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Training for War: An Essay
An essay and manual on training for war by retired Army lieutenant colonel Tom Kratman, creator of the popular Carrera military science fiction series, including novels A Desert Called Peace, Carnifex, Come and Take Them, and The Rods and the Axe. Kratman’s contention: an army is for winning wars. And to win wars, you have to train men (and some women) to be warriors, not police or social workers. Herein Kratman gives guidance and a practical plan of action to officers tasked with training troops—advice than might be equally applied to other crucial training situations, as well.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Tom Kratman is a former infantry colonel who served in the U.S. Army for many years before becoming a lawyer in Virginia. He’s now a full-time writer.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Tom Kratman is a former infantry colonel who served in the U.S. Army for many years before becoming a lawyer in Virginia. He’s now a full-time writer.
67 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 29, 2019
Many good points and suggestions . BUT.......
Author’s essay explores, then suggests reasonable fixes, on training and preparing for ground combat in a war. He correctly identifies many major issues preparing for war and makes a lot of good, common-sensical points to fix.
Did he get it all — no, nor would he get it done in an essay. Obviously, author covers military philosophy, strategy, tactics and training that’s near and dear.
However, there’s a ‘few’ items, that are near and dear to myself, that compel me to throw in some clarifications.
Before ANYONE talks Vietnam, I wish they did their research . Read Nolan, Hammell, Marshall ... on what really was going on, not some REMFs who did Nam and felt great about a night. Or rely on revisionist version that everyone’s taught and becomes part of their psyche. Hue, Dai Do, 881N, 881S, 861A, Robin South, Dewey Canyon, 689, 442,522........
WHY??? FRAGGING AND RACISM ? WHY? There’s been fragging since the legions, but Oh, Vietnam. Yup, we’re the birds of centuries of perfection. Most of this was in the ranks, enlisted who punked or were dangerous were ‘fragged’. Hmm, but if it’s an Officer... ALSO, Read, talk to the people who were in the bush their entire 400 days about racism before you insinuate that race impacted performance. 2-3 ‘stories’ versus thousands of successful actions. 2-3 and Command n Staff Trng is all over it.
You forgot to mention how drugged we were in order for us to fight.
I’d recommend Nolan’s ‘Into Cambodia’ to the author since its Army and would help him understand the Nam and be proud to be Army in Nam — A Shau, 875, ...... Lieutenant, you couldn’t imagine what, how things were done then, since anyone doing it now would be court martialed. But it worked.
Author got well into a lot of other cultures but never showed understanding of the impact to our combat arms by our societal and cultural changes occurring last 50-60 years. The Safety gospels, implementation of early 80’s. There’s a lot that you address that wasn’t issue getting ready, fighting 50-60-70’s.
Sorry, command school philosophies is direct result of society, culture and changes. And a source of a lot of your issues.
We didn’t need a reason to fight, we were all wired wrong when enlisting or conscripted.....brain washed, willingly, for 5 1/2 months to hate and kill. USMC took more casualties in two under strength divisions over 5 years than in any other war.
Take hill - yes. Build - never.
Army digs holes, we attack.
Suppressive fire? What is it, we were never taught that.
We used column or on-line, nothing else survives contact.
The fire team wins battles and skill training was exhausting but ensured we accomplished mission and survived...some of us
We trained very physical CQB. Just look at 70’s ‘training’ deaths. Think Campbell had a hundred dead one year. Peace time.
How do you work a Gun successfully and survive when everyone on the other side is trying to kill you first. Today’s couldn’t teach it.
Did you know that Claymores in your own trenches works? Even in assaults?
How do you think we felt in border, hill fights going up and taking hills, over n over, against a numerically superior force each time, w limited SArms.....And their rifles were better and worked. Ours didn’t nor the first baseball grenades and our 3.5’s taken away so we could use humidity faulty fused LAAWs. Look up red vs blue stamp ammo in Nam.
Done.... not really but... so much you, US Military, coulda learned from us. By experience and what we learned, then used, from NVA. Instead, we became Lepers.
Nice job, just wished fact usage didn’t use us losers. And you missed the American culture angles, but you’d really have to be good to nail them — it’s complicated.
Apologies also since I believe we shared thoughts in the past.
Author’s essay explores, then suggests reasonable fixes, on training and preparing for ground combat in a war. He correctly identifies many major issues preparing for war and makes a lot of good, common-sensical points to fix.
Did he get it all — no, nor would he get it done in an essay. Obviously, author covers military philosophy, strategy, tactics and training that’s near and dear.
