As I transitioned from a tank platoon leader job to become my battalion planner, I needed some motivation before going to NTC. I was concerned that I would end up being bored as a staff weenie compared to my first rodeo on a tank. I looked to literature, and found the ultimate staff officer story:

Memoirs of my Services in the Great War 1917-1918, by George C. Marshall

If you think staff life is lame, Mr. Marshall will convince you otherwise. Written in 1921, his personal observations from the front lines to life as Pershing’s aide make for a phenomenal read.

On the differences between French and American techniques: “The French commander and his staff endeavored to handle the American units after the same fashion as their own. Small and complicated maneuvers, with frequent pauses, was the method pursued, which was not well adapted to the temperament and characteristics of thee American soldiers. Our men gave better results when employed in a “steamroller” operation, that is, when launched in an attack with distant objectives and held continuously to their task without rest or reorganization until unfit for further fighting. Their morale suffered from delays under fire, their spirits were best maintained by continued aggressive action, even though the men themselves were approaching the point of complete exhaustion. They bitterly resented casualties suffered while being held in position, without doing any damage to the enemy.”

And perhaps my own branch bias showing through…

“Instead of a proper complement of about five hundred tanks, to protect the doughboys against excessive losses in such an advance, we were only able to muster 18, and these were all employed against the little village of Landres-et-St. Georges. Here was a commentary on the price of unprepared ness to be paid inevitably in human life. With America the master steel-maker of the world, American infantrymen were denied the support and protection of these land battleships.”

And more.