Written on August 11, 2010 at 8:57 am by

Warfighter Wednesday: Simple Suggestions for Effective Advising

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Lt. Col. Joshua J. Potter, chief, Iraqi Army Division Stability-Transition Team

Lt. Col. Joshua J. Potter, chief, Iraqi Army Division Stability-Transition Team

Lt. Col. Joshua J. Potter is an Iraqi Army Division Stability-Transition Team (S-TT) chief with the 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq. This is his fourth tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is his sixth overall deployment and he previously was the Civil Affairs officer for the 1st Infantry Division G9 (Civil-Military officer) and course developer / chief instructor with the Directorate of Cultural Influence and Counterinsurgency training over 8,000 Transition Team members who are inbound in support of the Global War on Terrorism, in Cultural Influence, Counterinsurgency, and the role of the advisor.

We have served for eight months as an Advise and Assist Brigade (AAB). Our Foreign Security Force (FSF) counterparts include the Army, federal police, police services and other security units. As FSF have dramatically increased their capacity over the past few months, we have altered the way we engage with them. Of course, the AAB must remain agile at its core and we believe that dedicated in-progress reviews are important.

In that spirit, this is a short compilation or a “down-and-dirty” guide for incoming S-TT advisors to support their overall mission.

  1. Leave your ego at home station. Advisors can effectively work directly for U.S. commanders, who may be a peer or even junior in rank.
  2. Advising units and their parent units have complimentary roles in the AAB effort. The role of the advisor is different from that of a partner.
  3. Establish and confirm the commander’s guidance from the FSF counterpart early. Develop a combined, synchronized plan to prioritize your U.S. resources in order to support the FSF goals.
  4. When presented with a task or problem, ask for the FSF plan of action first. They may have already solved the problem. If not, it is often better to resource the FSF plan, rather than create a more complicated U.S.-driven plan.
  5. As a corollary to the above suggestion, an advisor should first learn the FSF systems.
  6. Anticipate requests for assistance or support. Know the procedures for requesting resources through your AAB or enablers for support.
  7. Know what you can offer (and what you cannot) in the way of assistance. Have the answers ready for requests you anticipate. Talk to the AAB commanders and ensure that you are not going to promise anything you shouldn’t or can’t.
  8. Conduct parallel planning, utilizing staff estimates. This often demonstrates the strength of the U.S. military decision making process, which FSF counterparts strive to mirror.
  9. Disseminate information daily across your advisor team and in your official reports – particularly among your U.S. parent unit, who are not with your FSF counterpart as closely as you may be.
  10. Empower subordinate leaders. Demonstrate centralized planning and decentralized execution, which is another hallmark of U.S. excellence.
  11. Follow the Troop Leading Procedures for every operation. Pay particular attention to the task of “supervise”.
  12. Planning a “way ahead” is most effective if it balances operations with training.
  13. Advise in private – observe in public. Report what you see, hear and think. Ensure, however that you are clear in your reports as to what you know and what you think. Back-up your conclusions with supporting evidence. Be prepared to defend any critical comments with specific, objective examples.
  14. Stay visible with your FSF counterpart; be immediately accessible to the FSF. You should always be nearby if he calls.
  15. Be honest and positive in your assessments. Resist the urge to be branded as a “cheerleader,” however in case you have a particularly strong FSF counterpart.
  16. Ask your U.S. commander for guidance in developing a long-range plan with your FSF counterpart. Advisors are a crucial bridge in developing enduring, strategic relationships.
  17. Allocate resources based upon the FSF counterpart priorities and the U.S. unit’s capacity. This often involves compromises.
  18. Share the risk – be with your FSF counterpart on every operation or mission. It is difficult to voice an opinion from the FOB.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list – simply some of the best practices we have seen in an effective relationship. We welcome comments and observations!

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