Field Training Prep

Table of Contents:

1. Drill

  • Detail Marching
  • FDEs
  • ORIs
  • Sizing Flight
  • Leaving/Returning to Ranks
  • POC Suggestions

2. Leadership

  • Guide for GLP Leadership
  • Tips for Leading GLPs
  • Guide for GLP Followership
  • TED Talks
  • POC Suggestions

3. General Resources

  • Field Training Advice
  • How to Tie your Duffel Bag
  • Reacting to an IED
  • Room Clearing
  • Squad Movement and Fire Team Formations
  • Basic Hand Signals
  • POC Recommended Youtube Channel

Drill

To find the drill cheat sheet, go in the Dropbox to Det 365 GMC > Past Semesters > S20

Detail Marching

Flight Drill Evaluations

ORI Procedures

Sizing Flight

Leaving and Returning to Ranks

PRACTICE here!: http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~nbrooks5/ 

POC Suggestions:

  • When doing column of files, the guidon bearer and deputy must render all proper customs and courtesies as they move, as well as element leaders. 
  • “Guidon bearer, guide right to the right side of the troupe walk/sidewalk” was generally allowed, although doing it too much pisses off FTOs and CTAs. 
  • Also: “Guidon bearer/guide, guide around the obstacle” 
  • A common mistake was Flight commanders not being in the back two thirds of the flight, on the danger side. 
  • Flight commanders must be the last ones out of the roadway once they call “road guards, in.” 
  • DO NOT. FORGET. TO CALL. COVER. My entire flight got 341s because the flight commander did not call cover one too many times. 
  • Road Guards - give them specific directions - use names to call them in, specify where in the roadway you want them to go.

 

Leadership

Guide for GLP Leadership

  1. GLP is described by POC/Cadre
    1. Listen closely to the GLP description
      1. Often the phrasing will be indicative of very specific things you may or may not be able to do (Is the water lethal acid or is it just an annoyance?)
      2. Feel free to ask questions, the worst they can say is no
  2. Establish a Chain of Command
    1. Immediately establish a chain of command and positions for most people in the group
      1. Deputy, Time Hack, Devil’s Advocate, Idea Generator, Safety Lead, Morale Officer, etc.
  3. Ideation
    1. Utilize your team to generate solutions
      1. You don’t always have to have the right answer.
      2. It may be useful to create subteams and assign them each a task
        1. The subteam would then be responsible for deciding how to accomplish their task
    2. Make the final decision
    3. Have the instructions flow from your position.
      1. Do not let the person with the idea become the leader of the group
  4. Clearly State the Plan
    1. It is important all members of the team all have the same idea of the plan before preparation and execution begins
      1. Teammates that have a misconstrued vision of the plan will be ineffective in their positions and ineffective at providing alternative ideas
  5. Prepare to Execute the Plan
    1. Place all teammates and materials in the proper positions
    2. Establish the communication system needed to complete the mission
      1. Often, a team is only as effective as its communication network
  6. Execute the Plan
    1. Come at the problem with energy and tenacity
      1. Continue to motivate your teammates through the challenges of the GLP and maintain a high level of morale
  7. Re-evaluate
    1. Many plans will fail, be prepared to switch strategies mid-GLP
      1. Play it by ear
        1. If an idea doesn’t work the first time, maybe give it another shot
        2. If an idea hasn’t worked five times, it’s time to move on
      2. If a plan is clearly failing, remain calm
        1. A frenzied leader is ineffective and won’t be able to complete the mission to a satisfactory level
        2. A GLP is testing your leadership ability, not your ability to beat the problem
  8. Debrief
    1. Give your team serious feedback
      1. Some GLPs will go better than others. It’s important to give critical feedback to the team, so the team can perform better next time
    2. Ask for serious feedback from the team
      1. Members of the team may have critical feedback for you that will help you lead the team to success next time
      2. Team members may have noticed problems in the team that you didn’t see from your position

 

When Leading A GLP...

