Editor's Note
A light hearted piece by Neil John that gives the reader a rare insight into the conduct of our war games. Notwithstanding, the humour part in this piece it raises several relevant Questions which could become 'food for thought' on the aim & pupose of conduct of war games.
These Questions are:
1. To beat the enemy should you think like him?
2. Do you need to dare as no war is won just by reacting and keeping the initiative always with the enemy?
3. Is watching and waiting actually treason?
4. How to wrest the initiative from the enemy to take the battle to him on your terms whenever and wherever possible through the window provided?
Can Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' be a guide and show the way forward?
The Article:
Military war games are interesting and great fun,The higher you go, the more insightful you get, that’s it’s mostly the brains and not always the gun,
What was once a stupid strategy, disjointed and put in place,Suddenly becomes logical and sane, an act of divine grace,
Corps, Divisions, Brigades, all find a job to do and well,Briefings by the select enlightened, the observer goes through a mind swell,
Kya ho raha hai aur kahan, is oft heard out loud,Discussions in respective ops room, a secret shroud,
Yellow land, Red land, Blue land, they all seem to be in sync,Expecting the enemy mostly to abide with our thought process is the biggest kink,
Some of us are convinced that there is only one way and that is mine,While some just sit eating chocolates from bowls, commenting anything is fine,
Staff officers are working fervently, being relevant, priming the need,Yeh hi mauka hai, number kamane ka and to the generals his intelligence feed,
The articulation of course is exemplary, an act of great skill,Drawing arrows on the map, a matter of free will,
Areey angrezi chodo, come on ground and explain the plan,The conceptualisers greatest fear, this his brain couldn’t scan,
But the high tea is good and the plum cake divine,The catering officer is the one enjoying the adulation and revelling in the shine,
All is good, all ends well, as the master director gives out his points … very deep, well thought off and very few,
I am happy that for once the Blue land didn’t have it all and the Yellow and the Red were given his due,
As I go back, boarding the flight, wondering what now? Where?I have realised one thing, that to beat the enemy, you need to think like him and have the balls to dare,
No war is ever won by just reacting to an action, giving the enemy advantage and a reason, But to do nothing and just sit watching and waiting is an act of absolute treason,
So fight forward, fight well, take the battle to him on your terms, shallow or deep,If you miss that window, you as a military commander forever in retrospection will weep.
