Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Hamlin | U.S. Army senior leaders from the 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment “Sabers”,...... read more read more
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U.S. Army senior leaders from the 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment “Sabers”, based out of Vilseck, Germany, conducted a staff ride to Sedan, France, April 17, 2019. The participants followed the German breakthrough at Sedan in May 1940.
The Battle of Sedan was an engagement in World War II fought during the 1940 German invasion of France. It was part of the German Wehrmacht’s plan for an offensive through the Ardennes Forest to encircle the Allied armies in Belgium and North Eastern France. German army Group A crossed the Meuse River with the intention of capturing Sedan and pushing toward the English Channel.
This battle was one of the decisive factors in the fall of France, which took just six weeks after the German army’s initial invasion.
The overall training focus for the staff ride was to gain insight on mission command and synchronization, their relationship between on another and how balancing them is key to the outcome of any operation.
This was not a battlefield tour. Rather than have a historian present the facts at key points of the battle, the participants were divided into sub-groups responsible for briefing these key points. After briefing what occurred, each sub-group analyzed why the events unfolded as they did and related them to key themes - including mission command, synchronization of the battlefield, decision-making, coordination of fires, shock and morale. In doing so, each participant gained a deeper understanding of the battle and how lessons from the battle apply to current operations.
“The Battle of Sedan was a prime example of how mission command and junior leaders making, or failing to make, command decisions when necessary can have strategic level implications,” said 1st Lt. Patrick Piedad, platoon leader, Palehorse Troop, 4/2CR. “As cavalry scouts, this is our primary job and we must have that hostility towards indecision.”
Although mission command was necessary for the Wehrmacht to win the battle, short comings were also evident as synchronization would sometimes break down when leaders made decisions independent of each other.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have planned Saber squadron's staff ride,” said 1st Lt. Austin Bajc, action officer for the Staff Ride. “Studying the past is vital to our understanding of war, our doctrine and our [standard operating procedures]. In doing so, such as during the staff ride, we validate ourselves as professionals dedicated to a life of mastering our craft."
The Sedan staff ride provided a historical perspective into the importance of disciplined initiative and the importance of leader presence at friction points. These aspects directly influenced the success and failure of both the German and French forces at Sedan in 1940. Overall, the staff ride was a positive, hands-on learning experience that leaders will use to grow professionally.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2019 06:07 |
| Story ID: | 318778 |
| Location: | SEDAN, FR |
| Web Views: | 514 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 2CR staff ride studies mission command in 1940, by SFC Timothy Hamlin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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