The United States Navy is in troubled waters. More specifically, the surface Navy faces many challenges. In this episode of the podcast, we discuss why that is. My guest, Thibaut Delloue, is a former Navy officer. He has seen firsthand the problems that have plagued the US surface Navy for years.

Thibaut’s book, The Wardroom, begins as a memoir. However, it turns into a straightforward assessment of issues that have led to several high-profile accidents, which included the collisions of the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald. Both warships crashed in 2017 and resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors.

We discuss Thibaut’s experience as a surface warfare officer (SWO) to include his training and lack thereof. Thibaut served on the destroyer USS Carney. His experience included tracking Russian submarines and battling ISIS in Libya.

Topics of discussion:

• An overview of the surface Navy and the areas of operations known as “fleets”
• How a Navy officer becomes a SWO
• Why the current training and readiness pipeline is insufficient
• The inability of the surface Navy to be ready for future wars unless changes are made
• The leadership and command climate within the surface Navy that prioritizes bureaucracy over real leadership
• The recent spate of high-profile accidents and the many causes that led to them
• The difference between the US surface Navy and other Navies including the Chinese Navy

Thibaut has written about the military for publications like Task & Purpose, the US Naval Institute, War on the Rocks, and The War Horse. He now works in education in Nashville, Tennessee.

Check out his website to see more of his writings and background: https://thibautdelloue.com/

His book can be found on Amazon.

 

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Political Warfare poses an existential threat to the United States. Democracies worldwide are under attack. China is dedicated to destroying the American way of life and making the U.S. a “vassal state.” Moreover, they are seeking to win without fighting. Political warfare is the means to do that. In this episode of the PME podcast, Professor Kerry K. Gershaneck discusses the strategy and tactics of political warfare.

The notes and references below correspond with the interview.

About the Author

Professor Gershaneck is currently a Visiting Scholar (Taiwan Fellow) at the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University, with special focus on the People’s Republic of China and their use of political warfare. For a total of seven years, Professor Gershaneck was the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Royal Thai Naval Academy and the Distinguished Visiting Professor at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Kingdom of Thailand.

Professor Gershaneck has extensive regional security and academic experience in the Asia-Pacific Region. He has consulted for the U.S. government, HQ North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations Command (UNC) in the Republic of Korea, the American Bar Association, and various Asia-Pacific-based organizations.  In academia, he has taught at the university level for more than 25 years, primarily in topics related to National Defense & Regional Security, International Relations, Strategic Communication, Crisis Communication, Leadership Development, and Journalism.

A “Mustang” Marine Corps officer, Professor Gershaneck’s military experience includes Special Warfare, Counterintelligence, Intelligence, Infantry, Armor, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs.  His awards include the Department of Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

Uncovering China’s Political Warfare

Australia was one of the first countries to recognize China’s political warfare. Clive Hamilton, an Australian author and professor, wrote a book called Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia. He has also given a series of talks and lectures on the threat of China’s political warfare (see speech). This led to a movement in both Australia and New Zealand to uncover China’s political warfare efforts. In New Zealand, a professor named Anne-Marie Brady played an important role in exposing China. She wrote a policy paper called “Magic Weapons: China’s political influence activities under Xi Jinping” (See link).

America’s Political Warfare History

America conducted political warfare during the Cold War. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the U.S. Information Agency on August 3, 1953 as part of a reorganization plan under the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. The Smith-Mundt Act helped establish overseas cultural and educational programs as well as Voice of America (VOA). The mission was to counter the Soviet Union with a pro-America message across the world. President Bill Clinton abolished the USIA in October 1998 under the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act. Read more about the history of the USIA here. Alvin Snyder also wrote a book about the program called Warriors of Disinformation: How Lies, Videotape, and USIA Won the Cold War.

Post-Cold War Mindset

Professor Gershaneck discusses the phrase “end of history.” This is a reference to an essay written by Francis Fukuyama called “The End of History”. His essay became a book. The central thesis is that the end of the Cold War ushered in an era in which Western style liberal democracies would become an inevitable for all nations. Professor Gershaneck’s claim is that China’s emergence as a global power with an authoritarian system is a rebuttal to that Fukuyama thesis. Additionally, too many Western elites accepted Fukuyama’s claim without much critical thought. As a result, they were willfully blind to the threat that China posed.

