Military Lessons Learned in Vietnam

Military Lessons Learned in Vietnam

The objective of this study is to examine the military lessons learned in Vietnam.

Strategic Thinker

The writer of this study is much more a strategic thinker than tactical planner or logistician in that this writer has the defined ability of the strategic thinker in selection or identification of goals and the necessary strategies needed to succeed at those goals and further to plan for an execute plans for supporting the strategy. This is demonstrated in the daily life of the writer through the writer's ability to make plans and to use identified strategies in meeting the requirements to see those plans through to their completion.

What is Needed from Others: Cooperative Work in a Mission-Drive Organization

The work of Semling and Rist (nd) reports that in many operations military units are required to collaborate and cooperate continuously in a dislocated coalition of partners resulting in the comprehensive approach only being able to be realized through action synchronization resulting from effective management of information. This requires that all partners to the action "seek, collect, integrate, analyze, and disseminate information from multiple domains and resources under multiple stringent constraints." (p.10-1) A great deal of research supports that teams that are dislocated can improve decision making through "fostering their interactions in order to create an adequate Shared Situational Awareness (SSA)." (Semling and Rist, nd, p. 10-2) Military forces engagement and civilian partners put an emphasis on the need for "a better common understanding of the current operational picture." (Semling and Rist, nd, p. 10-2) There are both coordinative and collaborative processes in the attempt to support these partnerships. Included among these are: (1) having goal awareness resulting from information exchange on tasks and responsibilities; (2) anticipating mission partners' information needs, (3) knowing mission partners' social networks, (4) gaining a comprehensive understanding of current status, and (5) projecting it into the future. (Semling and Rist, nd, p. 10-2) Shared situational awareness in terms of information sharing can be conceptualized as shown in the following illustration labeled Figure 1.

Figure 1: Shared Situational Analysis/Information Sharing

Source: Semling and Rist (nd)

With all of this in mind, the writer of this work posits that in order for the writer to accomplish personal and professional goals, the writer needs the cooperation of others whom the writer's life intersects with and specifically in terms of shared information which serves to inform the writer on the necessary tactics and strategies required to meet those goals which have been set and which the writer needs to fulfill. A shared frame of reference is reported to be key in group common understanding. A shared mental model for information and communication procedures is reported to be the primary base in developing "SSA appropriate to current mission goals." (Cantu and Cantu, nd, p.5) Continuous and effective communication is also reported as being critical in the sharing of interests and in gaining an awareness that is comprehensive of the priorities of all actors in crisis planning.

III. Military Lessons Learned to Assist in More Effective Mission Success