S6

The lapse in communication between the front lines and the Eighth Army mission command was caused by a number of factors; however, I’ll only touch base on those in which I felt were key.

One factor, which could arguably be the most influential, was the disproportionate number of men manning the front perimeter. There were many gaps throughout the perimeter’s defense, too big for most of the dismounted units to handle. Being spread so thin, “like hot butter,” as told in “this kind of war,” Fehrenbach references an instance where 1LT Frank Munoz was tasked to relieve 3rd BN, 19th infantry Company from its occupied defensive position, which extended 7, ooo meters, with just only a squad sized element of dismounted riflemen. In today’s Army, such a course of action would have been unthinkable to adhere to; nevertheless, the manning and resources were scarce, and it was what needed to be done at the time.

Another factor that led to the lapse in communication was the lack of discipline and order amongst the ranks. During the Korean War, it wasn’t uncommon for lowly soldiers to abandon their post, leaving it unguarded and unmanned. Fehrenbach speaks of multiple occurrences where soldiers were “breaking contact,” before any type of contact, visual or direct, had ever been made. Fehrenbach goes onto describe the average American Soldier of the Korean War as unprofessional, untrained and ill prepared. With that being said, I find it obvious as to why reporting to and from higher was always delayed; how can one expect for intelligence to be reported rapidly and accurately if no one is present to observe said intelligence?

Lastly, the quality of commo equipment also proved to be a prominent factor regarding the complications with communication between higher command and lower echelon commanders. It’s imperative to note that although this was a catastrophic event that caused the U.N. a major loss in men and equipment, this was not the first, nor was it the only time where lapse in communication was an issue. Fehrenbach explains, on numerous occasions, how a lapse in communication would inevitably become the fulcrum for any major battle, especially those that took place during the Korean War. The fighting force that was able to receive their respective intelligence first, more often than not, were more likely to successful in their endeavors. Degraded communication has always and will continue to be a principal issue of War. Even today, through the advancements of technology along with the progressive teachings at the War College, communication degradation continues to haunt not only American forces, but militaries all across the globe. With that being said, all we can do as a fighting force, is to hone the basics of our skill/craft and focus on operating on degraded platforms. When it comes to War, the proper implementation of mission command can make the difference in the deciding factor between one’s victory and one’s utter demise.