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Planning for a recon mission on an airfield in Central America.
My TS and I did the initial planning. We had a bunch of criteria to follow. Two man rule, one team at the time on the OBJ, remainder in the RON, change the RON location every 48 hours, etc., etc. We were up until about 0300 working out all of the moving parts. Finally, we had a (very complicated) plan that met all of the criteria. Lots of movement.
Got up with the team at 0600, PT, chow. Then we briefed the team. 18F asks why we don't just move A to B, and B to C, cut out about 75% of the moves. TS and I look at it to try and figure out why it would not work. It did. Perfect plan. Why didn't we think of that?
Prep for the briefback. Build sand table. Used colored Magic Marker caps to indicate different locations. Running late, no time to double check. Battalion Commander, juggling his Group coins in his hand as we brief back. Walk to the sand table to brief the movement. We explain what the red, green, blue, and yellow caps are. Battalion Commander asks, "What is the black cap for? I look at the TS and he looks at me. No idea. Finally the Junior 18E looks over my shoulder and goes, "That's where that went, been looking all over for it." Snaps in onto the marker he has in his hand.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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