Professor Gershaneck explains that political warfare is also tied into the idea of “unrestricted warfare.” At the end of the 1990s, two Chinese Colonels wrote a book called Unrestricted Warfare. Part of the book’s premise was that anything is on the table to include biological warfare, chemical warfare (i.e. drug warfare), and terrorism.

China’s Evolving Strategy

United Fronts were developed under Vladimir Lenin. The purpose was to form fronts with organizations that are not necessarily Communist. The goal is to co-opt these organizations. Professor Gershaneck explains that China has used United Fronts and put the practice “on steroids.” He refers to a Newsweek article on United Fronts that estimated there were approximately 600 United Fronts in the United States. Professor Gershaneck claims that the number is probably twice as high now.

Under Chinese law, all citizens are obligated to cooperate and support the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intelligence efforts. As a result, Chinese citizens overseas play an important role in the promotion of the United Front Work Department’s goals and objectives. This provides a continuing infiltration and subversion in other nation’s internal affairs i.e. politics, education, media, and business.

Post-Mao

Deng Xiaoping became the leader of the PRC after Mao died. He served from 1978 to 1992. Deng Xiaoping said, “Hide your strength, bide your time.” Professor Gershaneck interprets this phrase as meaning that the PRC’s long-term ambitions were always to overtake America and become the dominant global power. Consequently, American and Western leaders have been blind to the true nature of the PRC regime.

In 1989, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responded to a democratic uprising in China with a series of brutal crackdowns against protestors. This culminated in the Tiananmen Square massacre. The Tiananmen Square massacre was a slaughter not only in Tiananmen Square but across all of China. Protestors were hunted down, imprisoned, tortured, and never heard from again. This should have been a sign that China was not going to democratize in the image of Western nations. With respect to the Tiananmen Square massacre, Professor Gershaneck says, “You go to jail or you’re killed if you talk about it.” (See link).

Americans Have Not Recognized the China Threat

In the interview, Professor Gershaneck discusses why American businesses have been complicit in working with China. With a lot of deep thought, he suggests that many American businessman are “traitors.” He quotes a line from Lenin, who is reported to have said, “The Capitalists will sell us (the Communists) the rope we need to hang them.” Professor Gershaneck asserts that business leaders have sold out their country to make money.  He also says, “We have people in America that want to take the investment funds of the Thrift Savings Plan and use it to invest in China.” Recently Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has put pressure on the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) and demanded an end to this practice.

American servicemembers’ retirement funds should never be used to finance an adversary of the United States, nor should they bankroll foreign weapons or technology designed to someday harm them.- Sen. Rubio

We can decouple from China and do it in a way that doesn’t make America go broke. -Professor Gershaneck

China’s Political Warfare Influences

The CCP is deeply influenced by the Soviet Union and an organization called the Communist International (Comintern). Mao worked closely with the Comintern going back to the 1920s. The CCP has adopted the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of the Comintern. They continue to apply them to their modern-day political warfare campaign.

Political Warfare involves recruiting agents of influence to conduct espionage. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was known to employ this tactic. In one of the most infamous “honeypot” incidents, a former Marine Corps Sergeant, Clayton J. Lonetree, was recruited by the KGB and eventually convicted of espionage on behalf of the Soviet KGB. Lonetree fell into a honeypot trap while serving on Marine Corps Security Guard detail at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the early 1980s. In the present day, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence includes information about attempted espionage operations against Americans.

The CCP is using the same Soviet tactics in America across the political spectrum and at the highest levels of the U.S. military. For example, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Retired Admiral William Owens lobbied for the U.S. to stop arms sales to Taiwan and “review” the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). He wrote an article entitled “America must start treating China as a friend.” This article was published in the Financial Times in 2009. Owens also lobbied on behalf of Huawei Technologies in 2010. Huawei is a Chinese telecommunications company with close ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

China influences American media and film

The CCP has agents living in Hollywood that help censor content. The goal is to make sure that movies fit into the CCP’s vision of acceptable content for the Chinese people. There are 1.4 billion people living in China. As a result, movie producers comply with this process to ensure that their movies are able to reach this large audience. However, this has the effect of promoting pro-PRC messages and preventing content that might be critical of the CCP. For example, the recent film Maverick had a controversy over the Taiwan and Japanese flag on the bomber jacket of the lead character. The flags were initially censored. See article for more details.

