I apologize for the long silence.
This blog was originally created for me to share my mind with the rest of the unit. To give a little insight into the working mind of the CO and Command Staff. After my initial posts, however, I couldn't think of anything to write. I realized I made this simply to address those three topics. I've kept trying to think of topics and failed. But now, finally, I've thought of a few.
It's come up a couple times to do it, but by the time my schedule had settled enough to actually sit down and write something, it was decided that addressing anything to do with the Split was too late to help, and too fresh to re-open the wound.
Since the 'Ask Command Staff' thread was posted, however, I've realized that something does need to be said, and a 'State of the Unit' address needs to be made.
Over the next few posts I will be addressing some concerns and giving people insight as to the direction of the unit, and where we go from here. I will not be answering questions in the Ask Command Staff thread, aside from the one that inspired this.
This blog was originally created for me to share my mind with the rest of the unit. To give a little insight into the working mind of the CO and Command Staff. After my initial posts, however, I couldn't think of anything to write. I realized I made this simply to address those three topics. I've kept trying to think of topics and failed. But now, finally, I've thought of a few.
It's come up a couple times to do it, but by the time my schedule had settled enough to actually sit down and write something, it was decided that addressing anything to do with the Split was too late to help, and too fresh to re-open the wound.
Since the 'Ask Command Staff' thread was posted, however, I've realized that something does need to be said, and a 'State of the Unit' address needs to be made.
Over the next few posts I will be addressing some concerns and giving people insight as to the direction of the unit, and where we go from here. I will not be answering questions in the Ask Command Staff thread, aside from the one that inspired this.
As I stated above I'll not be answering the Ask Command Staff thread.. that's going to be hard as I'd like to answer every single question with a big, long, detailed answer. I might do that after the newsletter is released, but I might also just do a 'Ask the CO' segment on this blog. But we'll see.
I should start out, however, by addressing the biggest, most immediate thing, and something I had always been hesitant to do due to the sensitive nature of it... the Split.
Split. Fracture. Break. Some of the more cynical may even call it 'rebellion', however I shame that term for it.. whatever you call it, in November 2014 we suffered a huge loss. The majority of GCE officers and SNCOs, as well as some junior personnel, left to make their own unit. Most of these guys were people who had been in the 15th for a looong time, and had simply grown tired of it. Not the game, or the unit, or the atmosphere, but simply of doing a Marine Corps unit or of the large-scale combined arms. Those who are now the leaders of the 506th Infantry Regiment wished for an environment focusing on light infantry combat with limited supporting assets. They could not get that here in the 15th, and because the unit would not change they made their own change. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact they told us prior to them doing it and let us know in advance what was going on.
The split was amicable. We still maintain good relations with those friends on the other side, and there is no issue with people going from one unit to the other (although it always hurts to lose a member). Perhaps in the future there may even be better relations with possibilities between the two units more officially. But in the meantime we are content with being friends.. I have some friends over there, as I know many others do. The split was far larger than we anticipated, and even that they anticipated. But it happened. And did we falter, collapse, or have the sky fall? No. It was hard. It's still hard as we recover the GCE leadership, rebuilding the upper echelons. But it's not insurmountable, nor is there a unit out there better suited to face these issues head on. We will recover to the level of leadership we were before, and we're already getting there. As our platoon commanders and NCOs gain more experience, the better we will be. The unit itself is making long-needed changes to give more feedback to the leadership to help them learn and grow (and I will go over these in future posts). So yes, it's a long, hard road we're on.
What we are not is broken or... 'undermanned'.
Anyone who says that this unit is undermanned is, quite frankly, spoiled.
I know I sound like an old man when I say 'back in my day', but yes back in my day we had a single infantry squad. Barely. And we have struggled, far more struggle than any struggle we have today, to build two squads, let alone supporting assets and then finally opening new platoons only a couple years ago. People forget that even Gambler 2 is only 2, maybe 3 years old.
We're not nearly as in bad shape as people like to imagine. But I'm also not naive enough to sit here and say I know that we're just fine just because I can look at rosters and numbers. We are short, yes. Will we ever get back to opening up Golf Company? I don't know. I'd like to think so, because I'm an imperialist dreamer and want the largest unit possible. But we're not undermanned, not to the point where we are considering closing any sections or platoons.
I have communicated it, but not near as well as I can or should, to my immediate subordinates to condense. As far as I can tell, and perhaps I am not following it well enough, but it's not happening. Rifle platoons who have 10+ openings, calling for over 15 fill-ins for operations, are still attempting to maintain 3 squads of 3 fire teams. This is why you are having problems. There very first thing you can do to help yourself, and the unit, is to collapse yourself as much as possible. You have two teams with two guys in it? Combine them. Filling holes like the ones I see on the rosters is like trying to hold water in your hands... the more you grab the more will slip through. Third squads are a bonus.. not a right.
If you have two squads full of fire teams with only a couple holes to be filled, that is going to be FAR more effective than three squads with a hole or two in every team. Those teams are going to be full, and they're going to be practicing with each other every training. They're going to know how each other operates and plays, and they're going to be more fluid. They're going to be closer and more tightly bound to each other, encouraging their friendship and thus retention goes up, as well as recruiting as they encourage others to join that kind of environment. Spreading yourself thin to cover as many teams as you can (as almost every platoon is attempting to do) bogs you down, and those fill-ins are less familiar with each other than an actual team.
