September - Managing your Attack Geometry

Stay in the Basket

Happy Sunday! While the monthly roll-up post is usually for paying members, I decided to send this one to everyone. Enjoy!

One of the missions we trained for as Force Recon Marines was ‘Battlespace shaping.’ This meant that we were sent behind enemy lines to prepare the battlefield to give the ground force commander a decisive advantage.

This often involved using close air support to eliminate enemy forces and high-threat weapons. One way we did this was by calling in laser-guided munitions.

Being the guy talking to the pilot and telling him where to drop bombs is pretty cool.

Less cool is lugging around the massive laser designator. Before going into Afghanistan, we received the new AN/PEQ1 SOFLAM, or Special Operations Forces Laser Acquisition Module. At only 11 pounds, it was significantly lighter than its predecessor, aptly nicknamed the MULE (44 lbs w/o night sight).

The concern when calling in laser-guided bombs is that the bomb can’t tell which end of the laser is which.

It simply follows the beam to the target. It can mistake you for the target if it approaches from the wrong angle.

This is why we established what we call the ‘laser basket.’ By giving the pilots our position and an acquisition area 10-45 degrees on either side of our location, we could be sure that when they release the bomb, it’s headed in the right direction, so when the bomb picks up the target, it is the right target.

I thought about this the other day when I was talking with a young man, one of my coaching clients.

I was discussing the importance of establishing strategic objectives (or a Southern Cross constellation) to help guide him through life.

He responded that he really had no idea where he was headed, and that was what bothered him most. He was worried that he was making choices now that would not serve his best interest in the future.

As an older(er) guy, I sometimes forget that it takes a while to be sure of your target in life. And there is no shame in that. It’s the process.

But what I discussed with him was that he can establish a laser basket bounded by the values and traits he feels are important now.

By riding between these ‘guardrails,’ he can be sure that he is generally heading in the right direction.

He can further define the path to the target by developing the habits that will make him successful at the hobbies he loves.

As he progresses on his path and the target becomes clear, he will be well-positioned to refine his approach and make an impact.

After we finished talking, I realized that you don’t need to be a young person to benefit from this advice.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Dave Morrow for the Hard to Kill podcast. Check it out!

Thanks for reading. Until next time, keep Walking Point.