●      Ensure you are utilizing all the members of your team and that all members are active in the GLP as much as possible

●      Completing the GLP is important, but effective leadership and control of the situation is more important

●      Create an environment where ALL cadets feel comfortable presenting new ideas, challenging norms, sharing special skills/strengths/weaknesses

○      This will allow you to fully utilize the diversity of your group

●      Lean on your cadets strengths and protect them from their weaknesses

○      Height, weight, agility, strength, speed, special skills (ex. good at puzzles) etc should all be taken into account when executing the plan

○      Putting the wrong cadet in the wrong place can hinder mission effectiveness and even lead to unsafe situations

●      Delegate! GLPs are not analyzing how well you individually can complete the mission, they are looking to see how well you can lead the group to complete the mission TOGETHER.

○      Make sure you have a deputy in case anything happens to you

○      Make sure you have a time hack and specify the intervals at which you want the time hack to report the time

○      There are many other positions you can delegate depending on what the GLP is (ex. Devil’s Advocate, Idea Generator, Safety Lead, Morale Officer, etc)

●      Set tangible goals from the very beginning, keep track of those goals throughout the GLP, and use those goals as motivation for your group

○      At the very beginning of the GLP state when you want to have a plan (ex. We will have a plan in 2 minutes)

○      After you have a plan, implement goals for various elements of the GLP (ex. We will do x by 7 min. and y by 10 allowing us to complete the mission by 12 min. so we have extra time to reassess our courses of action if things go wrong)

○      Keep track of goals, check in and reassess the goals as necessary

a.     If you have completed the task by the time planned use that achievement to keep morale high (ex. We did x and it’s only been 6 minutes! Great job! Let’s keep this sense of urgency!)

b.     If you did not complete the task in time, set a new goal (ex. It’s been 7 minutes and we have not done x. But, we are so close. Let’s try to do x by 9 minutes and y by 12 minutes. Keep up this sense of urgency!)

c.     If your original plan is not working, come up with a new plan and set new goals

●      Recognize trial and error is a part of the process

○      For some GLPs it is better to take a longer time to plan and for others it is better to go straight into the execution phase

○      Regardless of which route you choose, trial and error will be a part of the GLP process; it is how you respond that matters

○      Encourage different ideas and use your critical thinking to decide which ideas to implement, and when they don’t work, continue to boost morale and emphasize a sense of urgency

●      Encourage your group to think outside the box

○      Often the easiest/fastest way to complete the GLP is by doing something most people wouldn’t consider or think is possible

○      Encourage creativity

○      Ask about using other materials

○      Ask if you are allowed to do certain things that weren’t explicitly outlined in the mission guidelines

●      Be decisive

○      It is always better to make a decision than no decision at all

○      Time is very limited in GLPs; therefore, while it is important to think critically, you need to be able to make decisions quickly

●      Be confident

○      Your tone of voice, posture, eye contact, etc. will convey to your group how confident you are

○      If you are not confident, it will likely be reflected in your group and decrease motivation/morale

