Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin - Federation of American ...

MI company commander and the first sergeant. An
objective look at the currently employed contemporary
operating environment highlights the importance
of mission rehearsals and back-briefs, the conduct of
battle drills, the development of a contingency plan,
and so forth.
When in war, men must die, they can’t be managed
to their deaths, they must be led.
—Colonel Dandridge “Mike” Malone,
U.S. Army, Infantry
A workable balance must be found between the
brigade S2’s understanding of the MI company current
level of readiness, as well as the separate intelligence
discipline collector’s unique capabilities and
limitations. It is the responsibility of the MI company
commander to inform the brigade commander and his
staff of the company’s current status. He must also
assist the battalion level commanders, and their respective
staff by recommending employment of what
is often the BCT’s single collection platform within
a specific intelligence discipline. Experience in both
Iraq and Afghanistan has proven to me that many
missions are doomed from the start due to the simple
lack of leader involvement in the critical tasks of rehearsals
and inspections; all of which take place before
the MI company soldier has even left the Forward
Operating Base (FOB) front gates.
People cannot be managed. Inventories can be
managed, but people must be led.
—Ross Perot
Given the current mission profile of the BCT’s MI
company, company level leadership is a critical component
to successful execution of the BCT’s intelligence
requirements. In concert with the brigade staff,
the MI company leaders must be able to plan, rehearse,
collect, and report information of value, often
all at the same time. As an example: While a Tactical
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) is flying in support
of an Infantry Company’s cordon and search just
south of the Yarmock Circle, a Tactical HUMINT Team
(THT) prepares to depart the FOB, with the nuclear,
biological, and chemical (NBC) Reconnaissance Platoon
providing security. They are in search of a key
piece of information needed in order to verify a fellow
intelligence collector’s single-source information. All
the while, the SIGINT Platoon is scanning and searching
increasing numbers of ever-changing targets in
an effort to guarantee both the assured destruction
of enemy forces, as well as assist in the “no-fail” mission
of protecting our forces. While all of these missions
are in various states of operational planning,
one thread knits all of these loose ends together—
Leadership. It is leadership alone that ensures the MI
company is “firing on all cylinders” and that the company
is properly trained, equipped, manned and rehearsed
during the various critical stages of each of
these complex and diverse intelligence missions.
The fact is that younger leaders [not generals]
are the ones who really make history. They earn
medals for valor and achievement. They are the
ones who get things done and make the Army
great.
—General John A. Wickham, Jr.
Army Chief of Staff, 1983-1987
If we look to develop today’s MI officers for positions
of increased leadership responsibility within the new
BCT’s Brigade Troops Battalion (BTB), we must begin
this much needed development at the MI company
level with our platoon leaders, company executive officers
and, of course, our MI company commanders.
If we fail to do this, the critical pool of officers qualified
to be future battalion commanders will dwindle precipitously
and our competitive edge will be lost.
Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!!!
—Unknown
Captain Jerry Moon is the commander of Bravo Company (MI),
311th BTB, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault). He earned a BS degree from Western
Illinois University and an MS from Murray State University. He
has served as a SIGINT Platoon Leader, an HHSC Executive
Officer, a Support Platoon Leader, a Battalion S3, a Division
Collection Manager, and a Battalion S2 in both the 10th
Mountain Division (LI) and 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment (ABN).
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