AAR 8

This past weekend Russian and German Armies fought for control of the Kanev Bridge over the Dnepr River. The Russian Army claimed a decisive victory by driving the German forces back across the Dnepr and seizing control of the bridge. In the Kanev campaign, I was the Russian G-1 to the 3rd Guard Tank Army (GTA). This was the first time I have ever been responsible for preparing and executing the duties of a Battle Staff Officer in my life. Assuming the position of G-1 to an army in combat was a big challenge for me, and I learned some very valuable lessons from working in that capacity.

I was tasked with the duties of G-1, to the third GTA, about a week before the battle was to take place. During the week prior to the battle, the staff officers for the third GTA and I had to work together to gather and share intelligence reports we received. From these reports, my counterparts and I had to extract pertinent information to formulate a briefing on the present status of friendly and enemy forces, in addition to three courses of action for the following days. Doing this for the first time gave me first hand experience of the roles officers play and the difficulties they face when in comes to planning major military operations. One of the greatest difficulties officers face is trying to deal with the confusion that takes place in the planning process, and working through the confusion with colleagues to make an effective battle plan.

Having the opportunity to work as G-1 to the 3rd GTA as a Cadet Candidate taught me important lessons on professional development, teamwork, and communication skills. It is important to take advantage of situations that allow me to enhance my professional growth and development. As G-1, I was able to see how staff officers prepare for combat operations and the demands the G-1 job entails, such as the status, location, and morale of friendly forces on the battlefield. Teamwork played an essential part in making op-orders for the different units assigned to the third GTA. Without the teamwork the staff officers and I displayed in making our briefing, our mission would not have been successful, and could have been detrimental to the outcome of the Kanev Campaign. Most importantly, I learned how important it is to communicate clearly and concisely with the individuals I am briefing. From the feedback of my brief, I found that I could have given a better presentation if I had taken more time to practice articulating what I was going to say. This goes to show that preparing to give a briefing is just as important as gathering the information for it.

The opportunity to assume the role of Army G-1, contributed greatly to my professional development because it showed me the difficulties and challenges officers today face when planning large-scale operations. The experience gained from this assignment has taught me what I did well, and what I need to work on in the future when working as a staff officer and student. Lastly, I learned that the results of the decisions I make at the staff level have a tremendous impact on the lives of the soldier who carry the orders out. Therefore, it is my responsibility to make sure they are the right decisions.