Stop Saying Convoy

We need to eliminate a word from our vocabulary: convoy. It’s not helpful for our leaders and shortchanges what commanders need from their subordinates because the word doesn’t evoke a tactical, deliberate operation. The appropriate word to use is patrol. Why does it matter? First, a convoy tends to evoke thoughts of an easy movement. There are no easy movements. Second, there are no principles of convoying. There are, however, five principles of patrolling. Patrolling is demanding and keeps us focused on combat. Last, the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) puts us under continuous observation and the threat of attack. Patrolling accounts for threats. It might appear or sound pedantic to purposely parse words to this extent, but there is value in the differentiation.

1. No Movement is Easy

Through my experience, I’ve learned that units who convoy, instead of patrol, make a lot of assumptions about the operation. I’ve seen all types of units gather their people, load into vehicles without a plan, and depart on a convoy. These leaders assumed their units knew the route, speed, spacing, security requirements, weapon orientation, and myriad other requirements. In practice, their Soldiers were unaware of this information. These leaders failed to acknowledge their operations were complex, required planning, were under constant observation, and could be attacked at any time. When I commanded an Engineer Company responsible for route clearance in Afghanistan, I observed my own Platoons leave the base thinking they were conducting a convoy searching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). I quickly changed their thinking. I explained that they are patrolling all the time and searching for IEDs when appropriate. They rapidly adapted and patrolled from start to finish. Through this adaptation, they recognized that their operations were not easy.

Patrols tend to make leaders and Soldiers acknowledge their complex operations and address threats including the enemy and weather. Patrols bend leaders towards maneuver instead of movement. Maneuver achieves a position of advantage in respect to the enemy. Movement sets the conditions for maneuver. The difference is critical: maneuvering accounts for the enemy. Convoys tend to treat the movement as an easy drive to a range that do not require a thorough briefing and rehearsals. When Platoons conduct a patrol brief prior to departing any location, they address threats and implement safety control measures. Leaders need to address the principles of patrolling in this briefs.

2. Principles of Patrolling

At the start of the Iraq War in 2003, a convoy gone wrong hit the news quickly. The 507th Maintenance Company came under attack, received heavy casualties, and led to the capture of several Soldiers, most famous of whom was PFC Jessica Lynch. I would encourage current and future Platoon Leaders to use the Army Press’s staff ride as a means of learning from this event. As the Ranger Handbook lays out, there are five principles of patrolling: planning, reconnaissance, security, control, and common sense. Using these principles as a handrail to conduct a patrol in any environment will reduce friction and assist in accomplishing the mission. Had the 507th applied these principles, I am convinced the outcome would have been better. The principles of patrolling apply whether a unit is mounted or dismounted. The term convoy generally only applies to a mounted movement. If we use the principles of patrolling for any movement, we will at least consider these elements as we incorporate them into the various phases of operations. A patrol brief shaped around these principles will help to create the conditions for success while addressing contingencies.

Using the 507th Maintenance Company’s vignette, there was not enough control of the formation. A lack of radios, reliance on GPS, and a lack of batteries are only a few examples of how the unit suffered so many casualties. It is easy to look on this formation and think that it will not happen to your unit. You must plan on losing control; only then will you assess the risk and implement control measures to continue to operate. No movement is simple. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is. Simply observe the Russian-Ukrainian war. Russia suffered copious casualties on numerous occasions from tactical formations that considered their movement to be easy and discounted how deep the deep fight has become, and how capable Ukrainian formations are. This is not something unique to the Russo-Ukranian War; many actors, from small to large, now have easy access to constantly observe us from the moment we enter the theater of operation.

3. Constant Observation

The proliferation of UAS has changed the way that we think of being observed. During Operations Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom, we learned that we were under constant observation by people on the ground. We expected our location to be reported through observers using phones or radios. That threat remains. However, it has become worse. Not only are we under constant ground observation, cheap UAS ensures we are always being watched from the air. And these UAS can be armed as suicide drones or capable of dropping grenades or mortars. We must think of this persistent observation as three-dimensional. Using the principles of patrolling, we can systematically address this burgeoning observation presence.

Patrolling is always tactical. If we expand our threats to constant visual observation from three dimensions, we will inherently incorporate it into our patrolling plan. Again, the Ranger Handbook helps us by stating, “To survive on the battlefield, stealth, dispersion, and security is enforced in all tactical movements.” If we always patrol, we will always be tactical. If we are always tactical, we will always consider the different environments where we operate, account for persistent observation, acknowledge increased threats, and maneuver to a position of advantage. That position of advantage enables us to conduct our operation and leads to mission success. Without it, we would be back to convoying leaving the enemy in the advantageous position.

   Conclusion

All small unit leaders need to understand the principles of patrolling and actively incorporate them into daily operations. If you use them in any operation, you will be better prepared to confront threats and the inherent friction that military operations present. The principles of patrolling are not just for the Infantry. As the 507th Maintenance Company taught us, they apply to all formations. Ukrainians continue to learn from their experiences fighting Russia and we need to learn from them as well. I hope these principles serve as a guide to junior officers. Now, get patrolling.

LTC Michael Carvelli commands 1-410 Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox, KY. He served as Sapper Platoon Leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and a Company Commander in the 6th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne), both in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.