A FIGHTING STANCE: PREPAREDNESS PROVES KEY FOR INDO-PACIFIC FORCES
COL. SCOTT BLANCHARD
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Protection in the Indo-Pacific is equivalent to possessing a boxer’s on-guard stance. Metaphorically, America’s I Corps aspires to see, sense and understand the adversary like a boxer preparing to enter an arena. When the boxer enters the ring, they must be able to see over and “through” their gloves, possessing an on-guard stance that is synchronized, integrated and not separated from the ability to fire, maneuver and think.
I Corps can deliver and survive any number of punching combinations. The opponent knows the corps can deliver a knockout blow with the first salvo and will think twice before making a move. I Corps’ on-guard stance is sustained in between rounds, and golden hour medical treatment is within reach.
Pushing Forward
U.S. Army Pacific commander Gen. Charles Flynn provided a valuable perspective on what the Army must do to support U.S. national interests in the Indo-Pacific region during a Sept. 8 discussion at the Hudson Institute, “Gaining Ground in the Pacific: The U.S. Army’s Role in Campaigning to Deter China.” Flynn argued that the joint force must place command and control, sustainment, collection and protection capabilities forward of the international date line. In essence, our military must carve out interior lines, which allow commanders to move quickly against enemy forces along shorter lines of operation, by placing the right capabilities at the right time for the right reasons to compete with adversaries in the region.
https://www.ausa.org/articles/fighting-stance-preparedness-proves-key-indo-pacific-forces
