Chaos and Decentralization

One of the lines from the email Frank recently sent really struck me:

Historically, it is clear that combat is chaos and we depend on individuals and small units to carry the day. That means they must be well trained, capable of independent action and confident enough to exercise their judgement. Control and Powerpoints will die at the firstshot.

This really reminded me of my summer beach read, "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young." The biggest thing I took out of that book from a leadership standpoint was the importance of simple, intent-based orders and allowing subordinates to execute. The vivid descriptions made it very clear that any attempt to precisely command and maneuver units would have been totally ineffective in the chaotic and constantly changing combat environment. This is why it is important for Army officers to not only be conscious of this reality in combat, but to practice it in training and even in garrison to prepare our subordinates to take initiative and operate effectively with minimal guidance.