TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01couldn’t even see. It was pitch dark making even their infrared and enhanced optics displaysvibrate eerily. A loud explosion and huge ball of fire behind them shook the ground and rockedthe FSV-R.“Dear God,” Topping worried, “A Condor?”What had started out as a stealthy security mission where TF Green had the advantage oftotal surprise now seemed like an orchestrated ambush, but where were the enemy icons? Noreads from any of the overhead systems picked up anything.Captain Brown in RSTA 6 on line with Topping’s position, tapped in a spot report and got aninstant confirmation on the Condor and one of third platoon’s crews being lost. Insertionaborted. Alternate Landing Bravo, came the next message. They were on their own. Nothing todo but continue the mission and aim for linking up at Bravo with the rest of the battalion. Brownsagged in his seat, taking a pull from his Camelback, exhausted from more than 36 hours withoutsleep and drained of adrenalin reserves. “Must be missiles,” he thought. That would explain theabsence of enemy icons. That also meant that the Anderian’s possessed standoff defenses moresophisticated than predicted.He had to pull the RSTA Company together and get to Bravo before light, and do it from themiddle of a booby-trapped jungle. He found himself longing for the OPFOR and Granite Pass atthe National Training Center.Should he check on 1-4 or go back to the Condor? “No!” his mind struggled, “The mission’swhat matters.” The Captain ordered the protect battle drill which all his elements weredoubtless executing already. Their systems were capable of picking up threats from on boardand external sensors. Brown knew better than to rely on them alone, bracing for more Anderiansurprises.This continued account of a fictional battle only begins to paint the intensity of prolongedoperations in a combat environment. Similar accounts taken from historical battles are rife withthe sheer terror and total exhaustion the Soldiers coped with for sometimes days on end. Whatthis encounter in AO Foxden demonstrates is that the stress experienced in combat does notnecessarily require direct engagement in furious close swordfights. An asymmetric opponenttaking advantage of his home turf and relatively simple and inexpensive devices can turn eventhe most modern and well trained force on its heels. Leaders in such an environment can freezeup, become fatalistic, and suffer rage at not being able to strike back. Loss of sleep, fear, loss offriends and major weapons systems thought indestructible, exacerbates the leader’s challenges.199