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SFC Jane Doe is a Chaplain Assistant and currently assigned as a Career Management NCO at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School 56M Enlisted Personnel Proponent Office. SFC Doe has an Associate’s Degree in General Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. SFC Doe is a recent graduate of the Red Team Member Course (RTMC) as part of the Strategic Broadening Seminars (SBS). When MILPER Message 15-219 was published very little information was available on specifics of the seminars or academic requirements. Further research determined that no information was available from a participant perspective. During the course SFC Doe discussed the need to increase awareness across the NCO Corps on both the SBS and the RTMC. This article is a joint effort to address background information, doctrinal guidance, and topics covered in the seminar. The author hope to increase awareness, interest, and NCO participation in the SBS, making the force smarter and more capable.

AchievingLeader DevelopmentthroughStrategicBroadeningSeminars:The RedTeam NCOEducationExperience.

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AchievingLeader DevelopmentthroughStrategicBroadeningSeminars:The RedTeam NCOEducationExperience.

According totheArmyOperatingConcept (TRADOCPublication525-3-1)1, the Armymust“developagile,adaptive, andinnovativeleaderswhothrive in conditionsof uncertainty andchaos,andarecapable ofvisualizing,describing, directing,leading, andassessingoperationsincomplexenvironmentsandagainst adaptiveenemies.”One way the ArmyisachievingthisisthroughStrategicBroadeningSeminars.

FordecadestheArmyhasdevelopedleadersthrougha variety ofbroadeningopportunityprograms, fellowships and scholarships. Since2009, the“Year oftheNon-CommissionedOfficer,” many of theseprogramshave beenmadeavailable to non-commissionedofficers(NCOs).In January2016,44seniorNCOswereselectedfortheHQDAStrategicBroadeningSeminar (HQDASBS). MILPERMessageNumber 15-2192describesHQDASBS as an“approved broadeningopportunitywith thepurposetoeducateandenhance anappreciationforthe complexcontemporarysecurityenvironments. Thediversecurriculumanduniquecharacteristics ofeachSBShost challengeattendeestothinkcriticallyandcreatively.” TherearemultipleSBSopportunitiesforwhichNCOsmaycompetethatinclude:University ofKansas,UniversityofCalifornia-Berkeley,University ofLouisville, Executive Counter-TerrorismStudies in Israel,InstituteofWorld PoliticsinWashington, DC,University ofForeignMilitary and CulturalStudiesatFort Leavenworth, andtheInstitutefor Defense and Business(IDB) conducted at University ofNorthCarolinaandIndianaUniversity. Selectees participatein theseseminarsaspartofa diversecohortwhichincludeofficers,warrant officers, enlisted,andcivilians. Eachcohortstudies andinteractswithworldclassacademics, senior Armyleaders,international andinteragencypartnersandbusinessexecutives in a team-based,smallgroupenvironment.

Inthe Army’s“HumanDimensionWhite Paper”3, Michael D.Matthews,PhD.describestheArmy’s goal as the education of“Soldiersandsystemsthatoutthinktheenemy, [through]enhancedsituational awareness inSoldiersandleadersinorder to facilitate rapid andaccuratedecisionsunder stressful conditions withlimiteddecision-making time.”The University of ForeignMilitary andCulturalStudies (UFMCS) Strategic Broadening Seminar is designed to enable soldiers to make these rapid, accurate and enhanced awareness decisions. The UFMCS program providesa unique, tailoredapproachtoeducationfocusedondecisionsupport. Theprogram borrowsbest practicesfrom manydisciplinesto createa curriculum richinRedTeamingtools.Students, through experiential and learner-focused education, participate indiscussionstodevelop gooddecision processes that are essential toimprovemissionoutcomes.

UFMCS definesRedTeamingasafunctionexecuted by trained, educated, andpracticedteam membersthatprovidecommandersan independentcapabilitytofullyexplorealternatives in plans,operations, concepts,organizations,and capabilities in the contextofthe operationalenvironment andfrom theperspectivesofour partners, adversaries, andothers. ThroughouttheRedTeamcourse, participantsaretaughtessentialtoolsthatcanassist the commandduring thedecisionmakingprocess. RedTeamingisa skillthat mustcontinuouslygrowandexpandin the individual. Self-awareness, appliedcriticalthinking, groupthinkmitigation,andculturalempathyarethefour pillarsofRedTeaming;thesetopicslaythefoundationofunderstandinghowandwhyan individual makesdecisions andopensthemindtosee differentpossiblesolutions toagivenproblem.

