Photo By Staff Sgt. Roger Jackson | Col. Todd Erskine, 300th Sustainment Brigade commander, talks with Chief Warrant...... read more read more
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Start where you stand and never mind the past. The past will not help when beginning new. If it is a new situation, reconsider all approaches, taking what you learned and leaving the rest in the past.
This is another chapter in the book, this is another mission that has been planned. Do not give the vanished days a backward look, start from where you stand or in this case, start from where you finish.
Eugene Mason proposed a great question, “Where do we start? You can almost visualize a set of stairs in front of you. What will it take to reach the top? Instead, first consider: Where do we finish?”
With this statement, one question leads to the next question — but the second question initiates something more. This provokes our thoughts and forces our brain to think things through and process all necessary information to visualize the endstate. It would appear we are thinking forward because we are planning ahead, but that is not necessarily correct; we are thinking backward. Thinking backward can allow you to see the overall big picture much earlier on in the process, while maintaining focus on the ultimate goal of the mission at the same time. Modernization helps Soldiers and units be more lethal to win our Nation’s wars.
In military operations, sustaining, supporting, and mobilizing the logistics of an operation are considered from finish to start. That means taking into consideration all entities that are needed, where they are needed, and when they are needed. All in all, the battle is won or lost from the very beginning based on whether or not all personnel, equipment, etc., are assembled in the right place at the right time, to sustain and complete the fight from beginning to end.
Lt. Col. Dennis Rohler, 529th Support Battalion commander, a collaborative minded but lines of effort focused thinker, emphasizes that all Soldiers and leaders should “take the time to know what is and is not in your lane, but always keep your eyes on the rest of the team and provide a helping hand when you can …” This affirmation encourages the importance of a full and complete thought process when considering all missions — each individual working together and working toward the common goal of the organization. Further development of our minds and our capabilities to perform increases our overall readiness.
“The principles of sustainment are our guiding criterion when developing plans and executing sustainment operations. They can also guide us in life planning. Army Doctrine Publication 4.0 and Army Doctrine Reference Publication 4.0 are the foundation of what we do as Sustainers. Take the time to read them and know the principles of sustainment: integration, anticipation, responsiveness, simplicity, economy, survivability, continuity, and improvisation,” said Rohler.
When viewing and analyzing Rohler's command philosophy, and situations that our missions present, backward thinking is surely recognized as the 529th provides enduring sustainment and mission command to supported units in our area of operations and our area of responsibilities.
Rohler prefers trend and root cause analysis, allowing Soldiers to know where we have been, where we are going, where we are going to start, where we are going to end, the in-between, and what needs to be continued with all regards to sustaining and completing the fight.
Backward thinking requires you to have a “need to know” attitude. Not only how will it start but how will it finish. Thinking backward means being flexible in planning and allowing for changes along the way as a concept matures and all the consequences become known. Someone who is flexible keeps their eyes on the prize and will bend when necessary. Living in a constant world of change, things do not always fit the overall plan. What was once thought to be a great plan is suddenly not so great but, with backward thinking, we realize it can still be a great plan implementing a few adjustments.
Before the commencement of our mission and with steady reminders, Rohler stated “Stay flexible, things are always changing, be ready to change and adapt with them … The upcoming times will be as positive of a year as you can make it, but it is completely left up to you.”
Remain flexible but keep in mind your overall goal, end-state, and the requirements to get there. Never let the concept become the finish, it is only a tool to help you along. Do not change the finish to meet the concept.
Hold tight to your standards, do not make exceptions or change the expectations when times are difficult. It is important not to confuse flexibility with compromising of the principle. It is important to focus on the road “ahead” when working backward or rather “behind,” when discussing this matter.
Throughout the process, “finish to start” or “start to finish,” it is crucial to include specific azimuths to gauge progress. Ultimately, backward thinking can be very beneficial. When working backward, it is all about determining what assets are needed to finish the mission from the end to the beginning. Then after determining the assets, making a plan to get those assets in place to carry out the mission to completion, while following up to ensure things are going as planned or if an adjustment needs to be made. “Get After It,” “Slay the Beast!”, and “Forward and Light.”
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2019 13:23 |
| Story ID: | 313381 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 198 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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