○      So if you don’t feel confident, fake it till you become confident

Guide for GLP Follwership

  1. GLP is described by POC/Cadre
    1. Listen closely to the GLP description
      1. Often the phrasing will be indicative of very specific things you may or may not be able to do (Is the water lethal acid or is it just an annoyance?)
      2. Feel free to ask questions, the worst they can say is no
  2. Establish a Chain of Command
    1. If given a position in the chain of command, ensure you clearly understand everything the Team Lead is expecting of your performance in that position
      1. Example: if you are Time Hack, ask the Team Lead how often they may want a time update
  3. Ideation
    1. Clearly communicate ideas up the chain of command
      1. If you start shouting ideas to the Team Lead, it looks poorly on the Team Lead’s ability to maintain control of the team
    2. Even if you aren’t in the chain of command, as a member of the team, your ideas are just as valid and potentially correct
    3. Throughout the GLP, let information and instructions come from the Team Lead
      1. Try not to talk over the Team Lead
      2. Feel free to ask questions so that you understand what you are meant to do
  4. Clearly State the Plan
    1. It is important all members of the team all have the same idea of the plan before preparation and execution begins
      1. Ask questions about what you are supposed to be doing BEFORE the execution starts to ensure the smoothest mission possible
  5. Prepare to Execute the Plan
    1. Try and be as active of a follower as possible during all parts of the mission, but definitely from here onward
      1. If you see a possible error, fix it
      2. If someone needs help, immediately volunteer or step in to help
      3. Teammates that are just standing around and being unhelpful reflects poorly on the Team Lead’s ability to lead
        1. However, don’t step on the Team Lead’s toes in the effort to be an active follower
  6. Execute the Plan
    1. Come at the problem with energy and tenacity
      1. Try not to hesitate too much and dive into the problem
      2. Better to fail going 100 mph than 10 mph
    2. Maintain a chain of command
      1. Can become more intense and stressful during execution
        1. Try not to give commands or talk over the Team Lead during the execution, run suggestions up the chain of command through the proper channels
  7. Re-evaluate
    1. Many plans will fail, be prepared to switch strategies mid-GLP
      1. Play it by ear
        1. If an idea doesn’t work the first time, maybe give it another shot
        2. If an idea hasn’t worked five times, it’s time to move on
        3. Be prepared to give new suggestions and solutions where necessary
      2. If a plan is clearly failing, remain calm
        1. If you appear to be stressed out or angry about the situation, it may reflect poorly on the Team Lead’s ability to lead and doesn’t resolve the situation
        2. Try not to direct aggression towards the Team Lead or other members of the group that may be struggling

 

When Following…

●      Safety First -- If you think an idea is unsafe or may place you in a position that makes you uncomfortable, it is important that you say so

●      Try to take an active role in the GLP at all times

●      Share your ideas, even if you are not sure whether it is good or not, speak up!

●      Let you group know your strengths -- volunteer for things you are good at (ex. climbing a rope or solving a puzzle) -- your group might not know you have special skills so take initiative

●      In GLPs and leadership evaluations, the subordinate teammates can make or break the Team Lead’s ability to lead and their evaluation scores

○      If you make your Team Leads look great during their GLPs, they will make you look great in yours

○      Do what the Team Lead says

○      Don’t try and take control of the group

○      If your Team Lead forgets something important, bring it up in a respectful way (ex. If they forget to delegate a time hack, say should we establish a time hack?)

 

General Mattis on Learning to Lead

TED Talks:

Roselinde Torres - What It Takes to be a Great Leader

Simon Sinek - Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe

Amy Cuddy - Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are

Stanley McChrystal (retired U.S. Army General) - Listen, Learn...Then Lead

Itay Talgram - Lead Like Great Conductors

Charlene Li - Leadership in the Digital Era

Tim Harford - Trial, Error, and the God Complex

Dan Pink - The Puzzle of Motivation

Margaret Heffernan - Dare to Disagree

Sheryl Sandbery - Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Tom Wujec - Got a Wicked Problem? First, Tell Me How You Make Toast

Drew Dudley - Everyday Leadership

Field Wicker-Miurin - Learning From Leadership's Missing Manual

Angela Lee Duckworth - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Linda Cliatt-Wayman - How to Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard

POC Suggestions:

  • ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING. Period. 

  • Have a command presence. Even if you call the wrong command, doing it with confidence is key (as well as being able to fix it without getting flustered afterwards). 

  • Don’t step on other people’s toes. Let them do their job and you do your own. 

  • If flexibility is the key to air power, then I’d argue that accountability is key to crushing Field Training. Know where your people are at all times.  

  • Stay calm under pressure. Easier said than done but at Field Training, adapting after the first couple of days is essential for you to be able to keep your cool later on, esp in the leadership scenarios. 

  • Be DECISIVE. My FTO really liked this quote by General Patton, which went something along the lines of: a good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect one executed next week. 

General Resources

If you haven't seen a lot of this before, don't sweat it! You will learn most of this when you get to FT, this is simply an introduction.

Field Training Advice

Female Specific Field Training Advice

How to Tie your Duffel Bag

Reacting to an IED

Room Clearing

Squad Movement and Fire Team Formations

 

Basic Hand Signals