Captain Hodges: “In my own mind I had tentatively decided to send a complete squad. It seems to me that we should send enough men so that if they have to fight their way through to get the information desired they could do it. Four men would not be sufficient for the purpose. I should like some enlightenment on this phase of the subject.”
The Director: “Captain James, can you answer Captain Hodges?”
Captain James: “In the first place, a reconnoitering patrol does not fight except as a last resort to escape capture or to give warning of the approach of the enemy and to delay him by firing on him. In the next place, I do not see how this patrol will ever get close enough to the enemy to get any really important information if it starts to fight its way through the Red covering troops. Once a shot is fired the Red commander will send out sufficient patrols to keep your patrol at a distance, and it will get no information whatever. My idea is that any information this patrol gets will be by avoiding the Red covering troops and not by fighting.”
The Director: “I think you are correct. The smaller the patrol, within limitations, the better. I think a leader and four men is about right. Lieutenant Baker, tell us what you would include in your order to the patrol leader.”
Lieutenant Baker: “I would first tell the patrol leader all the information I have about the enemy and our troops. I would give him general direction as to where I want the patrol to go. I would tell him what information I want regarding the enemy. Tell him in general terms where to return and where to send messages.”
The Director: “The final question that comes up is that of the equipment of the men. How would you have them equipped, Captain Hall?”
Captain Hall: “I would want them to go lightly equipped. They should have a ration in their haversack; not over 40 rounds of ammunition and their rifle. I would have them leave the bayonets with their packs. They will not need them.”
Explanation
The Director: “You see the process we have gone through to determine that we are going to send out a patrol of five men from the support. You see how many things you have to consider in arriving at a decision as to what you are going to do. This is what we call making an ‘Estimate of the Situation.’ It is merely a process of sizing up the situation and deciding on what you are going to do to meet it. An officer who fails to do this will in the end make a failure of the soldier game. The one who does it habitually has far greater chances for the operations he is conducting to turn out a success. Just a few minutes’ systematic thought will save you a lot of military blunders.
“Based on this estimate of the situation we arrive at a decision to send out a patrol of five men to secure information of the enemy. Lieutenant Barry, assume that you are Lieutenant A, commanding the support. Can you give us the orders necessary to put the decision into operation?”