, with a Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) rotation executed in October 2024.2 Initial returns are promising, but past and present training observations highlight challenges the LBCT has in fighting without a dedicated reconnaissance capability....read more
Building Maneuver Live Fires for Company-Grade Officers: What I Learned from My Time in the Ranger Regiment
Capt. Patrick Kneram
Shortly after the conflict in Ukraine began, a video surfaced on Twitter of Russian infantrymen attempting to cross a courtyard between two buildings. Unbeknownst to them, the Ukrainians had placed an armored vehicle overwatching the courtyard approximately 200 meters away. With no discernible security or overwatch of their own, the Russians took multiple casualties in the courtyard. Still without returning fire, another squad attempted to pull their fallen comrades to cover, taking further casualties. The video ends, reminding us that failure to enforce tactical fundamentals and train for realism can result in devastating losses....read more
Mission Partner Kit: Advancing Multinational Interoperability with NATO Allies
Col. Donald R. Neal Jr. and Maj. Aziz Atakuzi
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how commercial technologies can reshape the battlefield, becoming essential tools in a modern military’s arsenals. Technologies such as Starlink satellite terminals have provided decentralized, resilient communication networks, enabling Ukrainian forces to maintain real-time situational awareness under cyber and kinetic attacks. Similarly, off-the-shelf drones like DJI quadcopters have been repurposed for reconnaissance and offensive operations, outpacing the deployment speed of traditional military systems. Ukraine has quickly adopted the use of commercial technologies during conflict, demonstrating the importance of agility and innovation in modern warfare for U.S. and NATO forces....read more
Rethinking Large-Scale Combat Operations Training
Maj. Jonathan L. Buckland
Since its establishment in 1981, the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, CA, has consistently served as the premier training ground for the U.S. Army in land and air warfare. Its effectiveness was notably demonstrated during the First Gulf War in 1991 by showcasing its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of commanders in preparing their formations for various operational scenarios. However, the evolution of warfare demands a comprehensive and adaptable approach to training that goes beyond traditional paradigms...read more
Task Force Falcon: Rapid Response to Hurricane Helene Relief Aid in Western North Carolina
Lt. Col. Walter C. Gray II, Maj. Paul Bingham, and Capt. Matt Kenny
More than 1,000 Soldiers from the 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (MBCT), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) recently deployed to western North Carolina in support of Hurricane Helene response efforts. 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment “Strike Force” deployed over 500 Soldiers, forming Task Force (TF) Falcon. TF Falcon conducted a variety of tasks to include rescue and recovery, medical aid, route assessment clearance, traffic control, warehouse management, supply distribution, general transportation, and equipment maintenance. They employed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) developed over the past year during the unit’s transformation from an infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) to an MBCT....read more
Less Death Star, More Tie Fighter: The Tactical Need for Army Skirmishers
Lt. Col. Travis Michelena
An eerie fog swirls around your boots as you lead your infantry platoon through the increasingly dark forest. A twig snaps, and the bushes rustle ominously 50 meters to the west. Suddenly, from the shadows emerges either one angry horse-sized duck or 300 angry duck-sized horses.