I know we are a realism unit. We keep stressing that. But we are also a gaming group. We are supposed to have fun.. and this 'stretching thin' everyone is attempting to do is affecting the gaming and family part negatively. At this point especially, 3rd Squads should be an afterthought. If you have enough to get a third squad, BONUS. It is not a right to have a 3rd Squad, it's a privilege if you have enough people. If it has to come down from MEU HQ to close third squads and return to the official policy of opening them up... I'll do it. But I have the confidence in my company commanders and platoon commanders that they can do it without me twisting their arm.
We're doing fine. We have some shortcomings to fix.. but it's not that we can't. We just have to make the necessary changes. We have to condense ourselves. We cannot continue to attempt to operate a full unit when we simply obviously do not have it. Take the steps above that I have drawn out, and I can guarantee you in a month you're going to see the entire unit from the opposite end of the spectrum. From 'what we've lost and losing' to 'what we've got and gaining'. Build yourselves up, don't try to fill what you've been giving. Make your sections your own.
I should start out, however, by addressing the biggest, most immediate thing, and something I had always been hesitant to do due to the sensitive nature of it... the Split.
Split. Fracture. Break. Some of the more cynical may even call it 'rebellion', however I shame that term for it.. whatever you call it, in November 2014 we suffered a huge loss. The majority of GCE officers and SNCOs, as well as some junior personnel, left to make their own unit. Most of these guys were people who had been in the 15th for a looong time, and had simply grown tired of it. Not the game, or the unit, or the atmosphere, but simply of doing a Marine Corps unit or of the large-scale combined arms. Those who are now the leaders of the 506th Infantry Regiment wished for an environment focusing on light infantry combat with limited supporting assets. They could not get that here in the 15th, and because the unit would not change they made their own change. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact they told us prior to them doing it and let us know in advance what was going on.
The split was amicable. We still maintain good relations with those friends on the other side, and there is no issue with people going from one unit to the other (although it always hurts to lose a member). Perhaps in the future there may even be better relations with possibilities between the two units more officially. But in the meantime we are content with being friends.. I have some friends over there, as I know many others do. The split was far larger than we anticipated, and even that they anticipated. But it happened. And did we falter, collapse, or have the sky fall? No. It was hard. It's still hard as we recover the GCE leadership, rebuilding the upper echelons. But it's not insurmountable, nor is there a unit out there better suited to face these issues head on. We will recover to the level of leadership we were before, and we're already getting there. As our platoon commanders and NCOs gain more experience, the better we will be. The unit itself is making long-needed changes to give more feedback to the leadership to help them learn and grow (and I will go over these in future posts). So yes, it's a long, hard road we're on.
What we are not is broken or... 'undermanned'.
Anyone who says that this unit is undermanned is, quite frankly, spoiled.
I know I sound like an old man when I say 'back in my day', but yes back in my day we had a single infantry squad. Barely. And we have struggled, far more struggle than any struggle we have today, to build two squads, let alone supporting assets and then finally opening new platoons only a couple years ago. People forget that even Gambler 2 is only 2, maybe 3 years old.
We're not nearly as in bad shape as people like to imagine. But I'm also not naive enough to sit here and say I know that we're just fine just because I can look at rosters and numbers. We are short, yes. Will we ever get back to opening up Golf Company? I don't know. I'd like to think so, because I'm an imperialist dreamer and want the largest unit possible. But we're not undermanned, not to the point where we are considering closing any sections or platoons.
I have communicated it, but not near as well as I can or should, to my immediate subordinates to condense. As far as I can tell, and perhaps I am not following it well enough, but it's not happening. Rifle platoons who have 10+ openings, calling for over 15 fill-ins for operations, are still attempting to maintain 3 squads of 3 fire teams. This is why you are having problems. There very first thing you can do to help yourself, and the unit, is to collapse yourself as much as possible. You have two teams with two guys in it? Combine them. Filling holes like the ones I see on the rosters is like trying to hold water in your hands... the more you grab the more will slip through. Third squads are a bonus.. not a right.
If you have two squads full of fire teams with only a couple holes to be filled, that is going to be FAR more effective than three squads with a hole or two in every team. Those teams are going to be full, and they're going to be practicing with each other every training. They're going to know how each other operates and plays, and they're going to be more fluid. They're going to be closer and more tightly bound to each other, encouraging their friendship and thus retention goes up, as well as recruiting as they encourage others to join that kind of environment. Spreading yourself thin to cover as many teams as you can (as almost every platoon is attempting to do) bogs you down, and those fill-ins are less familiar with each other than an actual team.
I know we are a realism unit. We keep stressing that. But we are also a gaming group. We are supposed to have fun.. and this 'stretching thin' everyone is attempting to do is affecting the gaming and family part negatively. At this point especially, 3rd Squads should be an afterthought. If you have enough to get a third squad, BONUS. It is not a right to have a 3rd Squad, it's a privilege if you have enough people. If it has to come down from MEU HQ to close third squads and return to the official policy of opening them up... I'll do it. But I have the confidence in my company commanders and platoon commanders that they can do it without me twisting their arm.
We're doing fine. We have some shortcomings to fix.. but it's not that we can't. We just have to make the necessary changes. We have to condense ourselves. We cannot continue to attempt to operate a full unit when we simply obviously do not have it. Take the steps above that I have drawn out, and I can guarantee you in a month you're going to see the entire unit from the opposite end of the spectrum. From 'what we've lost and losing' to 'what we've got and gaining'. Build yourselves up, don't try to fill what you've been giving. Make your sections your own.