CODIAC Handbook: Combat Observation and Decision-Making in Irregular and Ambiguous Conflicts

by Greg Williams, David Scott-Donelan

CODIAC is the acronym for " Combat Observation and Decision-Making in Irregular and Ambiguous Conflicts ." The CODIAC Handbook is a complete guide to instilling in military and law enforcement personnel, a street-smart, woods-smart, man-hunter mindset. The CODIAC program was directly inspired by the US Marine Corps' Combat Hunter program. Created in 2007, in response to a dramatic increase in precision fire causalities in Baghdad, Combat Hunter is systematic training designed to improve cognitive skills, showing personnel how to read the human terrain, establish a baseline, detect an anomaly, and make decisions "left of bang." In other words, Combat Hunter was designed to train personnel to anticipate danger and meet it proactively. In an irregular conflict, this enables personnel to be the "hunters"-not the "hunted." CODIAC integrates the USMC Combat Hunter principles, along with proven battlefield decision-making and irregular warfare instruction from across the Joint services. Developed by Greg Williams and David Scott-Donelan , the goal of CODIAC is to enhance the ability of individuals and small teams to address irregular challenges by training enhanced observation, battlefield sensemaking, human terrain pattern recognition, and environmental analysis plus a strong emphasis on combat tracking TTPs .

156 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2018

About the author

Greg Williams is an English photographer and film director known for his work in film and editorial photography. He began his career as a war photographer before transitioning to high-profile editorial assignments for publications such as Vogue Italia, GQ, Vanity Fair, and Esquire. He serves as the official photographer for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and has worked on set and poster campaigns for major films, including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, The Bourne Ultimatum, Robin Hood, and King Kong. His portrait subjects have included Kate Beckinsale, Daniel Craig, Megan Fox, Robert Downey Jr., and Sean Penn, and his advertising work features campaigns for Omega Watches.
As a filmmaker, Williams directed the short film Sgt. Slaughter – My Big Brother (2011), starring Tom Hardy. He is also developing his feature directorial debut, Samarkand, co-written with his brother Olly Williams, which explores the struggles of a Special Air Service soldier dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder in civilian life.
Williams has authored several photography books, including the Bond On Set series, documenting the productions of Die Another Day, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall. A pioneer in digital photography, he was the first to use a Red One digital camera to shoot a magazine cover, featuring Megan Fox for Esquire. He also created 'Motos' (Moving Photos), blending video and photography for digital platforms, with notable projects including a Dunhill campaign starring Jude Law and the cover of Los Angeles Times Magazine's first iPad-compatible digital issue.
He married model Eliza Cummings in 2019.