Given a choice, which would you rather fight? I wager you would much rather focus all of your attention on the one goliath duck than have to deal with a deluge of tiny horses. This may be just a silly thought exercise,
but the concept has merit....read more
Trailblazers of Tomorrow: The Evolving Legacy of Pathfinder Operations
Lt. Col. Chaveso Cook, Lt. Col. Michael Hamilton, and Maj. Jessica Colsia
GEN Matthew B. Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II, recognized the importance of pathfinder operations, leading to the prominent legacy that now occupies a storied place in the annals of military history. Pathfinders — those elite Soldiers who clear the way for larger forces — were instrumental in shaping the outcomes of major conflicts throughout the 20th century. Pathfinders represent not only a specialized skill set but also an ethos of precision, innovation, and bravery on the battlefield. The significance of having trained pathfinders, both in a historical context and for future military applications, is undeniable....read more
Tactical Reconnaissance-Strike in Ukraine: A Mandate for the U.S. Army
Lt. Col. Garrett M. Searle
At first light on the morning of 17 February 1944, five aircraft carriers from the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 58 turned into the wind and began launching F6F fighters. The formation of 72 Hellcats, rising into the cool, clear dawn, banked west to put the rising sun at their back and set a course for Truk Atoll, an important anchorage for the Japanese Navy in the Western Pacific. The planes were the first wave of a significant raid on the base that would consist of more than 500 carrier-based aircraft. The Hellcats made quick work of the Japanese fighter defense, much of which never got off the ground. They were followed by a continuous flow of dive bombers and torpedo bombers, all with an assigned target on the airbases or lagoon anchorages...read more
Russian River Crossing Failure During the Battle of the Siverskyi Donets
Maj. Kyle Kindy
On 8 May 2022, the Russian army attempted to cross the Siverskyi Donets River in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The crossing operation failed, and an entire Russian battalion tactical group (BTG) was lost. Russia’s failed river crossing is an example of why the principles of the offense and the training and employment of combined arms remain paramount to successful obstacle negotiation...read more
The Battle for Bakhmut: When Is a Battlefield Loss a Strategic Victory?
Bryan Powers
Following Russia’s failed attempt to seize Kyiv and decapitate the Ukrainian leadership in February 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense was forced to withdraw elements of its Central and Eastern Military District forces through Belarus and back into Belgorod oblast in mid-to-late March. Rapidly reorganizing its forces and command and control (C2), these forces were reinserted and joined with elements of the Western and Southern Military Districts in April 2022 inside of Ukraine’s Donbas region, intent on capturing the entirety of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts...read more
Introduction to the Doctrinal Mortar Community
Staff Sgt. Brady Smith, Staff Sgt. Ruben Garces, and Sgt. 1st Class Adam Weaver
The 11C community plays a vital role in the U.S. Army’s indirect fire capabilities, and as such, it is essential to stay informed about the latest developments and updates in doctrine, training, and equipment. The Department of Training, Tactics, and Doctrine (DOTTD) at Fort Benning, GA, serves as the central hub for the 11C community, providing substantial resources and expertise to support the U.S. Army Infantry and Armor schools. This article aims to provide an overview of the five key teams within DOTTD that support the mortar community, highlight recent updates to doctrine, and introduce new initiatives aimed at enhancing the qualification and training of mortar crews....read more
Managing the Chaos at the Brigade Combat Team
Maj. John David Tydingco
In today’s operating tempo (OPTEMPO), stacks of requirements are often bestowed on a brigade combat team (BCT). This article intends to explain a way of tackling these myriads of requirements. To set the stage, imagine a BCT that is deployed to Europe and is slated to execute modernization, a U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) ground readiness evaluation assessment and training (GREAT) inspection, division red cycle, and a National Training Center (NTC) train-up, all occurring in the next fiscal year (FY). Where do you start and what systems should you put in place to manage the chaos? To do this, a BCT needs six things: a plan to plan (P2P), brigade red-amber-green (RAG) cycle, an enabling battle rhythm, command training guidance (CTG), fighting products, and project officer management.s...read more
Optimizing Performance and Reducing Injury in Infantry OSUT
Lt. Col. Michael B. Moore
As the demands on today’s Infantry Soldiers increase, the U.S. Army has made significant strides toward building a more resilient, capable force through the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program. Integrating H2F into Infantry One Station Unit Training (OSUT) has become a game changer. By embedding strength coaches, athletic trainers, and H2F integrators directly into training, OSUT is transforming how Soldiers develop and maintain peak physical fitness while minimizing injuries....read more
Stryker Gunnery: The Operational Crucible in Building Lethal Teams
Command Sgt. Maj. Raul “Rudi” Soto
Stryker gunnery is often viewed as a task, a series of exercises and training sessions that units must complete to achieve proficiency. However, this perspective undersells the true significance of Stryker gunnery. In reality, it is an operation that shapes a lethal, cohesive team — one that is capable of dominating on the battlefield. The process of Stryker gunnery is not just about technical mastery but about building a team that can work together seamlessly, anticipating and overcoming challenges in high-pressure situations....read more
