Excellence in the combat arms

Abstract

Why are certain battalions better than all others? Three Army officers conducted a search for excellent combat arms battalions. As a result of their study, they developed a list of eight attributes common to excellent combat arms battalions. The officers visited three corps, five divisions, and seven battalions located at four different Army posts. The study was divided into two phases. Phase I captures the thoughts of corps and division commanders and their staffs when asked to define excellence in the combat arms. In Phase II seven of the best battalions in the U.S. Army were visited, and the observations were compiled into the Eight Pillars of Excellence. These eight characteristics are indicative of the current leadership and management practices of the Army's best battalions. This thesis tells the story of those excellent battalions.