Return to Pointer View home page February 11,  2005

Retired general teaches battle command course 

By Jim Fox
Assistant Editor

Fine-tuning cadet leadership skills is the primary function of a new course offered through the Department of Military Instruction this semester.

Retired Gen. Frederick M. Franks Jr. (USMA 1959) is teaching MS 497, Battle Command, this semester. This is the first time the course has been offered as a full semester class.

The former VII U.S. Corps commander during the first Gulf War sees his intent as “assisting cadets in discovering within the context of the ethos of the military profession, the enduring truths of battle command.”

Franks is the visiting scholar in the William E. Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic under the auspices of DMI.

The course, once offered as just a single classroom session, is now open to all firsties each semester.

Franks developed his theory of battle command throughout his 35-year Army career.

“We felt the exercise of battle command, the command of Soldiers and units in battle was an important subject for cadets who will soon be commissioned and take their places in the line,” Franks said.

He said the course will focus on the three main themes of Battle Command – character, competence and leadership.

“Those timeless, enduring truths go back to (Union cavalry Brig. Gen.) John Buford at the first day of Gettysburg, right until the present time,” Franks added.

 “I took this course because Gen. Franks is teaching it,” said Cadet 1st Class Dan Wells. “I could not pass up an excellent opportunity to learn from an extraordinary leader.”

Wells is taking the course as part of his Military Arts and Sciences field of study.

“I am learning the dynamics of command,” the future infantry officer said. “Leadership is what drives all operations and what I will be doing upon graduation.

“Coming into the course,” Wells added, “I had a good base in leadership, but I did not truly understand the importance of some of the core ideas until seeing them presented in Battle Command.”

Wells, 22, said he understands he will make mistakes as a leader, but with a solid base of core ideas on leadership he knows he will be successful.

“I find everything in life comes down to the basics,” he said. “Battle Command really drives home the essential elements of command and leadership.”

To help teach the course Franks is bringing in recent veterans of the Global War on Terrorism to speak with the cadets.

“(The guest speakers) relate their own experiences in that context of character, competence and leadership,” Franks said.

The former Cavalry officer said translating the wisdom of battlefield commanders to the cadets is his goal.

“In the professional study of Battle Command,” the former Training and Doctrine commander said, “you learn by experience, by interpreting your own experience and, in many ways, from others’ experience.”

That human dynamic, as Franks puts it, is what the cadets wanted.

“I took this class because I wanted to explore the more personal aspects of being a leader in battle,” said Cadet 1st Class Abigail d’Autremont.

“There are many times here where we learn the tactics and operations of being commanders, but we do not address the manner in which we should handle less ‘black and white’ situations with our Soldiers,” the future ordnance officer said.

“I believe I am getting that from this class,” the 22-year-old said, “Everything from the reading material to the combat veterans in every class, who come to talk about their experiences, supports exactly what I wanted to learn before heading to Iraq.

“I fully believe this class will benefit and develop my ability to reach my Soldiers . . .  as a logistician, I know the convoys I will be a part of will encounter a great deal of combat in Iraq,” said the women’s rugby team member and Military Arts and Sciences field of study student. “Yet the development and experiences I will take from this class will definitely help me be as prepared as possible.”