Fire and Spies

In the first section "Attack by Fire" Tzu focuses on how to utilize fire with your attack plans. I don't think this can directly translate to today's style of warfare just because things like 'burning soldiers in their camps' would not go over so well. However, if you substitute bombs for fire many of the concepts are still applicable. For example, when an enemy is being bombed there are times you should simultaneously attack and times when you should hold off on your attack. Also, the idea of "use not your troops unless there is something to be gained" is still relevant because minimizing casualties is always a concern.

In the next and final section "The Use of Spies" Tzu focuses on the benefits of spies. He states that there are five different kinds of spies which all have unique characteristics. The numerous benefits of espionage is still very applicable today, but the different techniques have evolved throughout time. For example, today we can rely more on technology in order to spy on the enemy which puts individuals in less danger.

March, Terrain, and Situations

In this first section "The Army on the March" Tzu makes several different points. This first is about the different terrains in which wars can be conducted: mountains, rivers, marshes, and plains. These terrains may not apply to urban warfare today, but his main point that you need to hold a better piece of terrain than the enemy is still true. Another important point from this section is that by watching the enemy you can learn about their situation. This idea is still followed in the OPORD process whenever we say the enemy has high/low morale and what their likely course of action is based upon their current situation.

In the next section "Terrain" Tzu makes two main points which can be summed up in his statement "if you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete." When Tzu refers to Heaven and Earth he is actually referencing the terrain. Although warfare in urban environments does not have the same terrain as the types Tzu is talking about it is still important to know the surrounding environment. He stresses the relationship between the general (officer) and the common soldiers (subordinates) which is still especially important in urban warfare.

In the last section "The Nine Situations" Tzu speaks of nine different kinds of ground and the different actions you should take on each. No matter what type of ground suprise and rapidity are still important; both in Tzu's time and in a modern urban environment. While the exact nine types of ground may not all be in sure today, it is still important to know both the environment and the enemy.

Weak Points, Maneuvering, and Tactics

In this first section "Weak Points and Strong" Tzu make several points which are consistent with the 9 Principles of War today. He focuses much attention on the principle of surprise. Tzu states that a "general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack." This is essentially identical to the modern-day principle of surprise which is to strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared.

The next section, "Maneuvering", focuses on the principle of maneuvering. In the principles of warfare this is described as placing the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power. Tzu describes this same definition, but then goes further by saying that in order to maneuver successfully an army must be disciplined enough to follow even when they cannot hear and the commander must have knowledge of the particular circumstances.

In "Variations in Tactics" Tzu focuses on the leader. He states that a leader must be careful of avoiding recklessness, cowardice, a hasty temper, a delicacy of honor, and over-solicitude. Falling victim to any one of these sins may cause an army to lose a war. I think this is why the Army created the Be, Know, Do Model. What a leader is and what a leader does is essential for securing victory.

Tactical Disposition & Energy

In tactical disposition Sun Tzu focuses on offensive and defensive operations. He starts by talking about defensive operations and states that a "good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat". I think we have already started to learn this principle in rotc-land because whenever we do STX lanes security is always the most important element. Tzu also says that "making no mistakes establishes the certainty of victory". This is an offensive operation which we have also practiced in rotc-land. OPORDs give a plan for victory and contingency plans while rehearsals ensure that everyone is on the same page in order to avoid mistakes.

In the next section, Energy, Tzu focuses on direct and indirect methods of attack. Energy is the combination of these two types of attack. While you need indirect methods in order to secure victory, they would not be possible without direct methods; the two are interdependent. Tzu talks about utilizing combined energy which reminds me of the principle of mass which says to concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time in order to multiply your strength.

Attack by Stratagem

General Tzu begins this section by stating that it is better to take a country whole and intact than to destroy it. He also applies this same rational to troops and says it is better to capture an army than to destroy it. In an ideal situation I think this makes perfect sense because then you would have the additional resources of the country and troops at your disposal. However, I do not think this necessarily applies to our situation today because we are fighting a different kind of war. We do not want to destroy either Iraq or Afghanistan, but not because we want their resources but because we are only fighting against the insurgency. It is important to leave the country as whole and as intact as we can for the local populations.

