Posted on Mar 12, 2015
Did you ever read FM 22-9 Soldier Performance in Continuous Operations?
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FM 22-9 Soldier Performance in Continuous Operations, 12 December 1991
Executive Summary:
I read FM 22-9 when I was young and I found it to be informative. Many have misapplied lessons about endurance over the years. Some leaders have mistakenly believed that the preferred practice was to employ Soldiers in exhaustive conditions. There is a time and place for Continuous, Exhaustive training but these are usually best placed at the end of a training cycle as a culminating event. Indeed we should train for the worst of conditions and I am an advocate for challenging your system to the point of failure. Critical is the end point of failure which must be properly anticipated and mitigation planned for risk. Reality may require Continuous operations in war and again exhaustion must be anticipated with a relief planned to prevent culmination of a unit without protection and support. Unexpected culmination in training can lead to the loss of life and in combat can lead to in best case mission failure and in the worst case mass casualties. Considering this the Army invested resources and in 1991 published the FM 22-9 Soldier Performance in Continuous Operations to address the consideration of sustained operations.
I have provided a copy of FM 22-9 at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qkvlivshdhhvpi7/AAD7N6xlV5JjHIUKdd98zE7Ga?dl=0
I will be reposting latter as a long contribution
Executive Summary:
I read FM 22-9 when I was young and I found it to be informative. Many have misapplied lessons about endurance over the years. Some leaders have mistakenly believed that the preferred practice was to employ Soldiers in exhaustive conditions. There is a time and place for Continuous, Exhaustive training but these are usually best placed at the end of a training cycle as a culminating event. Indeed we should train for the worst of conditions and I am an advocate for challenging your system to the point of failure. Critical is the end point of failure which must be properly anticipated and mitigation planned for risk. Reality may require Continuous operations in war and again exhaustion must be anticipated with a relief planned to prevent culmination of a unit without protection and support. Unexpected culmination in training can lead to the loss of life and in combat can lead to in best case mission failure and in the worst case mass casualties. Considering this the Army invested resources and in 1991 published the FM 22-9 Soldier Performance in Continuous Operations to address the consideration of sustained operations.
I have provided a copy of FM 22-9 at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qkvlivshdhhvpi7/AAD7N6xlV5JjHIUKdd98zE7Ga?dl=0
I will be reposting latter as a long contribution
Performance
Stress
Sleeping
Edited 11 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 10
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Sir,
Thank you for posting this. It's an interesting read.
For those who might not be aware, there is a current version of this publication. It's FM 6-22.5, Combat and Operational Stress Control Manual for Leaders and Soldiers, published 18 March 2009.
Thank you for posting this. It's an interesting read.
For those who might not be aware, there is a current version of this publication. It's FM 6-22.5, Combat and Operational Stress Control Manual for Leaders and Soldiers, published 18 March 2009.
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CSM (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see)
Well done young lady! I am impressed, when are you going to get promoted?
Well done young lady! I am impressed, when are you going to get promoted?
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This is a great Field Manual LTC (Join to see), I am glad you brought it forward. This was a subject we used to study and teach, everyone talks sleep plans (especially when going through our National Training Centers) when we know we are going to push ourselves, like during deployments. It is worth more than being limited to just a deployment or major training exercise. Very good information including the degraded performance as well as the compounded effect of lack of rest. Great information to share with the force!
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LTC (Join to see)
For that reason I am giving it a long commentary, including relationship to lessons learned from WWII and Korea. Why Ranger was founded and its original intent (you do not have to go there to learn but it is an excellerated compression experences of what can learn elsewhere) some people miss the lessons. The relation to old CTC training models from the 80s and 90s. ETC. Thank you for the feedback.
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My timelines are fuzzy. I've read bits & pieces of this over the years (resulting in eventually absorbing most of it), but I think my take away from it was sleep deprivation affects us on par, if not worse than alcohol. Losing 2~ hours of sleep per night for a week straight will impair your judgement at the same level of being at the "legal limit."
Add to that the stresses of heat, and you have a dangerous physiological cocktail. Every 20 degrees of temperature basically makes your body work twice as hard for the same benefit.
Add to that the stresses of heat, and you have a dangerous physiological cocktail. Every 20 degrees of temperature basically makes your body work twice as hard for the same benefit.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Big thing about cold weather is that your body burns more energy staying warm, so it's a huge trade off compared to heat. Heat makes you "work" harder for the same effect, while cold makes you burn more fuel over the same amount of time.
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You should be able to breeze through it. Eh.. It flows very logically. It is not longer published.
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It should provide some quick reading this weekend.
Just on a first-skim evaluation, it looks like something I would have made required reading for leaders, just as I pushed "The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation" on ROTC cadets under my influence (I also cited it when the brevity of my "required/allowed" packing lists for ROTC training exercises was questioned).
Just on a first-skim evaluation, it looks like something I would have made required reading for leaders, just as I pushed "The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation" on ROTC cadets under my influence (I also cited it when the brevity of my "required/allowed" packing lists for ROTC training exercises was questioned).
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LTC (Join to see) on a related note, you may want to solicit some information from the pilots & air crew we have. "If" my memory serves, I came across this when I was introduced to the concept of mandatory downtime, and maximum flight hours in the mid-90's. Our RP members who do flight ops would be far more versed on some of these concepts, as they live and breath them. I want to say the 70hr/week rule, much like truckers was in effect for a long time.
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LTC (Join to see) , I have read a like of Army AR's and FMs but not that one. Looks like I have some good reading material this weekend!
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LTC (Join to see)
This manual has implications to all branches. Your branch being a technical branch is just a relevant to this subject as what grunts are doing on patrol.
It is a breeze to read.
It is a breeze to read.
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LTC (Join to see) , Excellent find and intriguing topic! I'll definitely familiarize myself with this treasure and see if it hits or misses the target.
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LTC (Join to see)
I am hoping my longer write up as a Command Post.
I have done a lot of research on this topic. I have referenced it often but some get made, however, those to listen I admire. I think of it as the last of the golden nuggets the Army leaders that grew up in the Vietnam error gave us.
I have done a lot of research on this topic. I have referenced it often but some get made, however, those to listen I admire. I think of it as the last of the golden nuggets the Army leaders that grew up in the Vietnam error gave us.
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I did not even know it existed.... But I just did a quick look... Seems odd.
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LTC (Join to see)
Sir, it is no long published and hard to find. I keep a hard copy hidden away, I read it as young E3 and that is when I knew I wanted to a be a leader. Care for Soldiers, is not always all about being easy or hard but about being deliberate. The Army spent good money and time on the FM but in was lost in the mix of thousands of FMs.
It is a brief over view of facts determined through science and explains concisely the application of such knowledge. The author empathized with the reader in writing it as breeze to read. Speaking of empathy we are no looking at empathy as part of leadership and this book informs a leader on how to empathize with regards to a Soldiers physical and mental state during prolonged operations.
I found it a travesty this Manual did not receive more attention and I loaned it to my best LTs.
By this way of the response will be in my longer write up.
It is a brief over view of facts determined through science and explains concisely the application of such knowledge. The author empathized with the reader in writing it as breeze to read. Speaking of empathy we are no looking at empathy as part of leadership and this book informs a leader on how to empathize with regards to a Soldiers physical and mental state during prolonged operations.
I found it a travesty this Manual did not receive more attention and I loaned it to my best LTs.
By this way of the response will be in my longer write up.
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I made certain every leader and soldier I had contact with read and embraced many of the tenets in 22-9. More importantly, I pointed out that it was not just meant for those being lead but those leading. It’s ok to take that power nap!
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