However, there’s a ‘few’ items, that are near and dear to myself, that compel me to throw in some clarifications.
Before ANYONE talks Vietnam, I wish they did their research . Read Nolan, Hammell, Marshall ... on what really was going on, not some REMFs who did Nam and felt great about a night. Or rely on revisionist version that everyone’s taught and becomes part of their psyche. Hue, Dai Do, 881N, 881S, 861A, Robin South, Dewey Canyon, 689, 442,522........
WHY??? FRAGGING AND RACISM ? WHY? There’s been fragging since the legions, but Oh, Vietnam. Yup, we’re the birds of centuries of perfection. Most of this was in the ranks, enlisted who punked or were dangerous were ‘fragged’. Hmm, but if it’s an Officer... ALSO, Read, talk to the people who were in the bush their entire 400 days about racism before you insinuate that race impacted performance. 2-3 ‘stories’ versus thousands of successful actions. 2-3 and Command n Staff Trng is all over it.
You forgot to mention how drugged we were in order for us to fight.
I’d recommend Nolan’s ‘Into Cambodia’ to the author since its Army and would help him understand the Nam and be proud to be Army in Nam — A Shau, 875, ...... Lieutenant, you couldn’t imagine what, how things were done then, since anyone doing it now would be court martialed. But it worked.
Author got well into a lot of other cultures but never showed understanding of the impact to our combat arms by our societal and cultural changes occurring last 50-60 years. The Safety gospels, implementation of early 80’s. There’s a lot that you address that wasn’t issue getting ready, fighting 50-60-70’s.
Sorry, command school philosophies is direct result of society, culture and changes. And a source of a lot of your issues.
We didn’t need a reason to fight, we were all wired wrong when enlisting or conscripted.....brain washed, willingly, for 5 1/2 months to hate and kill. USMC took more casualties in two under strength divisions over 5 years than in any other war.
Take hill - yes. Build - never.
Army digs holes, we attack.
Suppressive fire? What is it, we were never taught that.
We used column or on-line, nothing else survives contact.
The fire team wins battles and skill training was exhausting but ensured we accomplished mission and survived...some of us
We trained very physical CQB. Just look at 70’s ‘training’ deaths. Think Campbell had a hundred dead one year. Peace time.
How do you work a Gun successfully and survive when everyone on the other side is trying to kill you first. Today’s couldn’t teach it.
Did you know that Claymores in your own trenches works? Even in assaults?
How do you think we felt in border, hill fights going up and taking hills, over n over, against a numerically superior force each time, w limited SArms.....And their rifles were better and worked. Ours didn’t nor the first baseball grenades and our 3.5’s taken away so we could use humidity faulty fused LAAWs. Look up red vs blue stamp ammo in Nam.
Done.... not really but... so much you, US Military, coulda learned from us. By experience and what we learned, then used, from NVA. Instead, we became Lepers.
Nice job, just wished fact usage didn’t use us losers. And you missed the American culture angles, but you’d really have to be good to nail them — it’s complicated.
Apologies also since I believe we shared thoughts in the past.
July 22, 2020
Mandatory Reading For Army Leaders At All Levels
Most of the Army's training manuals are recipe-books for training tasks. The officer learns What To Do and In Which Sequence. This is not Most Manuals. Here LTC Kratman gives the trainer the How To Train from underlying principles and, more critical still, the reasons WHY. While the usual manuals lay out recipes for Training On Tuesdays At 1430, this book is applicable every day and all week, as he lays out the principles of training's culinary art.
Most of the Army's training manuals are recipe-books for training tasks. The officer learns What To Do and In Which Sequence. This is not Most Manuals. Here LTC Kratman gives the trainer the How To Train from underlying principles and, more critical still, the reasons WHY. While the usual manuals lay out recipes for Training On Tuesdays At 1430, this book is applicable every day and all week, as he lays out the principles of training's culinary art.
July 25, 2019
Some excellent thoughts on training and how culture can affect how military units function, but the author tends to get sidetracked into political rants. Still, some great detailed advice on how to effectively train troops.
December 18, 2020
Train em young
Good essay with the thinking expressed from his novels. I don't think we could do this without fools screwing things up.
Good essay with the thinking expressed from his novels. I don't think we could do this without fools screwing things up.
Read
September 6, 2021Interesting point of view from someone who has been there and done that.
January 19, 2015
Necessary reading for anyone interested in military policy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews