To Be a Soldier offers the US Army’s two capstone doctrinal manuals in one place for the first time. This guide begins with the Army’s introductory text, FM-1 The Army, which explains the Army’s origin and purpose, its mission and values, how it functions as a portion of a joint military force in combat, and the importance of the individual soldier in a larger fighting force. When readers have learned the fundamentals of the Army, FM-3 Operations provides foundational knowledge of the full spectrum of Army operations. This manual is the Army’s principal tool for the instruction of today’s soldiers in the art and science of warfare, and has been recently updated to discuss counter-insurgency and hybrid threats in addition to conventional land operations. To Be a Soldier is the reader’s guide to the Army’s most fundamental knowledge by offering its two capstone texts in one place. The information in this handbook forms the basis for all the knowledge conveyed in any subsequent Army field manuals, making it required reading for all soldiers and readers with interest in US Army training and operations.
ADP 6-22 describes enduring concepts of leadership through the core competencies and attributes required of leaders of all cohorts and all organizations, regardless of mission or setting. These principles reflect decades of experience and validated scientific knowledge.An ideal Army leader serves as a role model through strong intellect, physical presence, professional competence, and moral character. An Army leader is able and willing to act decisively, within superior leaders' intent and purpose, and in the organization's best interests. Army leaders recognize that organizations, built on mutual trust and confidence, accomplish missions. Every member of the Army, military or civilian, is part of a team and functions in the role of leader and subordinate. Being a good subordinate is part of being an effective leader. Leaders do not just lead subordinates-they also lead other leaders. Leaders are not limited to just those designated by position, rank, or authority.
Throughout history, military leaders have recognized the importance of reconnaissance and surveillance. Gaining and maintaining contact with the enemy is essential to win the battle, and U.S. military history contains many examples where our knowledge of the enemy, or lack of knowledge, directly led to victory or defeat. The role of reconnaissance and surveillance has not diminished on the modern battlefield; if anything, it has become even more important. Battles at the combat training centers prove that a good reconnaissance and surveillance effort is critical to successful attacks. On the other hand, a poor reconnaissance and surveillance effort almost guarantees defeat for the commander. The message is clear: success on the battlefield begins with reconnaissance and surveillance. Direct from the United States Army, U.S. Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Handbook provides tactics, techniques, and procedures for reconnaissance and surveillance planning, mission management, and reporting. It also covers the development of intelligence to support counter-reconnaissance operations, employment considerations for reconnaissance, and surveillance assets, and defines the roles of various personnel in planning operations. Intended for maneuver commanders and their staffs; intelligence staffs and collection managers; and other personnel involved in planning and reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance operations, and now available to everyone, U.S. Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Handbook provides an insider’s look into the world of Army intelligence.
FM 1 is one of the Army's two capstone doctrinal manuals. The other is FM 3-0, Operations. FM 1's audience includes the Executive Branch; Congress; Office of the Secretary of Defense; Joint Staff; combatant commanders; other Services; officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted Soldiers of all Army components; and Army civilians. FM 1 is prepared under the direction of the Army Chief of Staff. It states what the Army is, what the Army does, how the Army does it, and where the Army is going. It establishes the Army's operational concept and other fundamental principles for employing landpower in support of the National Security, National Defense, and the National Military Strategies. FM 1 delineates the Army's purpose, roles, and functions as established by the Constitution; the Congress, in Title 10, United States Code; and the Department of Defense, in Department of Defense Directive 5100.1. FM 1 is also the Army Chief of Staff's vision for the Army. To facilitate joint interdependence, Army doctrine supports and is consistent with joint doctrine. FM 1 connects Army doctrine to joint doctrine as expressed in the relevant joint doctrinal publications, especially, Joint Publication 1, Joint Warfare of the Armed Forces of the United States, and Joint Publication 3-0, Doctrine for Joint Operations. FM 1 also links the National Security, National Defense, and National Military Strategies with the Army's operational doctrine in FM 3-0.
Army doctrine publication (ADP) 3-28 is the doctrinal foundation for the Army's contribution to defense support of civil authorities (DSCA). ADP 3-28 explains how the Army conducts DSCA missions and National Guard civil support missions as part of unified land operations. ADP 3-28 focuses on achieving unity of effort among the Army battalions, brigades, division headquarters, and Army Service component commands conducting DSCA with support from the institutional force and in cooperation with joint and interagency partners. (See Introductory Figure, on page viii for the complete ADP 3-28 logic chart.) The principal audience for ADP 3-28 is all members of the Army profession. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force headquarters should also refer to applicable joint doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint forces.
In the decade since the end of the Cold War, the strategic environment has become less stable, more uncertain, and more dangerous. The international order is again in transition. While our traditional adversaries seem less menacing, others have developed the capacity to threaten our national interests. Friction between the forces of integration and disintegration has increased the nature and scope of potential threats. All of our armed forces must be ready to deal with these threats, but land forces alone have the ability to place enough "boots on the ground" and interact with populations, directly and continuously. In this capacity for human interaction, ground forces are unique. The Army provides human interaction-the basis for our warfighting doctrine, our crisis management philosophy, and our engagement strategy. Warfighting is complex, but the historical lessons of the military art, the principles of war, the tenets of Army operations, and our warfighting tactics, techniques, and procedures-all the fundamental imperatives-boil down to several rules of thumb applicable at every level of war. First, we win on the offense; we must be able to defend well, but you win on the offense. Next we want to initiate combat on our terms-at a time, in a place, and with a method of our own choosing-not our adversary's, our choosing. Third, we want to gain the initiative and retain it for as long as possible-and never surrender it unless forced to. Fourth, we want to build momentum quickly. And finally, we want to win-decisively. These rules of thumb require commanders to master transitions. Transitions-passages of lines, reliefs in place, obstacles and rivers, going from offense to defense and back again, projecting power through airheads and beachheads, and transitioning from peacekeeping and warfighting and back again-sap operational momentum. Mastering transitions is key to setting the conditions for winning decisively. Forces that can do so provide strategic flexibility to the National Command Authorities, who need as many options as possible in a crisis. The Army has historically provided those capabilities and options with the versatility and agility of its formations. The Army performs missions today similar to those it has performed throughout our history. The places and the methods differ, but the qualities demanded of The Army are unchanged-an ethos of service to the Nation, the readiness to fight and win wars, and a willingness to accomplish any mission the American people ask of us. As we transform The Army into a force that is strategically responsive and dominant across the full range of military operations, our role as servant to the Nation remains clear. American Soldiers remain the centerpiece of our formation. Their character and our values are the threads from which we make whole cloth. Soldiers define our relationship with the American people-loyalty to the Constitution, the Nation, and its citizens; commitment to service; professional excellence; and obedience to civilian authority. Soldiers accept hardship and danger, and sometimes injury and death, in pursuit of these ideals. For over 226 years, the American people have relied on The Army to protect and defend the Constitution and to guarantee their freedom, security, and interests. The Army serves.
This handbook offers the techniques and tactics that make U.S. Army Rangers the best soldiers in the world. These highly trained, easily deployable, and widely skilled infantrymen specialize in airborne assault, raids, recovery of personnel and equipment, and airfield seizure, among other difficult and dangerous missions. Now, in this recently revised edition of the U.S. Army Ranger Handbook, you can get the latest info on everything from understanding the basics of Army operations and tactics to discovering what makes a soldier with good leadership qualities and character. Although primarily written for Rangers and other light infantry units, it serves as a handy reference for all military units, covering how infantry squad- and platoon-sized elements conduct combat operations in varied terrains. Drawing from over two centuries of lessons learned in special operations combat, this guide provides modern soldiers with best training possible. It effectively combines the lessons of the past with important insights for the future to help make army leaders the absolute best they can be. In straightforward, no-frills language, it covers deception, stealth, communications, escape and evasion, ambush operations, perimeter defense, counterintelligence, and much more. This book is the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to know how Rangers think and function.
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