Much of what I have seen seems to emphasize coordinated but independent unit action rather than large scale manoeuvre units......I see numerous instances of innovation and adaptation that don't seem typical of large hierarchical military doctrine.
This is actually how all of NATO trains. Contrary to popular belief (as even some in this forum think), our troops are not brainless drones. You are briefed two things:
1) Your objective.
2) Commander's intent.
You are also briefed on branch and sequel plans if there are any.
What does this mean in real life? It means that regardless of whether you are a corporal or a major general, you understand the plan and the vision. It means that you not only know what your objective is, but also what to do if you accomplish or fail to achieve your objective. We expect even Privates who hit their goals to then go beyond, because they know what the overall plan is. And since everyone knows the plan, if one leader goes down the next in line steps up and knows what to do. This doctrine is called "
Mission Command". Video to explain here:
One of the biggest transformations to the Ukrainian Armed Forces was transforming them from a hierarchical, top-down Soviet style military to a NATO style Mission Command military. That half a decade of training that Canada and all the NATO partners did? That was to teach them how to think like us.
You can teach a monkey how to shoot a gun. Just look at the Russian Army. Teaching said monkey how to, "Think globally. Act locally." is a whole other ballgame. The Russians don't tell their troops anything. They tell them to go to xyz coordinate and hold it till they die. They aren't told the plan. They get overrun? They don't destroy their vehicles (as we expect our troops to do in that situation). Their officer goes down and they don't know what to do, because nobody else was briefed on the overall plan and their unit's objectives. And their officers take zero initiative. Because initiative is not rewarded. Hell, if you risk and lose, you might be severely punished.
How our militaries work are a reflection of our culture. An all volunteer Western military would never accept the kind of treatment and leadership the Russians impose on their troops. Our folks expect to know the plan. And they expect to hear the truth regardless of how bad it is. Our folks expect a two way relationship of trust built on competence and confidence.
PS. I hope everybody watches the video. 9 mins. But it's worthwhile. You might even start recognizing the behaviour in leaders around you.
en.defence-ua.com
www.cnn.com
