Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1-3: Tactics

Key Concepts

Being flexible in approach

“We must be able to cope with uncertainty and operate in an ever-changing combat environment. We must be flexible and responsive to changes in the situation. There are no fixed rules that can be applied automatically, and every situation is different. As one tactics manual put it more than half a century ago: ‘The leader who frantically strives to remember what someone else did in some slightly similar situation has already set his feet on a well-traveled road to ruin.’” (p. 10)

Taking action

“Our ability to understand the situation is useless if we are not prepared to act decisively. When the opportunity arrives, we must exploit it fully and aggressively, committing every ounce of combat power we can muster and pushing ourselves to the limits of exhaustion.” (p. 29)

Concentrating effort

“For battlefield success, it is not enough to generate superior combat power. We must focus that combat power. We must concentrate our efforts on a critical vulnerability, that is, a vulnerability which permits us to destroy some capability without which the enemy cannot function effectively.” (p. 30)

Boldness and Ruthlessness

“...In order to try for victory, we must dare to try for victory. We must have a desire to ‘win big,’ even if we realize that in many situations the conditions for victory may not yet be present. Ruthlessness refers to pursuing the established goal mercilessly and single-mindedly. ...Victory in combat is rarely the product of the initial plan, but rather of ruthlessly exploiting any advantage, no matter how small, until it succeeds.” (p. 34)

The importance of speed

“A good tactician has a constant sense of urgency. We feel guilty if we are idle. We never waste time, and we are never content with the pace at which events are happening.” (p. 63)

“Speed is meaningful militarily only if we are acting faster than the enemy.” (p. 65)

“In order to act consistently faster than the enemy, it is necessary to do more than move quickly. It is also necessary to make rapid transitions from one action to another.” (p. 67)

OODA Loop

“A former colonel in the U.S. Air Force, [John] Boyd studied a wide variety of historic battles, campaigns, and wars. He noted that where numerically inferior forces had defeated their opponents, they often did so by presenting the other side with a sudden, unexpected change or a series of changes. The superior forces fell victim because they could not adjust to the changes in a timely manner. Generally, defeat came at relatively small cost to the victor.” (pp. 69-70)

“This research led to the Boyd theory, which states that conflict may be viewed as time-competitive cycles of observation-orientation-decision-action (OODA).” (p. 70)

“As our enemy observes and orients on our initial action, we must be observing, orienting, deciding, and acting upon our second action. As we enact our third, fourth, and fifth move, the time gap between our actions and our enemy’s reactions increasingly widens.” (p. 71)

Simplicity

“Once we have it, there are a number of things we can do to increase speed. First, we can keep everything simple. Simplicity promotes speed; complexity slows things down. Simplicity should be central to our plans, our staffs (large staffs may be one of war’s greatest consumers of time), our command and control, and our own actions.” (p. 72)

Taking responsibility in leadership

“An effective leader willingly takes on the risks which come with military responsibilities. In that light, the greatest failing of a leader is a failure to lead. Two steadfast rules apply. First, in situations clearly requiring independent decisions, a leader has the solemn duty to make them. ...Second, inaction and omission based on a failure of moral courage are much worse than any judgment error reflecting a sincere effort to act.” (p. 116)

Quotables

“Without mastery of basic warfighting skills, artistry and creativity in their application are impossible.” (p. 4)

“We must be able to cope with uncertainty and operate in an ever-changing combat environment. We must be flexible and responsive to changes in the situation. There are no fixed rules that can be applied automatically, and every situation is different. As one tactics manual put it more than half a century ago: ‘The leader who frantically strives to remember what someone else did in some slightly similar situation has already set his feet on a well-traveled road to ruin.’” (p. 10)

“The use of combined arms is a key means of gaining advantage. It is based on the idea of presenting the enemy not merely with a problem, but with a dilemma—a no-win situation.” (p. 39)

“Great leaders have repeatedly stated the value of speed in combat. Napoleon said, ‘I may lose a battle, but I shall never lose a minute.’ Nathan Bedford Forrest told the secret of his many victories: ‘Get there first with the most men.’ General Patton said in 1943, ‘When the great day of battle comes remember your training and remember above all else that speed and violence of attack are the sure road to success.’” (p. 61)

“Here the speed of logistics becomes critical. Although physical exhaustion is a factor, halts often are driven by logistics: ground or aviation units must stop for equipment repair, maintenance, and resupply.” (p. 67)

“As Marines, we believe in leading from the front since that is where most friction points occur….” (p. 76)

“Another important tool for tactical adaptation is the use of immediate-action drills or standing operating procedures. These are practiced, pre-designed, generic actions which cover common situations. Having a collection of these tools at our disposal allows us to react immediately in a coordinated way to a broad variety of tactical situations. Immediate-action drills do not replace the need for tactical judgment; they merely provide a way to seize initiative in the early stages of a developing situation until we can take more considered action. They provide the basis for adaptation.” (p. 82)

‘There is only one kind of discipline—PERFECT DISCIPLINE. If you do not enforce and maintain discipline, you are potential murderers.’” (p. 95)

“The enemy will not surrender simply because he is placed at a disadvantage. The successful leader exploits any advantage aggressively and ruthlessly not once but repeatedly until the opportunity arises for a finishing stroke.” (p. 101)

“No rules govern ingenuity. The line separating boldness from foolhardiness is drawn by the hand of practical experience.” (p. 115)