Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Britney Hiatt | Members from the United States Forces-Iraq Red Team pose for a photo in front of their...... read more read more
These are the questions asked, and answered, by the United States Force-Iraq Command Staff Red Team. Their mission is to anticipate the risks to a mission and the end state of any situation, according to Sgt. Maj. Ruby Mayweather, the Red Team sergeant major.
“We’re the Devil’s Advocate for the command group,” said Lt. Col. Robert Short, Red Team commander. “We work with planners, challenging their assumptions and the way they think.”
“A Red Team approach provides the commander and staff with unbiased, alternative perspective on problem sets that the command faces,” said Col. Steven Mitchell, the United Stations Forces-Iraq J5 plans chief.
“A good example of how the USF-I Red Team is currently contributing to theater operations is by offering analysis’ of the transition to stability operations and in providing initial insights into key facets of Operation New Dawn,” said Mitchell.
The members of the team are picked based on their background and experience and can be military or civilian, Short said.
Red Team members go to school in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where they learn critical thinking skills, take college courses on cultural awareness, and learn different techniques of how to look at problems differently than what the military teaches, Short said.
“We take culture considerations and things that a military guy won’t normally think of and make the planners involved think about it and come out with a better plan,” Short said.
The Red Team prepares units that are going out on a mission with the most effective information for any situation that may arise, Mayweather said.
Short said that when he deployed at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, it would have been easier to solve problems more quickly and precisely if they’d had a Red Team keeping them informed about the culture.
The Red Team also works to find problems with plans that may affect relations with the Iraqi government.
Since the members of the Red Team can approach a problem by “standing in another’s shoes” they offer multiple solutions and observations that aren’t limited to a military viewpoint, Mitchell said.
When a plan is given to a team representative, they, study the scenario and present an outside perspective, Short said.
“We also work with different subject matter experts, depending on a scenario and add their perspective for more accurate responses to use during a mission,” he said. “It’s also invaluable when preparing to present a plan to the Iraqis.”
Mayweather said the Red Team was recently assigned to be a part J5 Plans to help refine projects that require their expertise.
By asking the right questions, the Red Team can help USF-I avoid cultural pitfalls and present plans to the government of Iraq to be successful in rebuilding their country.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2010 05:25 |
| Story ID: | 52015 |
| Location: | CAMP VICTORY, IQ |
| Web Views: | 506 |
| Downloads: | 194 |
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