Understanding Taiwan and China

Professor Gershaneck says, “The first thing that you have to understand is that Taiwan is a sovereign country.” However, the CCP claims Taiwan for many reasons including its vast technological resources specifically in the field of semiconductor technology. As a result, the idea of “reunification” has been falsely promoted by the current CCP regime. Taiwan and China were never unified nor were they historically recognized as one country. Thus, China’s plans are annexation not reunification.

Taiwan is governed by the Republic of China (ROC), which fled mainland China to what was then called the island of Formosa. ROC forces under Chiang Kai-Shek took over the island after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao’s Communists in 1949. Under the ROC, there was a 38-year period of authoritarianism called the “White Terror.” However, by the 1990s, Taiwan had liberalized and adopted a democratic form of government. Professor Gershaneck explains that this form of government now presents a threat to China.

Professor Gershaneck references Edgar Snow, who wrote on behalf of Mao Tse-Tung. Here is an article that appeared in The New Republic in which Snow recounts a four hour interview with Mao. We discussed Snow in the context of “reunification.” Professor Gershaneck explains that Mao saw Taiwan as separate. This is different from how the PRC currently views China and its adoption of a “One China” policy.

“One China”

We talked about the evolution of what is referred to as the “One China” policy. Professor Gershaneck explains that this goes back to the Nixon Administration and the diplomatic outreach to China to combat the Soviet Union. The policy is part of a CCP claim to territory that ranges from Taiwan to the South China Sea as far south as Singapore. Looking at a map, one can see the claims to the South China Sea represented by what is referred to as the “Nine-Dash Line”. During the Nixon administration, the U.S. recognized China’s claim but did not agree that these territories belonged to China.

As part of the opening with China, the United States no longer recognized the Republic of China diplomatically and instead recognized the PRC. This happened under President Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1979. In response, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) that has allowed for U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and provided an implicit guarantee to protect Taiwan from invasion.

Current Events

Professor Gershaneck says, “The Chinese Communist Party is nothing if not expert at generating a crisis, initiating a crisis, and then exploiting it in any way that it can.” We discuss the recent visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Her visit was intended to show support and solidarity to the small nation of 23.57 million people that sits less than 100 miles offshore from a CCP dominated nation of 1.4 billion.

Professor Gershaneck suggests that Speaker Pelosi’s visit gave the PLA cover to conduct military exercises and make threats. In fact, these exercises and the response had been planned for months. In the wake of the visit, the PRC ramped up its military intimidation, which is a form of political warfare. Additionally, China fired missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

China is going to continue what they are already practicing. They are going to push using aviation assets and building up their Navy. Professor Gershaneck thinks that the PRC’s timeline for an invasion of Taiwan is within the next two years. He also believes that Xi Jinping will use his third term for a potential invasion. Unless the United States shows assertiveness and backbone, China under Xi Jinping will seize the opportunity to take action against Taiwan.

Additional Books and Resources

Professor Gershaneck has written extensively for news, foreign policy, and academic publications in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.  His books are listed below:

Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s Plan to “Win without Fighting”.  Quantico, Virginia: Marine Corps University Press, 2020.

Media Warfare: Taiwan’s Battle for the Cognitive Domain. Washington D.C.: The Center for Security Policy, 2021.

A New Japan-U.S. Alliance to Deal with the Threat from China. Tokyo, Japan: Seirindo, 2022. (Co-Author, in Japanese)

Japan 2040: A Stark Appraisal. Washington D.C.: Center for Security Policy, 2021

Professor Gershaneck laments that Reuters headlines always claim that China is either “angered, upset, or irked.” Here is an example: “Angry China stages more drills near Taiwan as U.S. lawmakers visit”

Wolf Warrior diplomacy article

VOA article “How 1930s Reporter from Missouri Became China’s Ideal Journalist”

Clive Hamilton keynote speech

Two articles related to Chinese influence on campus. One is from Yale News and the other from Human Rights Watch. Both articles take a different side of the debate.