Decisionsaremadeatevery level,fromhowearlya privateshowsup toformation, totheplanofattackofthe combatantcommander. Anindividual must understandtheirbiasesandframes of thinking tofullyunderstandaproblem. Whetherknown orunknown,everyone has biasesintheir thinking. Likewise,everyone hastheir ownframe ofthinking. For example,visionislimitedwhen lookingthrougha window, evenwhen close to theglass. Knowingthisandbringinginotherindividualswithdifferent framesisimportant toincorporatedifferentideas.

Theseminarbegan with an introduction byColonel SteveRotkoff, USA, Retired,UFMCS Director. MrRotkoffprovided an overviewoftheRedTeam program andprovidedhistoricalexampleswhenalternativeanalysis,or “devil'sadvocates,”changedthecourseofanoperationorhistory.Therestofweekonewasdevotedto self-discovery. The guestspeaker, JudahPollack, who is an author, speaker, and partneratRivereneLeadership,spent threedaysdiscussingMyers-BriggsTypeIndicator (MBTI), self-awareness,andJungianTypology.Theclasslookedat howbias and structuredframeslimit theabilitytothinkcritically. Attendeesdiscussedhowto beawareof frames and biasastheyinterpret theworldandmakedecisions. At the end of the first week, the classtookatriptotheNelson-AtkinsMuseumof ArtinKansasCity, whereparticipantsnotonly discussed howframesandbiasaffect the way peopleinterpretart, but experiencedhow individual framesandbiasaffectthe wayparticipantsmakedecisions, solveproblems, or plan amission.

Thesecondweekstartedwithguestspeaker,Mrs. Trish Carson, UFMCSlecturer, asshe ledthe classtodiscoveringtemperament asan extensionofself-discovery andself-awareness.Thegrouplearnedto identifydifferentpersonalitieswithinworkinggroupsandeffectivewaysto interact withthem. Bringinginpeoplewithdifferent personalitiesallowsfor different perspectiveswhenfacingproblemsor creatingcourses ofaction.The week continuedwithguest speaker Dr. KateStewart’slecturesonnegotiation andmediation.These discussionsfocused ontheimportance ofunderstandingwhatthe opposingperson orgroupissaying byavoiding the creation ofanargument or rebuttalwhilesomeoneelse istalking. Theparticipants learnedmethodsto use activelistening to identifytherealinterestsofthe other partyinorder toknowhowto bestapproachthe problem. Outcomeslearnedwerethepositiveresultsofnegotiationwhich are empathyand openmindedness.Theremainderofweektwowasdevotedtoreadingsanddiscussionsofmentalmodels, intuition,anddecisionmaking. Understanding the contributors to, and effects of, intuition and patternsin behaviorsoractivitieshelpedwithproblemanalysisanddecisionmaking.

Thethird weekof trainingwasfocusedon complexity andsystems thinkingwith discussionson cognitivebiases, mitigatinggroupthink andargumentdeconstruction. Insystems thinking,participants learned that everythingisconnected. When adecisionismadeit can affect multipleaspectsofa missionthatmayseem tobe unrelatedtotheissue. A smallvillage, for example,ishavingproblemswith the sparrowsthataredestroyingtheircropsandcausingseverefood shortages.Theunit thatdeploysto thearea with ahumanitarianmissionmust thinkintermsofsystemsinorder to helpsolve the problem.Iftheykilloffthesparrowsinordertosave the cropsthiscouldcause animbalancewithin thefoodchainthat ignitesaplague oflocusts and destroystheremainingfoodsupply. Everythingisconnected, so a leadermustbeabletothink in termsof systems inorder to understandeverythingthatwill be affected bya future decision. In thisway,negativeeffectscan beavertedor mitigated.

Throughout thecourse methodstomitigategroupthink were discussed.Examples were shared when, afterameetingatleastonepersonthought,“I shouldhavesaidsomething,”orintheaftermathofabaddecision someonethought, “I knewthatwouldhappen,” but in themomentdidnotwanttogoagainst thegroup’sconsensus. Inthiscontextwereviewedexamplesofgroup-think.InthecaseoftheBay ofPigsin1961,newlyelectedPresidentKennedyisbriefed on theplan toinvadeCubain an attemptto overthrowFidelCastrovia“Bahia de Cochinos” (Bayofpigs). Asit turnsoutthe invadingforce ofabout1400wasoutnumbered, lackedairsupport,ammunitionand anescaperoute. Plannersassumedthe invadingforcecouldeasilymaneuver intothemountainsfrom which they could conduct guerrillaoperations. Miles ofswampland and other factorsled tomissionfailure. At least oneperson,presidentialadvisorArthur Schlesinger,expressedhis concernsonthe plan, butwasadmonishedfornotsupporting thegroup;otheradvisorsalsohad doubtsbutdidnot voicetheirconcernsfor variousreasons. Many lessonswerelearned and as a result “President Kennedylaterrevisedhisgroupdecision-makingprocess toencouragedissentanddebate. Thechangehelpedavert a nuclearcatastrophe”4 during theCubanMissile Crisis.

