Risk mitigation and leadership in tactical U.S. Army infantry training

Download
Author
Staeheli, John D.
Date
2017-12Advisor
Sepp, Kalev I.
Second Reader
Jansen, Erik
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Despite the prevalence of irregular wars, the U.S. Army must also be prepared for the possibility of a high-intensity conventional war. The training required for this war must simulate the expected conditions, those of high-intensity conflict, as closely as possible. As U.S. strategic leaders look to the future and prepare the U.S. Army for the next conflict, they prepare for a war with a level of violence that resembles that of the Korean War. While conditions that simulate combat are dangerous and present inherent risks, the mitigation of that risk prevents the adequate simulation of a high-intensity combat situation. Therefore, this thesis studied how risk mitigation practices in U.S. Army tactical infantry training affect Soldiers' preparedness for high-intensity combat operations. By examining U.S. Army infantry training at the tactical level, U.S. Army safety and risk mitigation doctrine, cognitive and perceptual biases, and historical case studies, this thesis suggests that U.S. Army risk management practices neither hinder nor help combat preparedness. Instead, the abdication of a commander's authority to execute risk mitigation in the training environment affects combat readiness.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Business case analysis of future immersive training environment (FITE) joint capability technology demonstration (JCTD)
Jeanpierre, Jason G. (Monterey, California, Naval Postgraduate School, 2009-09);Advances in technology have allowed the Armed Forces to approach training in ways that might enhance current training methods and experiences. Modeling and simulation is a key enabler of Pentagon activities in acquisition, ... -
Grozny and the Third Block (Lessons Learned from Grozny and Their Application to Marine Corps' MOUT Training)
Kelly, Michael W. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2000-12-01);Since 1995 the United States Marine Corps has focused its attention on urban warfare. The Marine Corps conceptualizes a Three-Block War. Block One is humanitarian operations in a permissive environment. Block Two is security ... -
Training and organization for COIN conflicts a historic perspective with contemporary applications
Peifer, Jeremy L. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2010-12);After eight years of conventional U.S. Army involvement in Afghanistan, the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) have remained organized and trained to defeat a peer or near-peer enemy in a direct, symmetrical conflict. ...