A few additional articles from recent events:

An article on the Solomon Islands Prime Minister and another article related to China’s influence over the Solomon Islands and how it has disrupted Coast Guard operations.

In this episode of the PME Podcast, I interview Wesley Morgan. Wes is a journalist and author, who wrote a book called The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley. The book draws on hundreds of interviews and firsthand accounts from former commanding officers to the soldiers that spent months in the field. The Hardest Place provides a unique insight into many of the mistakes that drew the American military deeper into eastern Afghanistan as well as the country more broadly. In reflecting on and learning from 20 years of war in Afghanistan, this book is a must read.

Wesley Morgan’s book: The Hardest Place

Topics of discussion include:

• How the U.S. got involved in the Pech Valley and how operations grew larger over time
• The evolution of American strategy from a counterterrorism mission to counterinsurgency
• The difficulty of obtaining accurate and reliable intelligence
• How the military got caught in the middle of tribal disputes
• Challenges with command and control
• The U.S. experience in the Pech vs. the Soviet experience
• The arrival of ISIS in the Pech Valley and how their presence changed operations
• How the complexity of the operational environment hindered U.S. efforts in the Pech and Afghanistan overall

Books and Resources

• The Bear Went Over the Mountain is a book about the Soviet Union military experience in eastern Afghanistan
• David Kilcullen’s The Accidental Guerilla. This book uses the Pech Valley as a case study on counterinsurgency success
• Ronald Fry’s book Hammerhead Six
• Sebastian Junger’s book, War and movie Restrepo
• Books on Counterinsurgency: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice, The U.S. Army and Marines Counterinsurgency Field Manual
• Interview with Sebastian Junger
• Interview with Michael Gordon
• Featured Image source. Photo by Spc. Jon H. Arguello July 10, 2007

Follow Wes on Twitter: @wesleymorgan

Check out the book The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley

HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth.

I recently started a Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/pmecomplete Please consider showing your support for the show by becoming a patron.

To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com

Degrade and Destroy: An Interview with Michael Gordon

Michael Gordon is the author of Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump. He is currently a National Security Correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. He has covered wars and conflicts for over 35 years with The Wall Street Journal and previously with The New York Times.

In this interview, we discus the last decade of conflict against the Islamic State in which the United States applied a “by, with and through” strategy. This strategy supported Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces with U.S. advisors in the field as well as multiple intelligence and air assets. Topics covered include the following:

• The conditions that allowed ISIS to capture territory in Iraq and Syria
• The capture of Mosul followed by the U.S. developing a strategy to respond
• The “By, With and Through” strategy that the U.S. employed based on a Special Forces concept to back local forces in the field of combat
• Where the term “Degrade and Destroy” came from and the strategic implications of how it shaped into “Operation Inherent Resolve”. Link to Degrade and Destroy speech.
• Michael discusses his frontline view of the conflict while embedded with Iraq’s Counterterrorism Service (CTS) and Kurdish Peshmerga forces
• The early struggle to take back Mosul and how it led to Lieutenant General Townsend’s “Tactical Directive One”
• The difference between the Battle of Mosul and the Battle of Raqqa
• How the U.S. and Russia faced off in Syria
• The current state of “Operation Inherent Resolve” and the current disposition of the Islamic State
• Lessons learned from “Operation Inherent Resolve”

Michael Gordon Bibliography:

Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, From Barack Obama to Donald Trump

The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama

COBRA II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq

The Generals’ War

Article: “How the War Against ISIS Was Won”

Follow and contact Michael Gordon:

Twitter: @mgordonwsj  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgordonwsj/

E-mail: Michael.gordon@wsj.com and mgwsj@protonmail.com

 

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If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com

“How a Marine Artillery Battery Beat ISIS”

March 2016- The Marine artillery battery did not shower for a month. They slept in the dirt every night. They had no expectations for a hot meal or cold drink. From the beginning of their insert into northern Iraq, they took enemy fire from rockets and a combined arms attack. For their part, the Marines fired back with a steady barrage of artillery rounds. In fact, there was only one 24 hour period in which the artillery guns were silent. Through the long, hot days and austere conditions, the Marines of Echo Battery, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/6, maintained a high level of esprit de corps, discipline, and resolve. Their mission was simple: Hit the enemy, ISIS, with artillery fire to set the conditions for the recapture of Mosul in northern Iraq.