Tzu also states that "supreme excellence consists in breaking your enemy's resistance without fighting." This idea seems consist with the idea of fourth generation warfare that we learned about last year. Fourth generation warfare is when you weaken the opponents will to fight. I think these tactics are actually being used against us because the terrorists know that if they wear down the resistance of the public back home then the US will have to pull out of their countries.

Waging War

In this section Tzu focuses on the cost of war. He claims that a quick victory should be the goal of war; "there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare." However, his strategy has been largely ignored in the Iraq War and we are now seeing the consequences. Public support for the war is waning and the cost is draining the already poor economy.

Another focus of this section was the idea of foraging materials from the enemy. The idea is that it is more valuable to use resources from the enemy because then you still have yours at home or in reserve. However, I also believe this tactic has been ignored in the Iraq War and for good reason. This is not the typical war fought against a country, but rather it is being fought against an insurgency group within the country. In order to win the war the Iraqi people have to be won-over and if we were to exploit their resources this would never happen.

Laying Plans

I lied. I'm going to do my blog this semester on The Art of War. Flags of our Fathers was a good book, but it was a more of a story about the lives of the men and not really about the battle.

The first chapter of Sun Tzu's book is on the laying of plans. He begins by laying out five constant factors of war. These are moral laws, heaven, earth, the commander, and method and discipline. Even though this was written in the 6th century BC I think these factors have a direct correlation to the US Army today. Tzu describes moral law as the ability of troops to follow their leader completely. This can be seen today in the Warrior Ethos which are centered upon never quitting and placing the mission first aka following the leader. Heaven is basically the weather which is always a consideration when planning missions. Earth is the equivalent of terrain analysis; another important factor in a leaders planning process. The commander talks about virtues which are roughly equivalent to the Army Values of today. Finally, Tzu touches upon method and discipline which can be seen in the chain of command.

America's War & Call of Duty

This book is a lot different than I thought it would be, but not necessarily in a bad way. Bradley is much more descriptive and into telling the story behind each Marine in the picture. This makes it a much different read than "We Were Soldiers" because it doesn't really dwell on the battles (or at least so far it hasn't). However, I still think this can be related to Army leadership because it emphasizes knowing your subordinates. This was an especially important element to LTC Moore's leadership and I think this enabled him to be the leader that he was. Getting to know your people is important because it enables leaders to create a positive environment which is important when aiming to achieve and get results.

The one part of the section I did not like (because it made me sick to even think about) was when Bradley talked about the actions of the Japanese. Even in war there are some rules, but the Japanese completely ignored these by firing at Medics and mutilating the bodies of the dead Marines. I just do not understand this; I mean it's war but you still have to draw a line somewhere. I know American doesn't have a perfect track record, but I'm glad we have rules to try and prevent incidents like this from occuring.

Sacred Ground & All-American Boys

This semester I'm reading Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley. My dad brought home a stack of books for me to choose from and this one seemed interesting because I have seen the picture of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima countless time, but I know nothing of the story or the people behind it. The very first sentence pointed out a fact that I had missed; there are actually six figures in the picture. Two are just hidden from full-view. The book starts at the end with James Bradley, the son of John Bradley who was one of the flag raisers, visiting Suribachi where the photo was taken. What struck me as impressive was that upon landing on the island with his family both U.S. Marines and Japanese soldiers stood at attention in order to act as a greeting party. This is a sacred place for both sides which is something that is easy to forget when you only hear one side of history.


Bradley then goes on to describe the background of each of the men. He talks about their childhoods, families, and how they ended up at Iwo Jima; some were drafted while others chose to join through their own free-will. They were all so different, but yet ended up together in a recognizable piece of history.