In this episode, we discuss:
*Furness’ experience at The Basic School (TBS) as a student in 1987
*The degree to which the philosophy of maneuver warfare was present at TBS by that point
*What the Infantry Officer Course (IOC) was like as a student
*Furness’ experience as a TBS instructor, including learning how to teach maneuver warfare
*Why teaching at TBS and IOC saw the greatest professional development of his 34-year career
*What the atmosphere of TBS was like upon Furness’ return to the school as an instructor
*How TBS forced Furness to ‘up his game’ as an instructor and officer
*How teaching at IOC prepared him for company command
*The TBS staff’s acceptance and understanding of maneuver warfare
*How TBS attempted to teach maneuver warfare
*The “Zen Patrol”
*How IOC facilitated TDGs, including the “McNamara Method”
*How Furness applied the teaching methods he encountered at IOC to PME with the 2nd Marine Division staff
*The story behind Furness’ contest-winning Marine Corps Gazette article, “The NCO and Maneuver Warfare”
*How the issues addressed in the article persist in today’s Marine Corps
*How Furness has attempted to create a culture conducive to maneuver warfare in his units
*Integrating tactical decision games into ranges
*How maneuver warfare is akin to “institutionalized military excellence”
*Why the Marine Corps has been unable to execute maneuver warfare as a service
*Why the Marine Corps needs a reformed manpower system in order to fulfill General Berger’s vision for the Marine Corps
*Furness’s thoughts on General Neller’s efforts to “rejuvenate” maneuver warfare in the Marine Corps
*How the Marine Corps shapes the success of its staffs but not of its squads
*Why Furness thinks the Marine Corps requires more rigorous PME
*The PME program that Furness developed for his division staff
*The 2nd Marine Division’s experience at the MAGTF Warfighting Exercise (MWX)
*What Furness learned from the MWX
*How Furness models his approach to PME
*The effect that Anthony Zinni’s “Combat Concepts” had on Furness’ approach to modeling effective PME and self-development
*How Furness encouraged his subordinate leaders to develop their own PME programs
*What surprised Furness the most during the MWX
*Potential downsides (and possible solutions) to free play force-on-force exercises
*The steep learning curve of learning to command large units and formations
*The challenges facing the Marine Corps from Furness’ current position at Headquarters Marine Corps
*Furness’ thoughts on the future of Marine Corps PME and training
*His efforts to man all the rifle squads in 2nd Marine Division with qualified sergeants
Links
“The NCO and Maneuver Warfare” by Capts William H. Weber IV & David J. Furness
https://mca-marines.org/blog/gazette/the-nco-and-maneuver-warfare/
“TDGs Return” (on the McNamara Method) by Col Thomas X. Hammes, USMC (Ret)
https://mca-marines.org/blog/gazette/tdgs-return/
“Winning Tomorrow’s Battles Today: Reinvigorating Maneuver Warfare in the 2d Marine Division” by MajGen David Furness
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Winning-Tomorrow’s-Battles-Today.pdf