The Mission

By the time the Marines inserted into northern Iraq in between the friendly Kurdish controlled town of Erbil and the enemy ISIS controlled town of Mosul, the battle against ISIS was still in doubt. By March 2016, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) with the support of a U.S. backed coalition were able to wrest control of Anbar province to include the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. But ISIS forces still controlled large swaths of northern Iraq and Syria. Foreign fighters were flocking from all parts of the globe to fight and maintain territorial control of what ISIS had claimed as an Islamic Caliphate.

In late 2015, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) was forward deployed as a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in the Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR). The MEU had conventional Marine forces. This included an artillery battery from 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines out of Camp  Lejeune, NC. The battery was part of BLT 2/6. A Joint Task Force out of Erbil, Iraq needed artillery to support Iraqi Security Forces. With no Army units available, the Marines got the call.

Echo Battery, 2/10

The Marines of Echo Battery come from all parts of America. The Commanding Officer was Captain Dave Palka (now Lieutenant Colonel). Palka was raised in West Chester County, NY mostly in Yonkers. His father was a Union Iron Worker and his mother cleaned houses. He played sports and studied at a trade and technical school. After high school, he attended Kent State University in Ohio. Like many members of his generation, the 9/11 attacks motivated him to be a Marine and defend his country.

The other leaders of Battery E included First Sergeant Allen Smith, First Lieutenant Matt Ford, and the Battery Gunny, Gunnery Sergeant Scott Cook. Prior to deploying on the MEU, Echo Battery conducted training from the  Carolina Coast  and the waters off shore to the woods of Fort Pickett, Virginia. They sought to make the training tough and realistic. When I spoke with Palka, he explained, “We are going to do things that suck. We are going to do them often and we are going to do them together.” The tough training instilled disciplined habits of thought and action. Additionally, the training bred high levels of trust, cohesion, and love. While technical weapons proficiency is important, these intangible qualities would be the foundation of the unit’s success.

We are going to do things that suck. We are going to do them often and we are going to do them together. – Lt. Col. Dave Palka (USMC)

Practical Lessons for Unit Leaders

“PT was like church.” Palka’s Marines conducted physical fitness (PT) on a regular basis. They did it together too. Furthermore, they continued to do it on deployment. Palka believes in a link between physical fitness and mental toughness. As a result, maintaining physical strength was a high priority.

During training, Echo Battery did not use a fire watch. Instead they practiced setting in security at night. Furthermore, they would use opposing forces (OPFOR) to probe the security in the middle of the night. According to Palka, this helped develop a combat mindset. It set the tone for the unit that they were going to train how they would fight.

As mentioned, discipline was a crucial part of the unit’s success. This included gear and uniforms. By being disciplined in training with the way they wore their uniforms and took care of their gear, they were able to smoothly transition these skills into combat in Iraq. Palka mentions that their planning was very detailed down to the individual sleeping positions. As a result, by focusing on the little details in training and garrison, Echo Battery transferred these practices into combat.

Planning and Preparation

The six troop leading steps that complement the Marine Corps planning process is referred to as BAMCIS. The first part is “begin planning.” The plans came from a feasibility of support (FOS) request from a Combined Joint Task Force in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Echo Battery inserted into Kuwait to begin planning and preparation.

The “A” and “M” are arrange reconnaissance and make reconnaissance. The Marines conducted a pre-deployment site survey (PDSS) out of Erbil, Iraq. In the process, they determined good locations to set up firing positions. The Marines completed the planning. Palka issued the order to the battery on a large terrain model in Kuwait. As for the “S”, the supervision came in the form of rehearsals. Marines rehearsed simple things like getting on and off the helicopters.

