Compass Points - 10,000 Hours?
Repetitive Practice is Critical
Compass Points - 10,000 Hours?
Repetitive Practice is Critical
January 5, 2024
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What can Marines learn from a violinist?
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A fan once asked violin virtuoso, Jascha Heifetz, why he still practiced every day when he was the best in the world. Heifetz replied, "If I stopped practicing, in three days the public would notice, in two days the critics would notice, and in one day, I would notice."
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In his book, “Outliers: The Story of Success" Malcolm Gladwell argued his 10,000 hour rule. If a person wanted to be an all-time champion baseball batter, for example, the person needs 10,000 hours of batting practice. Since 2008 when the book was first published, Gladwell's 10,000 rule has been the subject of much discussion. The 10,000 hour rule has been applauded by some experts and criticized by others. But Gladwell's fundamental point is that if you want to be good at something, you need reps - repetitive practice. Every athlete knows if you do not get reps, performance suffers.
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Reps are required in every field.
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David Axe in his recent Forbes article, "What’s The Definition Of Insanity? The Russians Trying The Same Failed Tank Assault Seven Times Across The Same Minefield." has reported on Russian operations in Ukraine, where Russian troops tried the same failed approach seven times.
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If you’re the Russian army, you just repeat the failed assault ... several more times. At least, that was the approach of the 25th and 138th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade around Synkivka in northeastern Ukraine last month. The Russians repeatedly sent mixed columns of tanks, BMP fighting vehicles and infantry into a mined kill-zone straddling the intersection of forest paths a half-mile north of Synkivka. The Ukrainian 14th and 30th Mechanized Brigades destroyed each column in turn, apparently reseeding the mines and resetting their defenses between attacks.
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There’s visual evidence of at least seven failed Russian assaults through the same kill-zone between Dec. 14 and Dec. 28. The last might have been the most catastrophic for the Russian brigades. In the daytime attack, a pair of tanks led a pair of BMPs each stuffed with infantry. The Russians had to thread past the wrecked vehicles and craters from previous botched assaults, so they knew what was waiting for them as they emerged from the forest.
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While a drone from the Ukrainian 30th Brigade watched, the lead Russian tank either struck a mine or ate an anti-tank missile—and exploded. The survivors from the three-person crew bailed out directly into Ukrainian cannon fire, apparently from a dug-in BMP. The three intact Russian vehicles quickly bunched up behind the burning tank, at which point the Ukrainians did the smart thing—and struck the last vehicle in the column, a BMP, with explosive first-person-view drones. The infantry riding in the Russian BMPs bailed out and made for the adjacent treeline. The undamaged tank and BMP both tried to maneuver out of the kill-zone—and both struck mines. Adding insult to injury, the Ukrainians lobbed a cluster shell at the burning wreckage and scattered infantry.
-- David Axe - Forbes
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The Russian failure to use better tactics might be the result of several factors. Could be ineffective doctrine, leadership, personnel, or orders. But the poor performance might also be the result of lack of reps. Without practice, no unit can perform at their best. Troops need reps. A fundamental responsibility of leaders is to make sure troops get the repetitive practice in individual skills, small unit skills, and larger unit skills that they will need on the battlefield.
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Are Marines getting enough reps? Some reports indicate that Marine infantry battalions are well below their required T/O numbers. Some platoons have only two squads, not three. That means platoon commanders get no reps at all working with three squads. Beyond platoons, there are no Marine infantry units getting combined arms reps during CAX at 29 Palms because there is no combined arms CAX at 29 Palms.
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What can a violin player teach Marines? In every field, better performance requires more reps. Soon, Marines are more likely to be tested on a combined arms battlefield somewhere in the world than in a missile battle in the Pacific. Marines need to get their combined arms reps now.
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A violinist can teach the Marine Corps one more thing. To practice a violin requires a violin. You must have the right equipment. Sadly, a Marine officer has said, “Cyber is the new combined arms.” No, that is silly. Cyber operations are important, but cyber operations are cyber operations. Combined arms operations are combined arms operations. To get cyber reps, updated cyber equipment is required. To get combined arms reps, Marines need to get back upgrades to the combined arms weapons and equipment that have been divested. Compass Points salutes all those working to make sure Marines get the combined arms reps they need today.
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Forbes (forbes.com) 01/04/2024
What’s The Definition Of Insanity? The Russians Trying The Same Failed Tank Assault Seven Times Across The Same Minefield.
By David Axe - Forbes Staff
No CAX at 29 Palms anymore? I just assumed that was an annual event. Just like I always assumed that a MEU would be on station in the Med 365 days a year. We need to return to robust deterrence through vigorous training and staffing.
Having practiced a minimum of battle drills at Fort Knox back in 1972, it has since dawned on me as I continue my education that a major purpose of the drill is to do something (other than be a target) while you think of something really smart to do.