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ARMOR, January-February 1999 Edition

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ARMOR, January-February 1999 Edition Stand To This is going to be my last “Stand To” column in ARMOR soldiers out from under his thumb between exercises. Heck, Magazine before terminal leave and retirement bring a 20-year you could even feel a loosening of control when ENDEX was career to a close. As I reach the end of this phase in my life, I’m announced over the net. reminded of how it began, and how life in the Army has We worked very, very hard, but we played pretty hard, too. changed ever since. While we worked hard, it was a fun place to work. I think you I cannot resist the temptation to offer one piece of advice — have to let yourself and your soldiers and troopers have some surely you can’t begrudge me the opportunity to mount a pulpit fun in this business, or all of the well-balanced people will leave one time in the four years I have been this magazine’s editor-in- the Army in disgust. Those who remain will be a too high chief. The advice isn’t just to my juniors, but to my peers and concentration of anally retentive “Type As” who want to staff the my superiors alike. A wise old “Gray Wolf” once said words to staff papers to see if we need staffing papers and then brief the my platoon sergeant that a just reporting 2nd Lieutenant Blakely results at 1600 on a Saturday afternoon. Oh, and you better not took to heart. I can’t quote him exactly, now that decades have make any mistakes while you do it or you won’t be able to stay passed, but it was something to this effect: “Sergeant Patsfield, in the command hunt. we work hard here in this brigade, and we work until the While in the past it might have been a good bonding exercise mission is accomplished, but when it is done, we play hard too.” to hold a Friday “maintenance meeting” at the club, the Before you pooh-pooh those as the well-meaning but suspect repercussions today if someone makes an error in judgment words of a commander in the late 70’s Army, an army which are just too severe. So, as a result, we have become had so many problems, let me point out that the Soviet Union increasingly a force that just goes home after punching the didn’t accomplish many of its aims in that time period. The Army clock and takes off its Army clothes because the job is over. then was good enough in its milieu to handle the threat, so the Service used to be our way of life; now we are losing this aspect Gray Wolf’s words were good and were worthy of emulation. of service to the country. And that’s part of the reason it is not Work Hard — Play Hard. That maxim can mean different much fun anymore. things to a lot of people, I suppose. Some would interpret it to A lot of people in and out of uniform complain about the way mean better and expanded intramural programs, with more the Army is right now. On some days I even complain a little sports participation during garrison time for everyone. Others myself. But make no mistake about, while there are specific will say it necessarily means too much Mr. Booze, and we need aspects about the Army which I don’t like, in its aggregate I still to keep a cap on that. To others it suggests out of control love it, believe in it, and am proud of it. womanizing in red-light districts, a deadly habit in this day and Over a frosty mug, I have idly speculated on where I would age. And true, those negative behaviors do occur when we play have been now if I’d majored in business and gone that route too hard or have leaders who don’t set good examples. It is rare out of school. But it is only idle speculation, for the fact is, that if now to hear leaders say much about the playing hard part of the faced with a magic genie chance to serve or not to serve from equation except to warn their soldiers and troopers not to, the beginning again, I’d make the same choice. To serve. Being because they will be hammered if they are caught hammered. a soldier, especially a tanker, was a child’s dream come true for Today, any blemish looks bad in quarterly training briefings me, and I rarely ever looked back to second guess the choice. and command briefings, so it is better not to take chances. As I sit in my office looking at the bulletin board I’ve decorated Instead, the phrase now seems to be Work Hard — Now Work with militaria from various ages, I don’t look so much to the past Harder. No wonder that the life of a soldier seems to be ever but to a future Army I won’t be a part of. I have mixed emotions