Fire Base Bell Established

Fire Base Bell is named after Staff Sergeant Vincent J. Bell, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Echo Battery Marines took pride in the name. The name engendered a sense of honor and legacy. The artillery Marines were reinforced with engineers and infantry Marines and a Q-53 Radar Section from the U.S. Army. Together, they were Task Force Spartan. The infantry Marines from Echo Company, 2/6 served as Task Force Spartan’s Security Force, responsible for providing perimeter security, and the overall defense of the fire base. The engineers constructed the eight foot berms surrounding the fire base, survivability positions, ammunition holding areas, and a detailed obstacle network in support of the fire base’s defense. The Q-53 radar section enhanced the battery’s organic radar capabilities and contributed greatly to an effective counterfire capability.

On March 13, 2016, an advanced party inserted and set conditions for the main body to arrive. However, it took less than 24 hours for the enemy to begin firing at them. Enemy fire from Katyusha rockets would remain a persistent part of life for the Marines. Nevertheless, by March 18, the entire unit was in place to include four M777A2 Howitzers. The Marines successfully established a “FIRECAP” with a pre-planned 32 round fire mission. With the guns in place, the Marines continued to dig and improve their position. A key tenet of life in the field is to always be improving defensive positions and establishing priorities of work. Task Force Spartan was no exception. The Marines filled thousands of sandbags.

Enemy Attacks

The Marines knew the risks and prepared for them. Part of combat is accepting risk and danger. War is

violent and chaotic. On March 19, ISIS launched 122mm Katyusha rockets. One of the rocket hits impacted Gun One and caused a mass casualty event. Among the Marines that were hit on the gun, the Howitzer Section Chief, Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin succumbed to his wounds and passed. He was 27 years old. Palka explained that the loss of SSgt Cardin was tough for the unit. He was a great Marine leader and a great man. SSgt Cardin put his Marines first and set the example in all his actions. R.I.P. SSgt Louis Frederick Cardin.

After the casualties were treated and evacuated, there was a need for the Marines to “get back on the gun.” In the ensuing days, the Marines would return to the spot where the rocket impacted and continue to fire rounds to defeat the enemy. Palka and leaders at every level throughout Task Force Spartan would set the tone for the mindset and attitude of the Marines. They allowed a time to reflect and pray. However, ultimately, the Marines had a mission to accomplish. Furthermore, the Marines were hungry to fight back. And fight they did, firing over 2,000 155mm artillery rounds over the course of 67 days.

Attack at Night

On the night of March 21, 2016, a squad sized element attacked Fire Base Bell. The enemy attacked with a combination of rifles, machine guns, grenades, and improvised explosive vests. The battle lasted two hours. During this time, the infantry Marines on perimeter security were able to repel the attack and kill four enemy fighters. Palka explained that the enemy were from different nationalities that included Chechens and Chinese. Additionally, the artillery Fire Direction Center (FDC) was able to manually compute firing data and fire illumination rounds that helped the infantry Marines defeat the enemy attack. There were no Marine casualties during the attack.

Life at the Fire Base

Over time the enemy attacks lightened. Palka says that one of the reasons is that an enemy leader, who

had critical indirect fires knowledge, was killed in a drone strike. The Marines continued to pummel the enemy with artillery rounds on a daily basis. While initial counterfire approval missions took 15 minutes, they eventually got to under two minutes. As a result, the Marines gained confidence with each fire mission.

While operating out of Fire Base Bell, the Marines continually wore their full personal protective equipment (PPE). Additionally, Marines learned how to manage the tempo of operations. At the outset, leaders struggled with getting enough sleep. But, with more experience, they learned to balance sleep schedules and look after each other’s rest. Palka explains that “self-care” is important for a leader to stay mentally fit in combat.

The Marines took pride in their hard living in the field. Palka said that one of the things that drew him to a combat arms profession like artillery was going to the field. Living in the dirt is a hallmark of the Marine Corps sense of toughness and fortitude. Task Force Spartan Marines relished this reputation.

Artillery Marines Setting New Milestones

Task Force Spartan achieved new milestones for the artillery community. First, they successfully employed a United States Army TPQ-53 Radar System and the AN/TPQ-50 LCMR system. The significance of the TPQ-53 Radar System is that it allowed Fire Base Bell to serve as a Target Processing Center (TPC). As a result, they were able to track enemy fires and quickly employ their own fires to degrade the enemy’s ability to operate on the battlefield.

