Move, Shoot, Communicate

Back in 1976 I was introduced to the concept of Move, Shoot, Communicate. That simple term is a mantra for mobile combat and as a fledgling tank commander I was responsible for mobility, firepower, and keeping my commanders and subordinates informed about the current status of the battlefield. Communication is every bit as important to a commander as firepower. I would submit that if the Civil War commander would have had a good set of walkie-talkies and a way to charge their batteries, the fight might have been decidedly different than the one we study today.

I see that the Mexican military has set about disrupting the communications of the drug cartels. That's a great idea. If they can't communicate, then their network has to work harder to coordinate ideas, forces, orders, and drug movements. Making the enemy work harder is always a good idea.

If there is a war on our southern border, and all indications are that the operations of the drug cartels nearly constitute a civil war, then shutting down one of the three legs of battlefield mobility is a good idea. An excellent idea.

Shooting Illustrated closes the loop. They note that anyone can walk into a cell-phone store and purchase high level communications devices without so much as a background check. These devices are so powerful that they can be loaded with mapping software, encryption codes, transmit voice, text, or data, and are virtually untraceable. Moreso, these devices are so inexpensive that they can be used and tossed away. Yet, I don't hear politicians clamoring to restrict the right of Americans to buy powerful handheld communications devices.

If you talk to a troop returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, they'll tell you that simple, cheap, prepaid phones can be used to make roadside bombs, set ambushes, move troops, and cause havoc on the battlefield. It makes sense to restrict the other side's ability to communicate. Yet, it seems that all the politicians are focused on are the guns.