Tomitigategroupthinkaleadershould beable todepend onthe opinions ofothers withintheirstafforsectionto assist inmakingdecisions. A leaderneedstofosteranenvironment thatallowsforothersto explain howa situationorproblemcanbe perceiveddifferently. Inthisway,a better decisioncouldbe foundthatisnot basedon one individual’sbiases. A leader shouldhave the right people intheright place, not the peoplewhothinkliketheydo inorder togive theanswerthat iswanted.A good way to see examplesofgroupthink and howitcan swaydecisionsisinThe AbileneParadox,andThe12Angry Men.Additionally,Plato’sAllegory ofthe Cave is avisualexampleofseeingthingsinonlyoneway whilerejecting the viewsof others.

Thefourthweekwas focused onculturalawareness andreligiousstudies. The class examined cultureandreligionsbeyond thegeneralities and level of awarenessthat usually lead tostereotypesandincorrectassumptions. Dr.AndrewSalzmann,Assistant ProfessorofTheology,hostedthe class at BenedictineCollege andfacilitateda seminar discussionwhereparticipants used avariety of frameworksto analyzedifferent religions. Usingframeworksallowedthe group to raiseconsciousnessofculturaldifferences,understandingthat itisappropriate to haveseveraldifferences, andknowwhen theymay ormaynot apply.Participants achieved theabilityto examine a culturewithoutbeing a regional expert. Understanding the enemyandtheircultureiscriticalto winninganybattle.

Inthefifthandfinal week, guestlecturer, Dr.RobB.McClary,seminarleaderatUFMCS,facilitated alesson andseveraldiscussionson creativity andinnovation. Participants wereaskedtodemonstrateindividual examples ofcreativity andinnovation;throughdivergence, theclasscomparedtheseexamplestothe creativethoughtprocess. Furtheractivitiesexposedstudentsto short memory,induction and deductionexercisesand howtheseplaya partinthecreativeprocess.Thecourse, culminated withstudent-ledactivities in deconstructing, RedTeaming,anddefiningvulnerabilities in theArmyOperatingConceptand in the whitepaper, “Towarda NewOffset Strategy,”5by RobertMartinage.

The UFMCS BroadeningSeminarmakes great leadersbetter. Itis,however, on theindividual toreflectontheexperiences andthemestodeterminethebest way to applynewlylearnedconcepts. Thiscoursebetterpreparesleadersto deconstructarguments, getting to therealissuesandreasoning. NCOsareexpectedto betacticallyandtechnicallyproficient, with thecomplexitiesoftoday'senvironment theyalso need tobecriticalthinkers. Participants are betterpreparedto addvalueandsupportdecisionmakingbychallengingassumptions, anticipatingcultural perceptions,andidentifyinggroupthinkwhilereducingitseffectsthrough mitigatingstrategies. SelectedNCOsneed to experiencedandproficient intheirfields; these seminars willmakethem strategicthinkersandbetterpreparedtoadvisecommanders in complex or ambiguous situations. TheSBS,andspecificallythe UFMCS RedTeam MemberCourse, prepares NCOs to think critically, and provides participants the tools and frameworks to address problems objectively, which is of value to any leader. Whilestrategicthinkingisnecessary atalllevels,whatan NCO iscapableofinfluencingdiffers with thesituation. Whatcanbefocused on,however,isthe15% that an NCOhasinfluenceover. Evenin aculturesuch astheU.S.Army, withmultipleregulations andstrict commandstructures,eachNCO,RedTeamer, andstrategicthinker who has been exposed to such SBS programs can influence their organization in a positive manner.

Endnotes:

1United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, “The U.S. Army Operating Concept – Win in a Complex World”Training and Doctrine Command Pamphlet 525-3-1, (2014): 32.

2 United States Army Human Resources Command, “Military Personnel(MILPER) Message 219” (2015): Accessed March 10, 2016.

3United States Army Combined Arms Center, “The Human Dimension White Paper - A Framework for Optimizing Human Performance”, (2014): 14.

4 Wright, Rusty. “JFK and Groupthink: Lessons in Decision Making”, Probe Ministries, (2003): Accessed March 10, 2016.

5Martinage, Robert. “Toward a New Offset Strategy: Exploiting U.S. Long-Term Advantages to Restore U.S. Global Power Projection Capability”, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), (2014): Accessed March 4, 2016.