Task Force Spartan also employed Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) fuzes. This was a historic milestone as the first Marine Corps artillery unit to fire these fuzes in combat. In the process, they were able to destroy an enemy controlled building, which killed two ISIS fighters. They also destroyed a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

One of the most remarkable achievements is the fact that not one of the four artillery cannons went down over 67 days. This is a testament to the unit’s proficiency. They continued to be combat capable through diligent maintenance and care for weapons and equipment.

Overall, the Marines ability to dominate the battlefield with artillery established the conditions for the re-taking of Mosul, which Iraqi Security Forces were able to do by July 20, 2017. The fire and fury that the Marines launched from the tubes of their artillery cannons set the tone for the battle that would ultimately lead to the end of ISIS’s territorial claims in Iraq and Syria.

The Aftermath

“It felt strange,” Palka said. One day they were in the middle of nowhere in northern Iraq, and the next day they were out. The Marines went from being hyper vigilant to being safe. The focus turned to preparing to go home. Oddly enough, when the Marines extracted from Fire Base Bell, the MEU was no longer in theater. Their ride (i.e. the USS Arlington and USS Oak Hill) had sailed away.

Nevertheless, the Marines were back in Kuwait where they conducted classes and training to return from deployment. Additionally, Palka took his officers out for PT. He sought to create a positive environment where the Marines could process what happened, talk about how they were feeling, and be honest with each other. It is worth noting that the Marines in this unit are undoubtedly tough and resilient. However, Palka recognizes that they are still human too. And as humans, they need to deal with very real human emotions. This is a testament to Palka’s exceptional leadership.

Five Years Later

Many of the Marines are out of the service. Several others like Palka have been promoted and stayed in. The unit has set up weekly Zoom calls where Marines can check in with one another and share what is going on in their lives. This is particularly important for some of the Marines that are struggling with life after the Marine Corps. Additionally, Echo Battery has instituted F.R.O.S.T. (Fast Response on Short Transmission) calls every six months. These calls are designed as a way to quickly check in with everyone that was in the unit.

Palka has struggled with telling this story only because he is very humble. However, he recognizes that this story must be told. This is a crucial piece of Marine Corps history. It is especially important to remember the legacy of Marines like SSgt Cardin.

There are other critical lessons from Echo Battery’s 67 days in Iraq. First, many artillery Marines might not have thought that they were going to employ artillery in a conventional manner. Who can blame them? So much of the last two decades of war has been dedicated to counter-insurgency (COIN). It is important to remember that the strategic and operational landscape can change quickly. One day the Marines are on ship and the next day they are in the middle of Iraq firing hundreds of artillery rounds each day. The story of Echo Battery is a call for Marines everywhere to take their jobs seriously and realize that all of the training and preparation exists for a reason.

How did the Marines beat the hell out of ISIS?

First, there is no substitute for great leadership. Palka received the Bronze Star with Valor and the Leftwich Trophy, and other Marines in Task Force Spartan were awarded for their valor. The Leftwich Trophy is a leadership award given to Captains. Second, tough and realistic training ensures units will be successful. As General Norman

Schwarzkopf once said, “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” Third, discipline matters. There is no excuse for leaders not to ruthlessly enforce habits of thought and habits of action. Leaders must instill a combat mindset in their units. Fourth, unit cohesion is crucial. As Palka explained, unit cohesion is born of enduring hardship as a unit. Finally, Palka and his Marines were extremely proficient and knew their weapons systems and their capabilities. They were technically savvy and experts in their field.

In conclusion, the combination of strong leadership, technical expertise, brilliance in the basics, and esprit de corps is an unstoppable recipe for success. Once the Marines got the greenlight, the enemy never had a chance.

Additional Resources:

Echo Battery Preparation for Deployment Video

Echo Battery Deployment Video

For more small unit leader resources, be sure to check out the podcasts on marksmanship, fieldcraft, and tactics:

1. On Combat Marksmanship podcast link
2. Fieldcraft podcast link
3. Tactics podcast link

Business Insider article on Echo Battery, 2/10