more difficult for our recruiters to sell. Johnny with no play is an when I think about the exciting things which are about to unhealthy boy and will quickly decide not to stay in. happen — that makes me sad. I am elated, however, that a One of my favorite leaders in the Army, a brigade commander, strong Army still exists — especially when compared to any carried a sledgehammer with him everywhere he went. His likely foe’s force — and that there are great guys in our turrets. intent was “to remind people what battlefield effect a heavy That said, I wish you all good luck and good hunting. I will brigade has when it is used on an enemy — it ain’t a surgical always remain loyally yours. instrument.” He and the unit were high performers in — TAB simulations AND in the dirt at the NTC, yet he routinely let his By Order of the Secretary of the Army: Official: DENNIS J. REIMER General, United States Army JOEL B. HUDSON Chief of Staff Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army 05266 The Professional Development Bulletin of the Armor Branch PB-17-99-1 Editor-in-Chief Features LTC TERRY A. BLAKELY 9 The Future Scout And Cavalry System - (FSCS) Managing Editor by Dr. Asher H. Sharoni and Lawrence D. Bacon JON T. CLEMENS 18 Chariots of Fire: Building the Bradley Fighting Vehicle by Major General Stan R. Sheridan (Ret.) Commandant 21 Problems Persist, But Continuous Band Track MG GEORGE H. HARMEYER Shows Promise in Light Armor Applications by Paul Hornback ARMOR (ISSN 0004-2420) is published bi­ 22 Is the Bradley Heavy Enough to Replace the M113 In Combat Engineer Units? monthly by the U.S. Army Armor Center, 4401 by Simon Tan Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, KY 40121. Disclaimer: The information contained in AR­ 24 Through the Breach: A Tanker Searches for a Common Perspective by Captain Jeffrey Erdley MOR represents the professional opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the offi­ 28 Team Blade and Survivability Management cial Army or TRADOC position, nor does it by Captain Pete Huie change or supersede any information presented 30 Incident at Safwan in other official Army publications. by Stephen A. Bourque Official distribution is limited to one copy for each armored brigade headquarters, armored 36 Cadet Leader Training cavalry regiment headquarters, armor battalion by Office of the Chief of Armor headquarters, armored cavalry squadron head­ 37 Achieving Effective ACIRC Relations: An NTC Model for Success quarters, reconnaissance squadron headquar­ by Lieutenant Colonel Aaron R. Kenneston ters, armored cavalry troop, armor company, and motorized brigade headquarters of the 42 The Digital Reference United States Army. In addition, Army libraries, by Colonel Kart Gunzelman and Captain Sean Pritchard Army and DOD schools, HQ DA and MACOM 44 BEAMHIT: This Marksmanship Training System staff agencies with responsibility for armored, di­ Uses Lasers and Can Go Anywhere rect fire, ground combat systems, organizations, by Captain Eric G. Dulin and the training of personnel for such organiza­ 47 M1A2 NET Team Combines Military and Civilians in a First for the Army tions may request two copies by sending a re­ by Tom Werth and Specialist Randy Hughes quest to the editor-in-chief. Authorized Content: ARMOR will print only 51 Tactical Vignette 99-1: those materials for which the U.S. Army Armor "FORGING STEEL - Exploiting a Brigade'S Success" Center has proponency. That proponency in­ 52 Solutions to Tactical Vignette 98-5: "Zone Recon To LOA Steelers" cludes: all armored, direct-fire ground combat systems that do not serve primarily as infantry 57 New Electronic Information Systems Open a Virtual Library On-Line carriers; all weapons used exclusively in these systems or by CMF 19-series enlisted soldiers; Back AGTS Deploys With "First Team" To Bosnlal any miscellaneous items of equipment which ar­ Cover by Trudy Ryan and Major J.B. Iddins mor and armored cavalry organizations use ex­ clusively; training for all SC 12A, 12B, and 12C Departments officers and for all CMF-19-series enlisted sol­ diers; and information conceming the training, 2 Contacts 3 Letters logistics, history, and leadership of armor and ar­ 7 Commander's Hatch mored cavalry units at the brigade/regiment level 8 Driver's Seat and below, to include Threat units at those lev­ 58 Reviews els. Material may be reprinted, provided credit is given to ARMOR and to the author, except Periodicals Postage paid at Fort Knox, .KY, and additional mailing offices.
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