This is part 2 of a 2-part interview focused on Fighting Products that are useful and essential to the planning and execution of Multi-Domian Large Scale Combat Operations with the Joint and Combined Force. A fighting product is a visual product that doctrine desires created by a staff to enable the commander to visualize the battlefield, understand the operational environment, and synchronize action in time and space. This supports the commander’s decision-making process and ensures common understanding throughout the unit. This interview covers the core fighting products that ARSOF Company staffs and above should be producing, additional products that are highly useful, and methods of displaying and sharing these products to increase shared understanding at the headquarters and up and down the chain of command. These fighting products have value at the Combat Training Centers and across the spectrum of operations from competition to conflict.

About the Guest:

MAJ Philip Ficken: Phil Ficken is the current Special Operations Training Detachment AOB-West Officer in Charge aka Commander. Prior to the he served as the Exercise Control Officer and J3 Operations Officer for SOTD AOB-W. Prior to that He served in various roles in 5th Special Forces Group including Company Commander, Staff positions, and Detachment Commander.

About the Host:

CPT Weston Rich is the of SOF Plans Chief at the NTC and former member of Burro Team, the Special Operations Training Detachment OC/T Team at NTC. Prior to his time at NTC, Weston served as a Detachment Commander with 1st SFG (A) and as an Infantry Officer with 3-509th IN (ABN)/4/25 ID (now part of 2/11 ABN DIV). Following his time at NTC, Weston will attend Carnegie Mellon University with a follow-on assignment to Army Futures Command.

This episode covers:

- Displaying fighting products: digital versus analog the pros and cons of both

- Digital is great for sharing, especially up the chain of command but becomes more difficult sending down the chain of command; requires connectivity, consistent electricity, and access to digital workspace / system

- Analog is for everyone: allow for immediate common access to the information to those present, reduces digital signature and increases protection to force, unable to be jammed

- Staff must reproduce products on both digital and analog to ensure redundancy and understanding; digital products need to be reduced in size to allow transmission over systems with minimal bandwidth, staff must dedicate time and personnel to conduct these actions

- Down trace units must be able to receive textual information and transform it into visual products such as a common operating picture

- Methods to display analog products: battle board- large or small – center map with overlays, left side enemy, right side friend bottom center timelines; tabletop page protectors; shower curtain white board

- Staff handover / commander update drills – when conducting shift changes or commander returns after an extended time away

- Digital products allow only one person to look at them at one time (computer or cell phone screen), it is difficult to display multiple products at the same time

- Risk to force and mission by producing a digital signature in a contested or denied environment, especially for units in front of the forward line of troops (FLOT)

- Sand tables, map overlays, and other means of analog products enable faster, more collaborative, and more iterative planning and shared understanding

- Take away: Detachments and Companies should utilize those 6 essential fighting products to enable visualization and understanding of the environment and synchronization of actions

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To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil